EDGEFIELD, S.C. — The National Wild Turkey Federation has joined more than 70 conservation, agriculture, forestry and sporting organizations in supporting the conservation investments included in the U.S. Senate’s Agricultural Act of 2026 discussion draft, encouraging lawmakers to continue advancing voluntary conservation programs that benefit wildlife, working lands and rural communities.
Since the first Farm Bill was enacted nearly a century ago following the Dust Bowl of 1935, these bills have helped farmers, ranchers and forest landowners voluntarily conserve America’s natural resources while keeping their operations productive. Through the bill’s Conservation Title, landowners can receive technical and financial assistance to improve wildlife habitat, restore forests, protect water quality, reduce soil erosion and strengthen working lands for future generations. These voluntary, incentive-based programs have become some of the nation’s most effective conservation tools as they help people improve the land they own, while delivering lasting benefits for wildlife and local communities.
The coalition’s letter applauds the Senate Agriculture Committee for preserving strong conservation funding while improving programs that help producers voluntarily conserve agricultural and forest lands. The proposal also creates new state-focused conservation and forest easement programs while increasing funding for many existing Conservation Title programs over the 2018 Farm Bill.
“The NWTF has long supported Farm Bill conservation programs because they help private landowners implement practices that benefit wildlife and working lands; however, many of the programs funded through the Farm Bill are so popular only a fraction of the landowners who apply are able to tap into them,” said Matt Lindler, NWTF director of government affairs. “The expanded opportunities and funding will allow more landowners to participate.”
Programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and Voluntary Public Access-Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP) help improve forest health, restore native grasslands, enhance streams and wetlands, expand public hunting access and create the diverse habitat that wild turkeys and hundreds of other wildlife species depend on.
Approximately 70% of the nation’s forests and more than half of all wildlife habitat are on private lands. This makes voluntary conservation partnerships essential in maintaining habitat connectivity across public and private lands, supporting rural economies and sustaining outdoor recreation opportunities. Farm Bill conservation programs provide landowners with the technical and financial assistance needed to implement practices that might otherwise be out of reach, creating lasting benefits that extend well beyond individual properties.
These programs also provide practical benefits beyond wildlife conservation. Healthy forests reduce wildfire risk, healthy soils improve agricultural productivity, wetlands improve water quality and flood resilience, and voluntary conservation partnerships keep working lands productive while sustaining the outdoor traditions that support jobs in rural America.
The coalition also emphasized the need for Congress to complete work on a new Farm Bill after the previous legislation, passed in 2018, expired in 2023 and has since been extended through short-term measures. The Senate’s discussion draft, and the House’s Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026 that passed out the House earlier this year, are important steps toward delivering a bipartisan Farm Bill that benefits farmers, forest owners, wildlife, hunters and the American people.
As Congress continues work on the next Farm Bill, the NWTF remains committed to partnering with lawmakers and conservation groups to ensure these critical programs deliver lasting conservation outcomes for generations to come.
About the National Wild Turkey Federation
Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 25 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. Since 2022, the NWTF has also invested over $2.3 million in critical wild turkey research that, when leveraged with partner contributions, has resulted in more than $22 million to guide the management of the wild turkey and to ensure sustainable populations. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale to create healthy forests and wildlife habitats, clean and abundant water, resilient communities and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF is committed to creating a nation united by the life-changing power of the outdoors.
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