Federal Conservation Programs Face Legal Challenges Amid Administration Changes
Dani Replogle is a staff attorney with the national advocacy group Food & Water Watch.
For almost 100 years, federal policies have encouraged American farmers to adopt sustainable practices that protect wetlands and ensure the cleanliness of water sources. This longstanding federal commitment is now at risk due to recent legal and political challenges.
The Swampbuster program, which offers U.S. Department of Agriculture benefits to farmers who preserve wetlands, is central to these conservation efforts. However, its future is now uncertain due to actions taken by the Trump administration and a series of lawsuits challenging the program. Legal representatives for sustainable agriculture groups are preparing to defend Swampbuster in a federal court session in Cedar Rapids.
Project 2025, an initiative being implemented by Trump’s administration, seeks to dismantle sustainability programs like Swampbuster. Recently, the administration froze funding meant for conservation projects, leaving many farmers in financial limbo.
Private entities, supported by the Trump administration, are actively pursuing legal actions to advance Project 2025’s agenda. Jim Conlan, leading a lawsuit titled CTM Holdings, LLC v. U.S. Department of Agriculture, is a prominent figure in this push. Conlan, who is involved in asset management, argues that Swampbuster imposes unconstitutional restrictions on property use, although both the USDA and farmer groups contest this view.
Organizations such as the Iowa Farmers Union and Food & Water Watch have intervened in the lawsuit to support Swampbuster, arguing that the program incentivizes responsible land management and protects against economic and environmental risks.
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa is set to hear the merits of the case on March 31. This case is expected to be just the start of legal battles regarding Project 2025’s agricultural policies. Another lawsuit, filed by the Pacific Legal Foundation in Washington, D.C., challenges a Fish & Wildlife Service program that compensates farmers for conserving wildlife habitats.
The ongoing legal actions highlight a larger conflict over the future of federal conservation efforts, with significant implications for American farmers and environmental policy.
Top image: Missouri Couteau Potholes in North Dakota’s prairie pothole region, photographed in 2015 by Krista Lundgren for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Photo available via Wikimedia Commons.
