Agricultural News
NACD Calls for Return of Technical Assistance Cut from President's Budget
Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:51:43 CDT
The National Association of Conservation Districts issed the following statement after President Barrack Obama issued his budget:
As we enter the 2014 appropriations cycle and Congress begins work on a 2013 Farm Bill, the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) continues to call on Congress to make conservation on working lands a priority. With yesterday's release of the President's budget, along with the House and Senate budgets passed earlier this year, the blueprint for writing appropriations bills remains unsettled. The President's budget proposes significant cuts to technical assistance (TA) in addition to cuts already being made at the state level. Specifically, the President's budget would cut more than 230 staff years out of TA and include additional costs for producers for conservation planning.
"A reduction in technical assistance hours would have major impacts on the ability of conservation districts and partners to continue working with local landowners in the implementation of quality conservation on the ground," said NACD President Earl Garber. "As we work to increase accountability, transparency and flexibility in conservation programs, we need more technical assistance, not less. The long-term health of our land and natural resources begins with the successful leveraging of strong partnerships at the local, state and federal level, working with landowners to provide voluntary incentives and the proper tools and assistance to put conservation where it counts."
NACD looks forward to working with the Congress to ensure producers and landowners have the tools and assistance they need to continue to provide the food and fiber for our growing population, while at the same time preserving and protecting our precious natural resources for future generations.
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