Both chambers of Congress passed conference agreement legislation on Fiscal Year 2010 appropriations for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that include substantial funding boosts for conservation programs, according to the Wildlife Management Institute.

Congress rejected proposals from the Obama administration that would have slashed millions of dollars in funding for USDA conservation programs. Most conservation programs were allocated FY 2010 funds at levels specified in the 2008 Farm Bill. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) was one of the exceptions with a funding level of $1.18 billion. This is slightly below the funding amount found in the Farm Bill for the program. However, the FY 2010 allocation represents the highest level of funding for EQIP since its inception.

The legislation drew strong support, passing in the House by a vote of 263 to 162 and in the Senate by 66 to 22. Despite the fact that the final legislation differs substantially from his original proposals for conservation programs, the President is expected to approve the bill relatively quickly. (pmr).