The Natural Resources Conservation Service announced on May 30, 2002 that it will be accepting proposals for Farmland Protection Program enrollment. The FPP provides matching funds to state, local and tribal governments to help farmers voluntarily enroll their land in conservation easements that prohibit working agricultural land from being converted to non-agricultural uses. To date, this program has helped protect 108,000 acres of prime farmland from urban sprawl. Under the new Farm Bill, the program has been expanded to include lands that contain historical or archaeological resources. The agency is authorized to provide up to $50 million in financial and technical assistance to protect farmland under the FPP this year. The deadline for proposals is July 15, 2002. Get more information and to learn how to apply.

A new study by researchers at the University of California predicts that the state will face severe water shortages in the next 50 years, which could bode ill for the state's agriculture sector. Climate change resulting from carbon dioxide emissions is predicted to raise temperatures by as much as 11 degrees Fahrenheit in some parts of the state. Hotter summers translate to more need for water, but the winters will be warmer too, and that means less snowpack in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Gradual melt from snowpack is one of the most important sources of water for the region. The model also predicts that California could add as many as 20 million people to its population by 2025, creating even more demand on a supply that could dwindle by up to 80% by the end of the century.

The USDA announced last week that it was considering a request for a waiver that would allow Fieldale Farms to give their chickens non-organic feed and still label the final product as organic. The company claimed that they were having trouble procuring enough organic feed for their 300,000 chickens per week. This claim was hotly disputed by organic feed producers, who contended that Fieldale was trying to reap the benefits of the organic label without paying the cost of the higher-priced organic feed. The revelation that the USDA was considering granting the waiver sparked an outcry from both producers who have complied fully with the organic regulations, and from consumers who demanded that the USDA maintain the integrity of the organic label. On Tuesday, the USDA announced that it would not grant Fieldale's request for the waiver, and that the Department would be "fully implementing [the organic standard] as it is written."

4. SEWAGE FIGHT CREATES UNLIKELY ALLIANCES

In what may seem a strange turn of events, the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau is suing the Environmental Protection Agency for violating the Endangered Species Act. At issue is the village of Los Lunas, a fast-growing town which needs to expand its sewage treatment plant in order to comply with regulations under the Clean Water Act. The village attempted to condemn 17 acres of a local dairy farm for the plant expansion, but the owners are fighting the takeover. The farm has enlisted six organizations in their fight, which is taking the form of a lawsuit alleging that the village, the EPA and the state's Environment Department failed to provide proper notice of the expansion plans, did not allow full public comment, and failed to consult with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service on the effects of the new plant on the endangered Rio Grande silvery minnow.

The groups aiding the family in the suit include the Valencia County Citizens for Smarter Growth and the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau. Read more about this issue.

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