THOMPSON, LAMALFA INTRODUCE PACIFIC FLYAWAY HABITAT ENHANCEMENT ACT

Washington - Today, Representatives Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) announced the introduction of the Pacific Flyway Habitat Enhancement Act to allow the Secretary of Agriculture to enroll additional agricultural lands in the Farm Service Agency's Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).

CREP is a voluntary land retirement program that helps agricultural producers protect environmentally sensitive land, decrease erosion, restore wildlife habitat, and safeguard ground and surface water. The Pacific Flyway Habitat Enhancement Act would expand lands eligible for the program to include certain qualified wetlands for which there are habitat concerns or risks. The bill also provides incentives to farmers to engage in seasonal field flooding to better manage their working croplands while supporting wetland-dependent species.

"Many wildlife species rely on wetland habitat created by California's farmers, including our rice growers. With the Pacific Flyway Habitat Enhancement Act, we can expand USDA support for our local growers, offering resources so qualified farmers can flood their fields in the off-season to both improve soil conditions and support the Pacific Flyway ecosystem. Thank you to Rep. LaMalfa for his partnership on this legislation," said Thompson.

"The next drought is around the corner, and we need to use the water resources we get to the best mutual benefit of farms, people, and the environment. Even this year with better water availability the California Department of Fish and Wildlife estimated that breeding duck populations have dropped by 30 percent, highlighting the ongoing struggles faced by both farmers and wildlife due to poor water management policies. This bill seeks to protect both the farmers and the hundreds of species along the Pacific Flyway. I'm proud to support this bipartisan solution, bringing waterfowl and agriculture together to protect these habitats and keep land productive," said LaMalfa.

"We're happy to see Rep. LaMalfa and Rep. Thompson introduce the Pacific Flyway Enhancement Act," said Julia Peebles, Ducks Unlimited Director of Agriculture and Sustainability Policy. "This bipartisan legislation will allow producers to enroll more working lands in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, which will benefit producers, waterfowl, and other wildlife who rely on seasonally flooded croplands."

"We appreciate Rep. LaMalfa and Rep. Thompson's Pacific Flyway Habitat Enhancement Act as an additional tool in the toolbox to reward the stewardship of producers to conserve and enhance waterfowl habitat on their working lands," notes John Devney, Chief Policy Officer at Delta Waterfowl. "We look forward to this being part of the conversation as Congress presses forward with continuing work on the Farm Bill and the myriad of ways we can work with private landowners to conserve, restore, and enhance duck habitat."

Read the full text of the bill here.