Past rivalry over access to water has usually been between the farmers who irrigate and new agricultural, industrial, and municipal demands. Recently, the recreational demand for water has become another consideration in water allocation decisions. We examine the significance of the recreational...

This report estimates the impact that high levels of enrollment in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) have had on economic trends in rural counties since the program's inception in 1985 until today. The results of a growth model and quasi-experimental control group analysis indicate no...

Nitrogen is an important agricultural input that is critical for crop production. However, the introduction of large amounts of nitrogen into the environment has a number of undesirable impacts on water, terrestrial, and atmospheric resources. This report explores the use of nitrogen in U.S....

Water has become a major input into agriculture production in the United States. Irrigation in the Western United States has been important in crop production and will continue to be important. Irrigation is also becoming more important in areas of the southeast. The use and conservation of...

Agri-environmental policy is at a crossroads. Over the past 20 years, a wide range of policies addressing the environmental implications of agricultural production have been implemented at the Federal level. Those policies have played an important role in reducing soil erosion, protecting and...

This paper presents the methodology, assumptions, and data used to generate regional and national environmental benefit estimates of the USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). It’s assumed that, without the program, production and conservation practices on CRP lands would be...

Availability of water for agricultural use is one of the major factors determining agricultural production in the Western United States and is becoming an important factor in areas of the Southwest. In addition, water use and conservation is an important concern of the 1977 Soil and Water...