Sponsors (6)
The bill provides modest, targeted mandatory funding to expand voluntary conservation and public access on private lands—benefiting farmers, rural communities, recreationists, and state/tribal partners—while imposing a modest federal cost and potential privacy/liability burdens on participating landowners and offering limited targeted wetland funding.
Farmers and rural landowners receive $150 million in mandatory CCC funding (FY2025–2029) to support voluntary public-access and habitat incentive programs, increasing financial support for conservation and recreation agreements.
Residents, recreationists, and nearby communities (including tribal communities) gain increased public access and improved habitat on conserved lands through federally funded voluntary agreements, with a targeted wetland reserve easement set-aside.
State and tribal governments can partner with USDA to expand recreation and conservation opportunities on enrolled lands, enabling local management, programming, and infrastructure enhancements.
Farmers and rural landowners may face increased public access on private easement lands, creating potential liability, privacy, and additional management costs.
Taxpayers fund $150 million in mandatory CCC spending over five years, modestly increasing federal outlays or requiring reprioritization of other programs.
The $3 million set-aside for wetland reserve easements is small relative to the total funding, so wetland conservation and some tribal or state priorities may receive limited support.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Directs $150M in mandatory CCC funding for FY2025–2029 to the voluntary public access and habitat incentive program, including a $3M suballocation for wetland reserve easement access.
Official title: Amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to reauthorize the voluntary public access and habitat incentive program.
Introduced February 25, 2025 by Steve Daines · Last progress February 25, 2025
Provides mandatory Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) funding of $150 million for fiscal years 2025–2029 to carry out the voluntary public access and habitat incentive program, and sets aside $3 million of that amount across FY2025–2029 to encourage public access on lands protected by wetland reserve easements through agreements with States and tribal governments. The bill only amends the cited Food Security Act provision to replace a subsection and contains no other operative requirements, deadlines, or authorizations.