In a Feb. 28 letter to the chairs and ranking members of the U.S. Senate and House appropriation committees, the Water Environment Federation joined 27 other water and conservation organizations in opposing cuts to Farm Bill agricultural conservation programs from remaining fiscal year 2013 appropriations. Cuts could affect the level of U.S. Department of Agriculture technical assistance, as well as funding for practices that help farmers and ranchers voluntarily address environmental concerns, including clean water.