Juniper Katz, public policy, has published a new article titled "Safeguarding America’s soil: The critical role of conservation plans in federal easement programs". This new open-access study in the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation shows that farmers who draft a conservation plan after selling a federal easement are nearly three times more likely to put soil-saving practices in place. Surveying 506 participants in USDA's Farm & Ranch Lands Protection Program, Katz finds that the months-long planning process for an easement forges relationships with agency and land-trust staff that further encourages stewardship. With billions of new easement dollars flowing from the Inflation Reduction Act, making conservation plans standard could translate that investment into healthier soils, cleaner water, and great climate resilience nationwide.
Read the original article in the Journal or Soil and Water Conservation.