This guide was prepared for fish and wildlife conservation
practitioners so they can better understand the Farm Bill and
how it can be used in cooperation with the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA), landowners, and producers for
the conservation of fish and wildlife habitat and other
ecosystem services. Private lands are vitally important to the
conservation of fish and wildlife in the U.S. because they
constitute approximately 70 percent of the land ownership in the
lower 48 states. In addition, 50 percent (890 million acres) of
land base in the contiguous U.S. is managed as cropland,
pastureland, and rangeland. The U.S. Congress recognizes the
importance of farm policy to ensure the long-term sustainability
of many wildlife populations and emphasized that in the passage
of the 1985 Food Security Act (Public Law 99-198) and its
amendments of 1990, 1996, 2002, and 2008, which all include
significant conservation programs. The Farm Bill is not just
about wildlife habitat, but also addresses other