Agricultural News
American Farmland Trust Slams Conservation Cuts in Obama Budget
Tue, 02 Feb 2010 4:07:36 CST"At a time when we most need to invest in our strategic natural resources and keep them healthy for the future, the President has proposed cuts to key farmland preservation, conservation, and water quality programs," says Jon Scholl, American Farmland Trust (AFT) President. "The fact of the matter is, slashing these programs will do nothing significant to address our nation's budget problems while it will dramatically reduce our ability to protect the resources that supply abundant food and a cleaner environment. So we're concerned that it is penny-wise now, and will be very pound foolish in the future."
Despite the administration's rhetorical desire to support conservation and agriculture, and address such issues as climate change and renewable energy, "reductions of over one-half a billion dollars in mandatory conservation program spending will make it much more difficult for farmers and ranchers to make changes necessary to protect our air, land and water," adds Scholl. "These cuts represent nearly a 20% cut to working-lands conservation programs, yet agriculture is the most cost-effective solution to these very real environmental challenges."
The President's proposed budget would cut hundreds of millions of dollars from working lands conservation programs that was promised under the 2008 Farm Bill. Some of the key cuts concerning AFT include:
· Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP)-A cost-share program that helps farmers keep their land in agriculture in perpetuity has been slated for $55 million in cuts over the next two years. Typically in this program every $1 the government invests in conservation easements is matched by $3 from farmers, local and state programs;
· Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)-The conservation program that encourages landowners to install buffer strips between fields and streams, fence livestock out of waterways, and more, would be slashed by $380 million, or by 31% in 2011;
· And the Conservation Security Program (CSP) is to be cut by hundreds of millions of dollars. Depending on the final reimbursement rate per acre used, this could be as high as a
$331 million loss. CSP is a program that provides cost-share monies to farmers to assist in implementing on-farm stewardship practices on working farm and ranchland.
"On a more positive note, the administration is building on new programs for producers by developing local and regional food systems through new programs under the 2008 Farm Bill. During the last year, we've been excited by the USDA's Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food" initiative and its potential. AFT believes that new economic opportunities that connect farmers with local consumers have numerous benefits, and especially when programs underscore the fact that food comes from farmland nearby, and how without land there would be no food," notes Scholl.
"During the last year, USDA has moved forward in conservation and environmental programs. They have worked to make programs more efficient, and make constructive policy changes to improve programs. More generally, the administration has acknowledged and defended agriculture's role in improving the environment, and that's a good thing," says Scholl. "However, we were very disappointed today that the administration has undercut the work that they've begun by not recognizing that the environmental benefits to society gained over the long run through agriculture FAR outweigh the investments made by the public now. That's why we believe this 2011 budget proposal is penny-wise and pound foolish."
"We look forward to working with members of Congress and the administration to highlight our concerns, reexamine the President's budget and recalibrate the priorities for agriculture. We simply must address loss of farmland, and the potential of farms and ranches to maximize their production of environmental benefits like cleaner water and air, sequestering carbon, renewable energy, and more. This is a critical time to invest even more cost-share money, not less," concludes Scholl.
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