Chesapeake Bay Conservation Act Proposes New Farmer Partnerships, Expands Programs, and Speeds Up NRCS Hiring

Congress is considering the "Chesapeake Bay Conservation Acceleration Act of 2025," a bill aimed squarely at boosting environmental efforts in the watershed. It establishes a new Chesapeake Bay States Partnership Initiative under the Secretary of Agriculture, funneling funds through existing programs to help farmers implement conservation activities. The focus is on improving water quality, soil health, and climate resilience, with special attention given to areas needing significant nutrient reduction.

More Support for Farmers, More Land Covered

The bill significantly tweaks the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). First, it extends the program through fiscal year 2028. More importantly, it expands the types of land eligible for conservation, now including not just cropland but also marginal pastureland and grasslands intended for use as riparian buffers (strips of vegetation along waterways that filter runoff). Existing CREP agreements can be updated to include newer incentives, like payments for managing forest buffers, potentially without state matching funds. The bill also doubles the individual payment limit under the program from $50,000 to $100,000, making participation potentially more attractive.

Testing a Hands-Off Approach for Landowners

A new Chesapeake Bay Watershed Turnkey Pilot Program is proposed under Section 4. This pilot aims to simplify conservation for landowners within the watershed. Under this model, the government would contract with third-party providers to design, install, and manage specific conservation practices (like buffers or wetland restoration) on eligible land enrolled in CREP. The key feature? The government covers all costs, including paying the third party. Landowners simply need to grant access; they don't pay anything or handle extra paperwork for these specific practices, though they also wouldn't receive additional payments for them under this pilot.

Building the Conservation Workforce and Streamlining Hires

Recognizing the need for skilled people, the bill invests in workforce development (Section 5). It expands eligibility for federal grants and fellowships in food and agricultural sciences to include students at junior colleges, community colleges, and postsecondary vocational schools. It also emphasizes paid work-based learning and authorizes $60 million annually from fiscal year 2026 through 2031 for these educational programs. Furthermore, Section 6 grants the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) direct hire authority. This allows the agency to bypass standard competitive hiring procedures to quickly bring on qualified staff needed for providing technical assistance on conservation projects. While potentially speeding things up, the bill states candidates must be 'qualified' as determined by the Secretary, without detailing specific criteria beyond meeting standard OPM qualifications.

Tracking Progress and Tackling Invasive Catfish

To better measure the impact of these investments, the bill mandates a federal task force (Section 2) involving the USDA and EPA. This group will develop plans to improve how nutrient reductions from conservation practices are quantified and reported, aiming to integrate time-saving technologies while protecting farmer privacy. Lastly, Section 7 addresses an ecological issue by transferring the primary regulatory oversight for domestic, wild-caught invasive blue and flathead catfish from the USDA to the FDA, aiming to streamline management of these species within the Bay ecosystem.