Bill > HR4636

This bill, known as the Saving Our Interconnected Lives (SOIL) Act, amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to enhance environmental conservation efforts by modifying two key agricultural programs: the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Under EQIP, the bill increases payments to agricultural producers to 90 percent of project costs for practices that simultaneously benefit soil health and wildlife habitat, including activities like establishing wildlife habitat plantings, planting cover crops, restoring wetlands, and implementing windbreaks. The bill also modifies how applications are evaluated, prioritizing projects that address both soil and wildlife habitat resource concerns. For the Conservation Stewardship Program, the bill introduces a new concept of "co-benefit activities" that improve wildlife habitat and increase carbon sequestration while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These changes aim to incentivize farmers and ranchers to adopt more holistic, environmentally friendly agricultural practices that support both ecosystem health and agricultural productivity, ultimately promoting more sustainable land management strategies.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4636/all-info