Bi-Partisan Bill Aims to Provide More Technical Service Providers via NRCS

On May 3, the Increased TSP Access Act was introduced in the house and senate. The bipartisan sponsors of the bill say this will help address a shortage of Technical Service Providers (TSP) who work with farmers to adopt conservation practices via USDA-NRCS programs, and this legislation will build on the framework of the 2023 Farm Bill.

There are three goals of the Increased TSP Access Act: 

1. Establish an approval progress for non-federal certifying entities. This is two-fold as the bill would require USDA to build a process allowing ag retailers, conservation organizations, cooperatives, professional societies, and service providers to become certifying entities, and the bill would put clear deadlines on USDA to administer the program.

2. Streamline certification for TSPs. As an example, the bill directs USDA to streamline certification reciprocity with other certifications and eliminate duplicative training. 

3. Ensure parity in compensation. The legislation outlines how TSPs will be made fair market rates for their services, which is often via conservation program dollars.  

Read More 
Groups Work to Streamline Technical Service Provider Credentials with Other Accreditation

NRCS Chief Terry Cosby projected in January 2023 the agency will need to hire between 3,000 and 4,000 employees over the next two years to implement USDA conservation programs, however in 2022 USDA  was only given the authority to hire 1,500 new employees and the agency retained 500.
There are 11,000 CCAs in the U.S., of which 80% are employed by private industry. 

In the Senate, the legislation was introduced by:

• Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, Chair of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry, and Natural Resources, 
• U.S. Senator Mike Braun (R-Ind.) member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
• U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry

The companion legislation in the House of Representatives was introduced by: 

• U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) 
• U.S. Representative Jim Baird (R-Ind.) 

Here’s a link to Senate bill

The Increased TSP Access Act is endorsed by: 

• American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America 
• Agricultural Retailers Association
• American Seed Trade Association
• Bipartisan Policy Center
• Citizens Climate Lobby
• ConservAmerica
• Corteva
• Danone North America
• Ducks Unlimited
• Environmental Defense Fund
• Evangelical Environmental Network
• GROWMARK, Inc.
• Land O’ Lakes
• International Certified Crop Advisers
• National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
• National Milk Producers Federation
• North American Millers’ Association
• Unilever United States