Wetlands Conservation in the 2012 Farm Bill

Will the Farm Bill still be the best answer for conservation of wetlands in the agricultural landscape after 2012? In the world of actual, on-the-ground conservation of wetlands, there are several ways to get the job done. One of the largest non-Farm Bill programs is the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA). Over the past 15 years, this program has spent approximately $61 million annually—which was matched by approximately $144 million per year from folks like Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, state wildlife agencies, and a host of other partners—to positively affect around 235,000 acres of wetland habitats.