|
ACTION ALERT:
SUPPORT AGRICULTURAL
CONSERVATION LEGISLATION!
A bi-partisan coalition of
Representatives is planning to add provisions of Congressman
Kind’s Working Lands Stewardship Act to the House Farm Bill.
The proposed Amendment makes significantly greater investment in
conservation than the House Agriculture Committee’s farm bill
proposal:
- $3.8 billion over 10
years for the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program
(WHIP), nearly 10 times what the Combest bill
provides. In its first two years of existence, WHIP
has funded over 8,000 projects improving the habitat
for northern bobwhite, Atlantic salmon, Karner blue
butterfly, Indiana bat, and many other species.
Described by the NRCS as "extremely popular
with landowners and conservation partners," the
program has nonetheless had funding slashed by the
new Administration and needs the strong
re-authorizing language that the amendment provides.
|
- Enrollment of 250,000
acres per year of wetlands to be protected and
restored under the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP).
Freshwater wetlands provide habitat for waterfowl,
amphibians and native plants. Like WHIP, the WRP
program faces zero funding for the coming year. The
Combest/Stenholm bill allows for only a 150,000 acre
per year increase in WRP.
|
- Up to $550 million per
year to protect farmland from sprawl, help farmers
find local markets, socially disadvantaged farmers
and encourage organic production.
|
- New programs to
preserve grazing and grasslands.
|
- Better administration
of EQIP, one of the largest agricultural
conservation programs. The Combest/Stenholm bill
would direct large amounts of this program to
livestock producers, including large CAFOs, and its
high payment limitations would preferentially assist
large farmers.
|
The Boehlert/Kind/Gilchrest/Dingell
amendment complements the Conservation Security Act, which
establishes a new type of incentives program primarily
addressing cropping and management practices on working lands.
We believe that both Harkin’s CSA and the amendment’s
renewal and expansion of existing programs are vital, necessary
conservation bills for rural America.
Please call the Capitol
Switchboard (202-224-3121) and ask your Representative to
support The Boehlert/ Kind/
Gilchrest/ Dingell amendment!
More information on the House
Farm Bill |
