Today, more than 500 organizations, businesses and individuals signed a
letter asking congressional leaders not to further cut funding to the
Conservation Title of the Farm Bill. Noting that conservation programs already
have been significantly cut in recent years and will bear more than their fair
share of deficit reduction in the Farm Bill as currently drafted, the letter
asks Congress to "hold the line" on conservation funding at the amounts provided
in the bill approved by the Senate Agriculture Committee.
The 523 signatories comprise large and small organizations, businesses and
landowners from all across America, collectively representing tens of millions
of Americans.
The letter notes that conservation programs are essential to the
sustainability of agriculture and forestry in the United States and to meeting
the growing demand for food and fiber at home and abroad. These programs are
"high-leverage investments in rural America," protecting natural resources by
funding a variety of voluntary partnerships and cooperative conservation efforts
between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and private landowners.
"Since the 2008 farm bill was enacted, Conservation Title programs have
already been cut significantly through the annual appropriations process,
particularly in the last two agriculture appropriations bills, and these cuts
have had real and unfortunate impacts on the ground. The additional significant
cuts to conservation funding included in the bill advanced by the Senate
Agriculture Committee, if enacted, mean that the Conservation Title is already
contributing more than its fair share to budget deficit reduction. While policy
improvements can help reduce the impact of these additional cuts, they will,
nevertheless have a negative impact on the ground. Further cuts would jeopardize
this country's entire system of successful agricultural and forestry
conservation programs. And so we urge you to hold the line on Conservation Title
funding at the amounts provided in the bill approved by the Senate Agriculture
Committee on April 26th, 2012," states the letter.
Conservation Title programs "are both popular and highly effective," state
the groups in the letter. These programs "recognize that the health of America's
soil, water, wildlife, and other natural resources is essential to the long term
productivity and economic viability of agriculture and forestry, that protecting
and managing our natural resources is critical to the future of American
communities, and that most of our nation's opportunities for hunting, fishing,
and observing nature depend upon privately owned habitat on working farms,
ranches and forest land."
The letter concludes, "Maintaining, strengthening, and providing sufficient
funding for the Conservation Title programs will deliver multiple benefits for
every region of America. Not the least of these is helping America's farmers,
ranchers, and private forest land owners to stay on the land as stewards of
America's natural resources."
The letter was coordinated and distributed by 11 agricultural, forestry, and
conservation organizations. They are American Farmland Trust, Association of
Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Ducks Unlimited, Environmental Defense Fund, Land
Trust Alliance, National Association of Conservation Districts, National
Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, National Wildlife Federation, The Nature
Conservancy, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and Trout Unlimited.
The full
text of the letter to the leaders of the Agriculture Committees can be found
online, including the complete list of signers.