Environmental Defense Applauds Snowe-Leahy-Burns Farm Conservation Funding Bill

(22 October 2003 — Washington) Environmental Defense today applauded Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Pat Leahy (D-VT), and Conrad Burns (R-MT) for introducing a bill to protect funding for federal working farm and ranchland conservation programs.

The bill, S. 1766, would prevent the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from diverting funds from working lands conservation programs ? specifically, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, the Farm and Ranchlands Protection Program, the Grasslands Reserve Program, and the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program ? to pay for administrative costs associated with the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP).  In fiscal year 2003, USDA diverted $91 million from working lands programs to pay for CRP and WRP technical assistance. 

?Diverting funds from working lands conservation programs to pay for the administration of CRP and WRP will make the long lines farmers and ranchers face when they seek financial assistance to enhance air and water quality and improve wildlife habitat on working farms and ranches even longer,? said Environmental Defense water resource specialist Scott Faber.

?Farmers are willing to do their part,? Faber said. ?But, they face new costs, risks and lost income when they take steps to help the environment ? costs and risks that we must share if we expect to enjoy clean water, clean air and habitat for wildlife.? 

Faber said the Administration should honor the original intent of the 2002 Farm Bill by using mandatory funds from the Commodity Credit Corporation to pay for administrative costs of all the conservation programs, rather than diverting funds from some programs to pay for others, as it did this year.