"America’s farmers, ranchers and forest landowners manage roughly 70% of the American landscape, so agriculture has a dramatic impact on the quality of our rivers, lakes and bays, on the fate of rare species and on the pace of sprawl. Farmers have dramatically improved their stewardship of private lands in recent years, including the adoption of soil-conserving tillage practices, more precise use of chemicals and water, and greater protection and restoration of habitat for wildlife. However, agriculture continues to pose environmental challenges: agriculture is a leading threat to endangered species, remains the most commonly cited source of water pollution, and is the nation’s largest consumer of freshwater."