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RCED-95-159R 1 (1995-04-14)

handle is hein.gao/gaobackuh0001 and id is 1 raw text is: 




                UntdStates
GAG)         General Accounting Office
             Washington, D.C. 20548

             Resources, Community, and
             Economic Development Division
             B-261014


             April 14, 1995


             The Honorable Richard G. Lugar
             Chairman
             The Honorable Patrick J. Leahy
             Ranking Minority Member
             Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,
               and Forestry
             United States Senate

             The Honorable Pat Roberts
             Chairman
             The Honorable E (Kika) de la Garza
             Ranking Minority Member
             Committee on Agriculture
             House of Representatives

             Before 1985, an estimated 3 billion tons of soil eroded
             annually from the nation's cropland. Concerned about
             losing productivity on this cropland and the degradation of
             water quality caused by sedimentation, the Congress enacted
             the conservation compliance program--one of a number of
             programs to reduce soil erosion--in the Food Security Act
             of 1985. Under this program, farmers who participate in
             federal farm programs must implement approved soil
             conservation plans to reduce erosion on highly erodible
             cropland or face the possible loss of program benefits.
             The conservation compliance program is administered by the
             U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

             In preparation for the 1995 farm bill, you asked us to
             provide information on (1) whether USDA has been flexible
             when implementing program requirements in different regions
             of the country, (2) how the program has affected farming
             practices and farmers' costs, and (3) what benefits and
             drawbacks the program has provided.

             In summary, we found the following:

             -- USDA has been flexible in setting program requirements
                 and in applying these requirements on a regional basis.
                 For example, USDA relaxed the program's original


GAO/RCED-95-L59R, Soil Conservation

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