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Do Conservation Practices and Programs Benefit the Intended Resource Concern?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 September 2016

John V. Westra ,
Julie K. H. Zimmerman  and
Bruce Vondracek
John V. Westra
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, Louisiana State University AgCenter, Baton Rouge
Julie K. H. Zimmerman
Affiliation:
Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul
Bruce Vondracek
Affiliation:
U.S. Geological Survey Minnesota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Minnesota, St. Paul
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Abstract

Many conservation programs under the 2002 Farm Act address resource concerns such as water quality and aquatic communities in streams. Analyzing two such programs, simulated changes in agricultural practices decreased field-edge sediment losses by 25–31% in two geophysically distinct Minnesota watersheds. However, while in-stream sediment concentrations and lethal fisheries events decreased significantly in one watershed, there was no discernable improvement for the fisheries in the other, despite potentially spending over $100,000 annually in conservation payments. These results highlight the importance of performance-based conservation payments targeted to genuine resource concerns in watersheds and the value of integrated bioeconomic modeling of conservation programs.

Keywords

Agricultural Drainage and Pesticide Transport (ADAPT)Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)Conservation Security Program (CSP)fisheriesgreen paymentswater quality
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Agricultural and Resource Economics Review , Volume 33 , Issue 1 , April 2004 , pp. 105 - 120
Copyright
Copyright © 2004 Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association 

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