Agricultural News
Izaak Walton League of America Urges Congress To Include No Cost Conservation Compliance in Recommendations
Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:17:31 CDT
Responding to Monday's announcement by Congressional agriculture leaders who recommended $23 billion in ag-related cuts to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction ("Super Committee"), the Izaak Walton League of America urged decision makers to include a "Conservation Compliance" stipulation to protect America's farmland, water and wildlife.
"We thank the chairs and ranking members of our agriculture committees for being leaders in deficit reduction," said Brad Redlin, agricultural program director for the Izaak Walton League of America (IWLA). "However, it is critical that we not lose this opportunity to conserve farmland and keep our water clean and wildlife abundant for future generations by including no-cost Conservation Compliance protections in the budget deficit legislation."
Conservation Compliance provisions, which guard against excessive soil erosion and ensure mitigation when converting wetlands to crop production, were first established in 1985 to accompany all taxpayer provided support to agricultural producers. The 1996 Farm Bill created a lone exemption so that only federal crop insurance subsidy recipients no longer needed to protect land at high risk for erosion or conserve wetland acres.
Redlin's remarks were directed to Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Representatives Frank Lucas (R-OK) and Collin Peterson (D-MN), who sent a letter to the Super Committee proposing $23 billion in cuts, representing agriculture's share of the deficit reduction measures. These lawmakers have pledged to finalize their bi-partisan, bi-cameral recommendations by November 1. The Super Committee will finalize its recommendations to Congress on November 23.
Earlier this year, the Izaak Walton League conducted events in five Midwest states Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin to discuss the needs and opportunities for the 2012 Farm Bill. The goal was to gain public input from all types of citizens on the effective role of the Farm Bill in supporting an agricultural system that achieves stewardship, prosperity, and fairness.
"That means federal farm policies should support agricultural practices that are good for farmers, good for the environment, and good for America," said Redlin.
The IWLA has advocated re-establishing Conservation Compliance measures for federal crop insurance subsidies in the 2012 Farm Bill to ensure that farmers who receive federal tax dollars protect soil and water resources. Crop insurance subsidies are the single largest means for providing public money to agriculture, covering more than 250 million acres of land and over 80 percent of commodity crops grown.
"Conservation Compliance can help ensure that where public money is invested, the public's interests are protected by requiring basic levels of protections for soil, water, and wetlands. Compliance provisions require no additional Farm Bill investment in fact, they can result in saving federal dollars." Redlin said.
"We don't want to leave our children a nation paralyzed by deficit, but we do want to leave them an American Legacy of prosperous farmland, clean water and abundant wildlife," Redlin stated.
For more information about the Izaak Walton League of America and the Farm Bill- just click here.
Click here for more about Conservation Compliance in this "Conservation Compliance and Crop Insurance: Issue Brief II"
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