Three Million Acres Can Be Farmed Once Again

Summary: More than three million acres of bare lands in the United States were lifted from the farming ban of the US government, making it usable once again for farming. However, the economic and environmental repercussions of the program expiration may be more devastating to the region rather than its profitability.

These lands were erosion-sensitive and can affect the entire eco-system of the area.

Farmers who owned some 3.4 million acres of farmlands in the western part of the United States began farming the parcel of land they owned after the government conservation reserve program has expired in September.

The so-called Farm Bill, which was implemented in 2008, was put in place to conserve environmentally sensitive lands. The government paid farmers not to tilt their lands to avoid further disruption of the eco system in the area.
However, the program timeline has already expired.

Most of the 3.4 million acres of farmlands are in Colorado, Kansas and Texas. Several hundred of thousands of acres came from Montana and Dakota, the heartland of the US farming industry.But several farmers were not happy about the lifting of the program, saying that more grains produced in the US may mean lower crop prices.

Also, environmentalist and other concerned groups warned of impending economic repercussions in the region, with greater risks of massive dust storms, water pollution, and soil erosion caused by bare lands.

Under the Farm Bill of 2008, the government will pay landowners and families within the area not to tilt erosion-sensitive lands. The US government also pays the farmers half of the expenses in covering the lands with vegetation.The environmental goal of the program was to prevent sedimentation in streams and lakes in the region and to establish higher quality of water sources as well as wildlife.