The potential for wildlife habitat improvements

Wildlife's status on intensively used agricultural land is influenced by the land's inherent productivity; economics of the agricultural industry; resources, capabilities, and attitudes of landowners; and, not least of all, the complex interaction and influence of agricultural policies and programs. The potential of the Food Security Act of 1985 for improving agricultural programs contrasts sharply with embarrassing examples of earlier agricultural policy failures and resource degradation. During the Dust Bowl in the 1930s, soil erosion degraded more than 250 million acres. Today, more than three-quarters of all U.S. cropland continues to erode at rates greater than soil loss tolerance levels. Despite 50 years of soil conservation effort, roughly two-thirds or 277 million acres of cropland require conservation treatment immediately to prevent further degradation. About 50 million acres are so highly erodible that they cannot be protected adequately without permanent retirement from intensive crop production. Water pollution from nonpoint sources is a moderate to severe problem in 36 states. Agricultural activities have been identified as the most pervasive cause Altogether, agricultural sources of pollution and sediment adversely affect 46 percent of …