Lawler, Beyer, and Pingree Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Soil Health and Sustainability on Farms

Washington, D.C. - 11/4/25… Today, Reps. Mike Lawler (NY-17), Don Beyer (VA-08), and Chellie Pingree (ME-01) introduced the Innovative Practices for Soil Health Act, bipartisan legislation to improve soil health on farms and support sustainable alternatives to annual agriculture. The legislation would ensure United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) conservation programs are better able to support farmers who incorporate perennial systems and agroforestry into their operations.

"By supporting farmers in the utilization of perennial systems and agroforestry, the Innovative Practices for Soil Health Act encourages healthy soil management - improving overall farm productivity and stimulating microbial life," said Congressman Lawler. "This is a win for farmers, a win for the environment, and a win for American families. I'm proud to join my colleagues Don Beyer and Chellie Pingree in introducing this commonsense bipartisan bill."

"American agriculture faces many challenges today, including harmful soil erosion exacerbated by the climate crisis' extreme weather patterns," said Congressman Beyer. "Our bill is a significant step to support the health and sustainability of American farms by ensuring the USDA has the resources necessary to be a strong partner for farmers who prioritize perennial agriculture and agroforestry. These practices promote soil health, which not only makes the soil more resilient to extreme weather events and erosion but also improves long-term agricultural productivity and farming's impacts on watersheds and wildlife."

"In Maine and across the country, farmers are on the frontlines of the climate crisis - dealing with severe drought, flooding, wildfires, and other extreme weather conditions," said Congresswoman Pingree. "In order to make our food system more resilient and to ensure our agricultural producers survive the worsening climate crisis, we must encourage and invest in climate-smart practices. My Representatives Beyer and Lawler's Innovative Practices for Soil Health Act does just that - promoting soil health, investing in agroforestry research and development, and incentivizing greenhouse gas reduction. Our bipartisan, commonsense bill is a win-win."

"The Innovative Practices for Soil Health Act provides common-sense, straight-forward support for high-impact perennial practices through NRCS conservation programs. It also ensures increased technical capacity at USDA for new and exciting perennial practices through a series of agroforestry centers," said National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Conservation Specialist Jesse Womack. "This bill is a win for farmers committed to building soil health across their operation through plant diversity and strong, living roots."

"Perennial and agroforestry systems strengthen soils by minimizing disturbance, maximizing living roots, and bolstering land-based carbon sinks - all while delivering benefits across biodiversity, on-farm resilience, and producer bottom lines," said Interim Director of Policy at Carbon180 Mary Olive. "The Innovative Practices for Soil Health Act of 2025 enhances NRCS conservation programs to increase support and flexibility for US farmers and ranchers looking to implement these innovative, soil-friendly production systems. We applaud Representatives Beyer, Lawler, and Pingree for their leadership in prioritizing soil health."

Full text of the bill can be found HERE.

Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York's 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.

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