Biodiversity in the 2023 Farm Bill

“Discussions on the 2023 Farm Bill continue with testimonies from various organizations including the Defenders of Wildlife, who's seen her, who's seen her private lands Policy Director Mary Pfaffko told senators as a recent hearing on the bills, conservation and forestry programs that biodiversity is a key piece of conservation.

“Farmers, ranchers, and producers play a critical role in conserving our nation's wildlife. With so many of our nation's imperiled species occurring on private lands, depending on private land, they depend on this farm though.”

She says that farmers depend on voluntary programs to conserve natural resources. And according to Defenders of Wildlife, more than 70% of species listed under the Endangered Species Act rely on private lands, and more than 40% of private land in the lower 48 states is managed for agriculture.

TheOrganization recommends that farm bill programs offer benefits to both climate and wildlife, including biodiversity and climate resilience definitions and discussions, and fafco talks about what the Defenders of Wildlife is pushing for.

“To consider the interconnected biodiversity loss and climate change prices to prevent livestock wildlife conflict to ensure equity and access to those farm bill conservation programs and accountability.”

The current Farm Bill expires on September 3.