Conservation Policy: How did we get here? | Jonathan Coppess

Conservation policy didn’t appear overnight—it emerged in response to crisis and was built on the foundation of the land-grant research and extension system. In this episode of Smoke and Mirrors, Jonathan Coppess joins host Jennifer Ifft to explore the evolution of U.S. agricultural conservation policy, from the Dust Bowl to modern programs like the Conservation Reserve Program and working-lands initiatives such as EQIP. The conversation unpacks how economic pressures, the environmental movement, and political decisions have shaped conservation efforts—and why complexity and funding challenges still limit participation today.