Many of America’s grasslands and forests are more than just postcard backdrops; they are working lands that sustain people and wildlife alike. For example, well-managed farms and ranches provide some of the best remaining bird habitat in North America, which, for grassland birds such as the Western Meadowlark and Bobolink, can mean the difference between survival and decline. That’s why Audubon’s Wings Over Working Lands Initiative exists: to keep these lands productive for people and healthy for birds.
The driving force behind much of this conservation is the Farm Bill, the nation’s largest investment in conservation on private lands. Typically renewed by Congress every five years, the Farm Bill provides farmers, ranchers, and foresters with the financial and technical assistance they need to improve soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat. From grasslands to forests, these programs form the backbone of what we call working lands conservation.
Last week, Congress passed a bipartisan deal to reopen the government and extend the 2018 Farm Bill for one more year. This was a necessary step to keep private land conservation moving forward. The extension ensures that programs like the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which pays producers to restore and manage grasslands for wildlife, continue uninterrupted. Other cornerstone programs, including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), also remain active.
That means farmers and ranchers can once again apply for cost-share assistance, technical guidance, and easement support, and the federal employees who deliver these programs administratively and on the ground will be back to work guiding landowners and supporting conservation efforts on private lands.
As a conservationist, it’s good practice to be an optimist. The one-year extension continues most Farm Bill programs through at least September 30, 2026, providing certainty for producers, conservation partners, and birds. Without this bridge, crucial conservation programs would have expired at year’s end, jeopardizing millions of acres of bird habitat and the voluntary conservation systems that help landowners steward it.
This extension not only maintains momentum but also sets the stage for more impactful conservation wins ahead. In 2026, Congress is expected to take up a full Farm Bill reauthorization. That debate offers an opportunity to strengthen and expand the programs that sustain bird-friendly grasslands and forests, while better supporting farmers and ranchers, rural communities, and the wildlife that depend on them.
As Audubon continues to work across the political spectrum and alongside partners in agriculture, our message is simple: healthy working lands mean healthy bird populations. With the Farm Bill extension in place, the path forward for birds and the people who care for their habitats remains open and full of promise.
