Senate farm bill proposal includes key provisions for working lands and wildlife habitat 

Denver — The Western Landowners Alliance applauds the inclusion of key provisions in the Senate Agriculture Committee’s revised Farm Bill 2.0 that strengthen the ability of farmers and ranchers to conserve wildlife habitat while maintaining economically viable working lands. 

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) released the revised legislative text for the Agricultural Act of 2026 ahead of the committee’s markup this week. The amendment complements an amendment in the House version of the Farm Bill, released in March, championed by Reps. Vazquez (D-NM) and Zinke (R-MT), demonstrating the growing bipartisan consensus that private landowners and agricultural producers are essential partners in conserving wildlife habitat. 

“Working lands, and the farmers and ranchers who steward them, are central to the conservation of wildlife habitat in the West,” said Lesli Allison, CEO of the Western Landowners Alliance. “This amendment recognizes that landowner collaboration is key to sustaining working lands and wildlife habitat.” 

Private working lands provide much of the habitat that wildlife depend on across the West. Farmers and ranchers are already investing their own time and resources to maintain healthy grasslands. The Senate proposal includes a provision that allows USDA to better support working lands that provide important wildlife habitat with a strategy known as “program stacking.” This enables producers to receive compensation for the forage they provide to wildlife while simultaneously investing in habitat improvements.  

Program stacking has been a cornerstone of the USDA Migratory Big Game Initiative, which was championed by the Western Landowners Alliance. The initiative exemplifies how policy, incentive-based programs, and landowner collaboration can sustain working lands while supporting wildlife habitat. 

“We appreciate Chairman Boozman, and the many agricultural and legislative leaders and organizations who worked with us to advance these important changes and recognize the value of keeping working lands working.” said Allison. 

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Featured Image: Large Herd of Pronghorn Antelope Grazing in a Hay Field in Northern Wyoming. By LMSwanson.