1、 https:/crsreports.congress.gov Updated May 15, 2017Reductions to Mandatory Agricultural Conservation Programs in Appropriations LawFederal spending for agricultural conservation programswhich assist agricultural producers with correcting and preventing natural resource concernsgenerally takes two f
2、orms: (1) discretionary spending provided through annual appropriations acts and (2) mandatory spending authorized and paid for in multiyear legislation (e.g., farm bills). Historically, mandatory agricultural funding was reserved for the farm commodity programs, but it has expanded in recent years
3、to include conservation, rural development, research, and bioenergy programs. This expansion has generated both concern and support. Some consider the expansion to be beyond the scope of the authorizing committees jurisdiction, while others prefer the stability of mandatory funding to that of the ap
4、propriations process. Mandatory Conservation Spending Large backlogs of interested and eligible producers led to new and expanded farm bill conservation programs with mandatory spending authority beginning in the mid-1980s. Currently, the level of mandatory spending for conservation is roughly five