Leger Fernández, Valadao and Pingree Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Support Water Conservation and Drought Resilient Practices
Washington,
May 9, 2025
Tags:
Farmers
WASHINGTON — U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M-03), David G. Valadao (R-CA-22) and Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01) introduced the Support Water-Efficient Strategies and Technologies Act (WEST) Act (H.R. 3293) to support agriculture practices more commonly used in Western arid climates. This bipartisan bill would allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary to increase cost shares to 85 percent for Environmental Quality Incentives Programs (EQIP) practices that support water-conserving and drought-resilient programs. It would also make perennial production systems eligible for supplemental payments within the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Further, it would strengthen the USDA soil health program by allowing the Secretary to conduct outreach on the program and offer payments for soil health testing.
WASHINGTON — U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M-03), David G. Valadao (R-CA-22) and Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01) introduced the Support Water-Efficient Strategies and Technologies Act (WEST) Act (H.R. 3293) to support agriculture practices more commonly used in Western arid climates. This bipartisan bill would allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary to increase cost shares to 85 percent for Environmental Quality Incentives Programs (EQIP) practices that support water-conserving and drought-resilient programs. It would also make perennial production systems eligible for supplemental payments within the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Further, it would strengthen the USDA soil health program by allowing the Secretary to conduct outreach on the program and offer payments for soil health testing. “For generations, farmers and ranchers in New Mexico have been conserving water and growing drought-resilient crops in arid climates. Their crops feed our families and are distributed across America’s tables,” said Rep. Leger Fernández. “However, we learned during our ‘Farm-to-Congress’ conversations that USDA conservation programs are sometimes targeted for wetter conditions found in the East and Midwest. This bill will help these essential programs work better for Western farmers and ranchers. I thank Congressman Valadao and Congresswoman Pingree for joining me in introducing the Support the WEST Act to support programs that help retain and conserve water. Our ranch and farming communities in the West deserve the same opportunities as those in other parts of our beautiful country. I am committed to getting this in the Farm Bill and across the finish line.” “Our Central Valley farmers are experts at doing more with less, especially when it comes to navigating unfair water allocations and drought conditions,” said Congressman Valadao. “The Support the WEST Act is a bipartisan bill that promotes the proven, water-saving practices our producers rely on to feed the nation and helps Western agriculture thrive—even in the face of drought.” “I’m eager to help farmers who are on the frontlines of the climate crisis. Like my landmark Agriculture Resilience Act, this bipartisan bill will strengthen USDA’s soil health programs, Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), and Environmental Quality Incentives Programs (EQIP) to boost water conservation and drought resilient agriculture,” said Pingree, a longtime organic farmer and member of the House Agriculture Committee. “We appreciate the continued work by Congresswoman Leger Fernández to improve farm bill programs so that they better meet the needs of New Mexico’s producers”, said New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau President Larry Reagan. “The Support the WEST Act highlights the importance of supporting and deploying water conservation programs on our working lands and expands that opportunity for producers.” “Western landscapes have an amazing potential to improve the water cycle and mitigate the harmful effects of extreme weather,” says Chad Franke, President of Rocky Mountain Farmers Union. “The Support Water-Efficient Strategies and Technologies Act of 2025 will create important incentives to fight aridification, increase water holding capacity in soils, and enable agricultural producers to better steward our most precious resource, water. This act recognizes the variability within agriculture throughout our country and provides the ability to utilize practices that work in the arid West. We thank Representative Leger Fernández for bringing forward this vital bill.” "The Support the WEST Act contains solid, practical updates to conservation programs that will help farmers build soil health and drought resilience into their operations. Bills like this demonstrate why Congress needs to fully reauthorize the Farm Bill as soon as possible, and deliver the broad range of improved tools farmers deserve," said Jesse Womack, Conservation Policy Specialist, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. This bill is supported by:
### |
