This bill reestablishes the Driftless Area Landscape Conservation Initiative within the Food Security Act of 1985, aiming to reduce erosion and restore cold water stream corridors in the Midwestern United States' Driftless Area. The initiative emphasizes climate-smart agriculture , carbon sequestration, soil health, and ecological restoration to address environmental challenges in the region. It directs the Secretary to provide financial and technical assistance, including payments for easements, to producers for practices such as managing working lands for ground cover, restoring prairies, and improving woodlands and cold water streams. Additionally, the initiative supports grassroots partnerships to educate landowners on climate-smart agriculture and soil health. The program is funded with $5,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
This bill reestablishes the Driftless Area Landscape Conservation Initiative within the Food Security Act of 1985, aiming to reduce erosion and restore cold water stream corridors in the Midwestern United States' Driftless Area. The initiative emphasizes climate-smart agriculture , carbon sequestration, soil health, and ecological restoration to address environmental challenges in the region. It directs the Secretary to provide financial and technical assistance, including payments for easements, to producers for practices such as managing working lands for ground cover, restoring prairies, and improving woodlands and cold water streams. Additionally, the initiative supports grassroots partnerships to educate landowners on climate-smart agriculture and soil health. The program is funded with $5,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2031.