Izaak Walton League of America

The Farm Bill affects all Americans by investing in our natural resources - but it doesn't invest enough to help all the farmers who want to be better stewards of the land. Instead, thousands of farmers are being turned away from voluntary conservation programs. This year, as Congress writes the next Farm Bill, we must do better. Full story

More than 50 years after Congress passed the Clean Water Act with a goal of making all of our waters swimmable and fishable again, more than half of our waterways remain polluted. The largest source of that pollution is water running off farms carrying fertilizer, pesticides, soil and manure. Fortunately, there are solutions. Read more from our "Outdoor America" magazine. Full story

America’s wetlands provide huge benefits for all of us, but they face a difficult future. Drafting and passing the 2023 Farm Bill in Congress is a big opportunity to restore and protect wetlands that filter polluted runoff, recharge groundwater and provide habitat for fish and wildlife. The League is pushing for critical wins to protect what is left of our vital wetlands. Full story

Last summer, Congress provided $19.5 billion for USDA conservation programs to help farmers and ranchers adopt climate-smart farming practices. Now, USDA is beginning to announce how those funds will be used. Full story

2023 offers a rare opportunity to make big changes in federal policy that will help put better conservation practices in place on tens of millions of acres of farm and ranch land. That would help landowners eliminate soil erosion, sharply reduce polluted runoff, reduce downstream flooding, grow healthy food, support fish and wildlife and address climate change. Full story

Big shakeups are coming to the House and Senate Agriculture Committees as Congress prepares to write a new Farm Bill. We break down what's happening and what it means for programs that impact our food, water, communities and climate. Full story

The Inflation Reduction Act will provide $19.5 billion over the next few years to expand conservation, reduce water pollution and combat climate change across tens of millions of acres of farms and ranches nationwide. That could be a game-changer for all of us. Full story

How farmers and ranchers steward their land has far-reaching consequences for all Americans. The Izaak Walton League hosted listening sessions with hunters, anglers, conservationists and farmland owners to gather ideas on how farm conservation programs can be improved. Full story

The urgent need to regenerate soil will require government agencies working together with rural cooperatives, the private sector and our farmers and ranchers to ensure the future health of our soil and our food supply. The Izaak Walton League is working to build those partnerships. Full story

All across America, a growing number of farmers and ranchers are changing the way they produce our food. By scaling up these proven solutions, we can protect our food supply, make our waters swimmable and fishable again, cool global warming, and support prosperous rural communities. Full story