Dianne Feinstein: “I rise today to introduce the EQIP Water Conservation Act of 2023 and thank Senators Marshall, Bennet, Lujan, Padilla…”

“I rise today to introduce the EQIP Water Conservation Act of 2023 and thank Senators Marshall, Bennet, Lujan, Padilla, Kelly, and Sinema for joining me as original cosponsors. Our bill would clarify eligibility requirements for water conservation and irrigation efficiency practices funded under the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Environmental Quality Incentives Program, EQIP, to allow irrigation districts to undertake large-scale off-farm water conservation projects that benefit many farms rather than only single-farm projects. Drought poses a persistent and potentially lethal threat to agriculture in Western States. In 2021 alone, drought cost California's agricultural sector $1.1 billion in direct costs and nearly 9,000 jobs, while farmers were forced to leave 400,000 acres of land unplanted. This situation is causing irreparable harm to agricultural communities across the West, and farmers need tools to adapt. EQIP is a crucial tool in the effort to combat drought, and the programs' funds must be made fully available to water agencies, which often serve hundreds of farmers. In the 2018 farm bill, Congress authorized the Secretary of Agriculture to waive payment limitations and adjusted gross income, AGI, limitations to more effectively support water district projects that conserve water, provide fish and wildlife habitat, and combat drought.…”