Because farmers and ranchers own and manage about 940 million acres, or about half of the continental United States' land area, they are among the most important stewards of our soil, water, and wildlife habitat. One of the programs discussed in this book is The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which provides assistance to farmers and ranchers to take new actions aimed at addressing identified conservation problems, whereas the Conservation Security Program (CSP) rewards farmers and ranchers who already meet very high standards of conservation and environmental management on their operations. Efficient and effective management of these programs by The National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is especially important in light of the nation's current deficit and growing long-term fiscal challenges. This book looks at the effort to ensure the integrity and equity of existing farm programs which is key area that needs enhanced congressional oversight. Such oversight can help ensure that conservation programs, such as EQIP and CSP, benefit the agricultural sector as intended and protect rural areas from land degradation, diminished water and air quality, and loss of wildlife habitat.