June 14, 2023 - WASHINGTON – Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21), a senior member of the House Agriculture Committee, has introduced two bipartisan bills to increase funding for conservation programs and improve water quality in the San Joaquin Valley.

Merced River in Mariposa County Credit: Sierra Sun Times file photo

The 2018 Farm Bill authorized the Water Source Protection Program (WSPP), a program designed to foster public-private partnerships between agricultural producers, businesses, communities, and the U.S. Forest Service to improve forest and watershed health. However, the program was never appropriated and had major flaws, resulting in limited investment.

The Headwaters Protection Act would reform the WSPP by boosting authorized funding, expanding eligibility for entities like local water districts, and increasing the federal cost share to increase interest and participation in the program. This bill is co-sponsored by Congressman David Valadao. 

“The health of California's watersheds, waterways, and wetlands are inter-connected to the San Joaquin Valley’s agricultural economy. Investing in watershed health leads to improving access to clean drinking water and greater water availability downstream,” said Costa. “These pieces of legislation will boost funding for critical conservation programs to improve the resiliency and quality of our natural resources.” 

“Water is the lifeblood of the Central Valley,” said Valadao. “Ensuring our rural communities have access to safe, clean, and reliable water is my top priority. Valley communities who are often forced to rely on surface and ground water will benefit from increased investments to improve our watersheds and prevent pollution.” 

The bill would support public-private partnership-driven restoration projects, such as the Olam Project. The Olam Project is a series of restoration projects within the Pine Flat watershed between the USDA Forest Service, the National Forest Foundation, and Unilever. These investments would reduce wildfire risk, improve watershed health, and benefit downstream communities. Click HERE for a one-pager of the bill. 

In addition, Congressman Costa introduced standalone legislation, the Conservation Reserve Program Improvement Act of 2023 would reform this federal program by increasing annual rent payments and cost-share assistance to help agricultural communities invest long-term in the health and well-being of their land and natural resources. 

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has been a key program of the Farm Bill since its inception in 1985. CRP is a voluntary conservation program administered by the U.S. Farm Service Agency that offers farmers, ranchers, and producers flexible and financially viable means to remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production.

The long-term goal of the program is to re-establish valuable land cover to help improve water quality, prevent soil erosion, and reduce the loss of wildlife habitat. Click HERE for a one-pager of the bill. 
Source: Congressman Jim Costa