Great Lakes Phase 2 Final Report: Assessing the Costs and Benefits of Conservation Practices to Restoring Biological Integrity in Agricultural Watersheds.

摘要

Agriculture, through its production of food, materials for clothing and shelter, and jobs, plays an important role in improving the quality of life for people across the United States, including those residing in the Great Lakes Region. Unfortunately, the collective benefits of agriculture can sometimes have associated costs, particularly with regard to alteration of aquatic ecosystems, which also influence peoples quality of life and are also highly valued by society. Over the years farmers and state and federal governments have developed programs, policies, and funding mechanisms, like the Food Security Act of 1985 (aka the 1985 Farm Bill) to improve the sustainability and profitability of agriculture and to also reduce the impacts of agriculture on fish and wildlife habitat. In recent years there has been increased interest in a more thorough understanding and accounting of the benefits of these conservation practices to fish and wildlife. In response the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) was initiated by the NRCS, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), and Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) to help better inform society of the likely benefits Farm Bill conservation program funding. Strategic conservation involves getting the right conservation practices to the right places in the right amount to achieve a realistic set of desired ecological and socioeconomic conditions.