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contact your Senators by Thursday May 15

Hello, Prairie folks,

National Audubon and Environmental Defense are asking people to encourage
their Senators to sign on to a letter from Senator Conrad Burns to the Sec.
of the USDA by the end of the day May 15th.  Senator Leahy and other
advocates for agriculture conservation programs have already signed onto the
letter.  An explanation and more details are provided below.

After asking around, I do believe the action the letter calls for is a good
thing for prairies.

If you think otherwise, please do let me know.  The details are pasted
below, as well as a copy of both the letter to USDA and Burn's letter to
fellow Senators urging them to sign on.

Lee Stone
Bastrop, TX


MORE INFORMATION ON WHY:

While Senator Burns is generally concerned that the current unlimited
general sign up for CRP that USDA has opened will impact rural communities
by taking too much currently farmed land out of production, he is also
concerned about the impact on the other Farm Bill programs that prairie
people care about. 

USDA has called for an unlimited general sign-up for CRP that will strip the
Farm Bill of funds for other programs, including Grassland Reserve. While
the general CRP is extremely important and valuable, these targeted
enrollments are also of great value and offer both greater flexibility and
higher payments. The 2002 Farm Bill only provides 7 million additional acres
for CRP, and most of these acres could be used up during the current
unlimited general sign-up which will convert currently used farmland into
planted reserved fields.  Unlimited general sign-up does not protect
existing prairies at all.  The Senators' letter will urge the USDA Secretary
to limit the sign up to 2 million acres until a study that is already
underway (on the financial impact to rural communities) is completed.
Adopting 2 million acre cap on this general sign-up will limit the impact of
the sign-up on funding for EQIP, FRPP, the Wildlife Habitat Incentives
Program, and the new Grassland Reserve Program.  And that is why I am
forwarding this request to you.

This unlimited general sign-up for CRP will or has already diverted up to
$150 million this year from important working lands conservation programs
like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Farmland Protection
Program, Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program and Grassland Reserve Program.

> *******************************************************************
Senator Burns' letter to his colleagues asking them to co-sign his letter:

May 7, 2003

Dear Colleague:

Please join the attached letter urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to
place a 2 million acre cap on the current general sign-up for the
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).

As you know, CRP enrollment in rural states has produced significant
environmental benefits but has also reduced the number of active farmers
contributing to rural economies. The 2002 Farm Bill included a provision
to study the economic impacts of CRP on rural communities. While I support
the current general sign-up, I believe a 2 million acre cap is reasonable in
light of the fact that this study is not yet complete.

In addition, the Omnibus Appropriations Bill for FY 2003 included a
provision that permits USDA to use funds from working lands incentive
programs like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the
Farmland and Ranchland Protection Program to pay for the cost of enrolling
farmers into CRP. USDA estimates that more than $107 million will be
diverted from EQIP in FY 2003 to pay for the cost of the general sign-up,
and that more than $27.5 million will be diverted from FRPP. Adopting 2
million acre cap on this general sign-up will limit the impact of the
sign-up on funding for EQIP, FRPP, the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program,
and the new Grassland Reserve Program.

Finally, an unlimited cap could leave few CRP acres for buffers and the
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) until the next Farm Bill.
USDA has pledged to reserve only 2 million acres for buffers and CREP -- far
less than expected demand over the next few years.

Please contact Sara Hagedorn at 224-5059 in my office if you wish to join
this letter.

Sincerely,

Conrad Burns
United States Senator
>
> *******************************************************************
The actual letter to USDA

May 7, 2003

The Honorable Ann Veneman
Secretary
United States Department of Agriculture
200 A Whitten Building
1400 Independence Avenue SW
Washington, DC  20250

Dear Secretary Veneman:

We urge you to immediately establish a 2 million acre limit on the general
sign-up for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).

As you know, some rural communities have already been impacted by the
enrollment of productive farmland in the CRP. An unlimited enrollment
could further undermine the economic health of these communities. A study of
the economic impacts of CRP, which was required by the 2002 Farm Bill, has
not been completed.

What's more, an unlimited enrollment could also deprive the program of
sufficient acres for buffers and other targeted enrollments that address the
needs of working lands. Only 2 million acres of CRP has been reserved by
USDA for buffers and the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program -- less
than expected demand.

Finally, an unlimited enrollment would drain funds from working lands
conservation programs like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, the
Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, the Grasslands Reserve Program, and the
Farmland and Ranchland Protection Program to pay for the cost of CRP
technical assistance. USDA estimates that $107 million and $27
million, respectively, will be diverted from EQIP and FRPP to help pay for
CRP administrative costs.

We urge you to quickly establish a 2 million acre limit on the CRP general
sign-up.

Thank you for your immediate attention to this urgent matter.

Sincerely,
>
>
>
>
> *******************************************************************
forwarded from Suzy Friedman, Staff Scientist/Ag Policy
> Analyst with Environmental Defense in Washington D.C.  Suzy is a Farm Bill
> expert and does a great job of looking after our (Audubon's) interests in
D.C.:
> Suzy Friedman,
> Environmental Defense
> 202-572-3376 (v), 202-234-6049 (f)
> sfriedman@environmentaldefense.org
> www.privatelandstewardship.org 

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