Bill contains significant conservation provisions
Washington, D.C. – July 24, 2007 – Quail Forever (QF) strongly supports the
Conservation Title in the Farm Bill passed last week by the U.S. House Ag
Committee. QF views the bill as a strong starting point favorable to
America’s farmers, ranchers, hunters and anglers.
Bill contains significant conservation provisions
Washington, D.C. – July 24, 2007 – Quail Forever (QF) strongly supports the
Conservation Title in the Farm Bill passed last week by the U.S. House Ag
Committee. QF views the bill as a strong starting point favorable to
America’s farmers, ranchers, hunters and anglers.
The bill (H.R. 2419) extends and improves significant conservation
programs, including the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Wetlands
Reserve Program (WRP), Grasslands Reserve Program (GRP), and it improves
hunter access and wildlife habitat through the "Open Fields" provision.
"This bill provides a solid foundation for conservation," said Dave
Nomsen," Quail Forever's Vice President of Government Affairs, "Many
critical conservation priorities have been addressed, and the bill provides
a strong revenue stream for America’s farmers and ranchers, thus ensuring
we can be successful implementing the many voluntary incentive-based
conservation programs."
"The House Ag Committee has shown it considers the Farm Bill's Conservation
Title to be extremely important not only to this country's wildlife and
natural resources, but to all of America’s farmers and ranchers that have
enrolled in conservation programs and the sportsmen and women who’ve
experienced the results each fall while a field," Nomsen said, "We thank
House Ag Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN) and Ranking Minority
Member Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) for their commitment to this crucial
legislation."
Major conservation provisions in the bill include:
• The reauthorization of CRP at its current level of 39.2 million acres.
Maintaining CRP - the most successful conservation program in U.S. history
– is crucial for the continued success of quail, pheasant and other
wildlife populations. Maintaining CRP at this level will also help the
success and expansion of two Conservation Practices. CP-33, commonly
referred to as bobwhite buffers, and the new state-specific CP-38 program
have the potential to greatly benefit quail populations.
• New provisions for "Open Fields" that would provide $20 million to help
fund and augment state-managed, voluntary sportsmen’s access initiatives,
often called “walk-in” programs. Walk-in programs are great not just
because they provide for improved public access to private lands, but also
because in most cases they require those lands be managed to optimize their
value to fish and wildlife
• New forestry language within the Environmental Quality Incentives Program
(EQIP) that could be very beneficial for quail populations.
• It provides $1.6 billion to re-establish WRP, and the expansion of WRP to
a new nationwide cap of 3.6 million acres. The U.S. Department of
Agriculture's Secretary has the authority to enroll 250,000 acres per year.
• A new baseline for GRP - up to 1 million acres.
• A new Regional Watershed Enhancement Program (RWEP) that allows
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to administer conservation practices.
• New provisions disallowing crop insurance on newly converted native
prairies – Sod Saver.
The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the Farm Bill before
the end of July. Now is the time for America’s conservationists to act.
The 2007 Farm Bill will address land management decisions on over 50
million acres and the bill going to the floor of the U.S. House of
Representatives would ensure the creation and protection of wildlife
habitat, soil resources, water quality, and our outdoor hunting heritage.
Quail Forever strongly encourages you to contact your U.S. Representatives
(http://www.quailforever.org/page/LegislativeAction.jsp) immediately and
urge them to pass the Farm Bill (H.R. 2419). Help Quail Forever and future
generations by being an active supporter of this country's wildlife and
natural resources and relay your support of this bill.
-30-
For additional information about Quail Forever, please visit
www.QuailForever.org
If you'd like to be removed from the Quail Forever press release list,
please reply to this email. Thank You.
0 comments:
Post a Comment