PF & QF urge Congress to come together to pass bipartisan bill this year
Today, Senator John Boozman (R-AR), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, released draft text for his proposed farm bill. This follows House passage of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 earlier this spring, advancing the process to complete a bipartisan, five-year farm bill for the first time since 2018. The farm bill is the single most important piece of legislation for conservation on America’s private lands, and the release of Chairman Boozman’s discussion draft today is a major step toward restoring certainty and stability for agricultural producers and rural communities.
“Chairman Boozman’s proposed farm bill comes at a pivotal time for farmers and ranchers, and Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever commend him and his staff for their work on this critical legislation,” said Andrew Schmidt, director of government affairs for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. “We also thank Ranking Member Klobuchar and Majority Leader Thune for their tireless commitment to strengthening the Conservation Reserve Program. Rural America needs a farm bill, and we urge Congress to come together to pass a bipartisan bill that strengthens CRP and other voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs.”
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s top legislative priority is enactment of a bipartisan farm bill that provides certainty for agricultural producers and invests in conservation programs that benefit wildlife habitat, soil health, water quality, and rural communities.
This certainty is most needed for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which has been a vital part of the farm safety net and the farm bill’s conservation title for over 40 years. As the only major farm bill conservation program left without significant investments or updates since 2018, it is critical that the next farm bill strengthens CRP to ensure it continues to deliver for agriculture, wildlife, and America’s sportsmen and women. Chairman Boozman’s bill incorporates many provisions of the CRP Improvement and Flexibility Act, including providing cost-share for management activities and grazing infrastructure, ensuring highly popular SAFE practices remain in the continuous signup, and updating payment limits for the first time since 1985.
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