There has been increased public demand for environment protection, including in rural areas. Government programs and policies have responded to these demands in various ways, such as by attempting to increase farmer awareness of environmental issues, increasing budgets for rural environmental programs, increasing environmental regulation, purchasing water from irrigators for environmental purposes, and encouraging farmer adoption of new environmentally friendly practices. These changes create a number of challenges for farmers, including challenges related to maintaining farm productivity, meeting community expectations, living with less water and evaluating new opportunities. These challenges are described and discussed. While there certainly are challenges, it is concluded that they are not insurmountable.