Agricultural News
Izaak Walton League of America's Reaction to Committee Passage of 2012 Farm Bill Mixed
Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:46:05 CDT
The Izaak Walton League of America has issued the following statement on the approval of Farm Bill legislation by the Senate Agriculture Committee.
"The Izaak Walton League of America appreciates the commitment made by the Senate ag committee to continue conservation's presence in federal agriculture policy," said Brad Redlin, Director of Agricultural Programs. "While major cuts to conservation spending are included in this Farm Bill agreement, the survival of key conservation functions is good news and we thank the committee leaders. Vital conservation components like restoring wetlands, protecting grasslands, and rewarding whole-farm conservation strategies are not only demanded by producers, but are required to combat the deterioration of our natural resource base soil, water, and wildlife.
"The specific inclusion of a Sodsaver provision is an especially important outcome in the senate committee's bill. Sodsaver protects our nation's native grassland vital to us all both as an important ecosystem and as part of our natural heritage by removing taxpayer-provided incentives to convert grassland to crops. Senator Thune's leadership on the issue, and the choice by chairwoman Stabenow and ranking member Roberts to adopt the provision in the final bill, will achieve savings in terms of tax dollars and our natural resources.
"Unfortunately, it is simultaneously disheartening to see the inclusion of federal agricultural policy that moves us backward by continuing and enhancing the use of public dollars to misuse that natural resource base," continued Redlin.
"The Senate committee has chosen to expand the use of taxpayer dollars to incentivize risk-taking, while steadfastly rejecting the common-sense approach of expecting basic soil and water protections should accompany crop insurance subsidies.
"Taxpayer-provided crop insurance is the only subsidy that has been exempted from logical requirements that recipients of ag subsidies undertake minimum activities to protect soil and avoid or mitigate wetland loss. The Izaak Walton League of America believes insurance subsidies are the taxpayer-bestowed benefits most needing to adhere to an ethical covenant that expects producers to safeguard soil and water resources in return for receiving public dollars," Redlin concluded.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI
Top Agricultural News
More Headlines...
