The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) praised the Senate's passage of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (H.R. 2642) on Monday, Feb. 4, following passage by the House last week. This landmark five-year legislation includes key provisions to strengthen the links between the nation's working agricultural lands and its quality of waters.

Utility leaders across the country joined in praising the conservation provisions included in the Farm Bill, specifically the newly-established Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The RCPP encourages partnerships between agricultural producers and municipal entities like wastewater utilities to help farmers manage nutrients more effectively, provides stable five-year funding for nutrient management practices, prioritizes nutrient management activities in critical watersheds, and prioritizes conservation investments that result in overall water quality gains.

"After years of hard work, we are pleased to see this bipartisan Farm Bill emerge that will help foster new and innovative collaborations between agriculture and clean water agencies. The bill is a significant step forward in our work to more effectively reduce nutrient runoff and continue to meet the nation's water quality needs," said NACWA Executive Director Ken Kirk.

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