SUMMARY:
The House of Representatives' Appropriations Committee has voted to
eliminate funding for the landmark Conservation
Security Program (CSP) passed last year as part of the 2002 Farm
Bill. The CSP was the top priority in the Farm Bill for numerous farm
and environmental organizations. The future of the CSP now rests with
the Senate. The Senate Appropriations Committee will make decisions
about funding for CSP during the week of July 14. Calls, faxes, and
e-mails are needed to U.S. Senators to tell them to support full funding
for CSP implementation now.
BACKGROUND:
The Conservation Security Program is the cornerstone of the Conservation
Title of the 2002 Farm Bill. The CSP is a unique and exciting
initiative that is designed to provide financial assistance to farmers
who are solving key natural resource and environmental problems by
adopting sustainable farming practices and systems on their working
farmland. The CSP provides support to farmers who are already engaged
in strong conservation systems to protect soil, water, air and wildlife,
or who will adopt more sustainable systems as part of the program.
The CSP serves all regions of the country and all types of crop and
livestock agriculture.
USDA
is in the process of issuing a proposed rule for the CSP this month,
with program enrollment scheduled to start in the next fiscal year,
which begins October 1, 2003.
Earlier
this year, Congress, at the request of the Administration, used a
portion of CSP funds for later years to "offset" funding
for emergency disasters that occurred in 2001 and 2002. When that
measure passed Congress, the Senate leadership agreed to find a way
to restore the CSP funding as part of an upcoming appropriations bill.
So now
there are two immediate tasks before us: To get the Senate to reject
the House action to gut the program for 2004, and to then get back
to the task of restoring full funding for the CSP.
CONTACT
YOUR SENATORS:
To contact your Senators by telephone, call the U.S. Capitol switchboard
at 202-224-3121.
To e-mail or fax your Senators, log onto www.visi.com/juan/congress/
to get e-mail addresses and fax numbers.
When writing, use the sample letter below, and add your own thoughts
to tell the Senate to support full funding for CSP implementation
now.
Date
Dear [ Senator],
I am writing to ask your support to protect the existing mandatory
funding for the landmark Conservation Security Program (CSP) passed
by Congress last year in the 2002 Farm Bill. I am absolutely opposed
to the short-sighted action of the House Appropriations Committee,
which last month passed a bill eliminating all funding for the CSP
for fiscal year 2004. I urge you to preserve the existing funding
for this innovative program, a program that should rightfully become
the centerpiece of U.S. farm conservation policy.
The Conservation
Security Program authorized by Section 2001 of the Farm Bill is a
long-term conservation entitlement program for private working land
to support the farmers and ranchers who are engaged in strong conservation
systems to protect soil, water, air and wildlife, or who will adopt
more sustainable systems as part of the program. The CSP serves all
regions of the country and all types of crop and livestock agriculture.
As you probably know, USDA is in the process of issuing a proposed
rule for the CSP this summer, with program enrollment scheduled to
start at the beginning of the next fiscal year, which begins October
1, 2003.
We urge
you to not only reject the House proposal to eliminate funding, but
also urge you to lend support to the ongoing efforts in the Senate
to restore full funding for the CSP by replacing the CSP funds used
in the 2003 omnibus appropriations act to offset unrelated emergency
disaster provisions. The CSP will enhance family farm income, protect
the environment and wildlife habitat, and promote the rural economy
in farm and ranch communities. Please support the CSP by defeating
efforts to kill it through appropriations limitations and by helping
to restore full funding.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]
Senate
Subcommittee on Agriculture and Rural Development
| Sen.
Robert Bennett (Chair) (R-UT) |
Sen.
Herb Kohl (Ranking Member) (D-WI) |
| Sen.
Thad Cochran (R-MS) |
Sen.
Tom Harkin (D-IA) |
| Sen.
Arlen Specter (R-PA) |
Sen.
Byron Dorgan (D-ND) |
| Sen.
Christopher Bond (R-MO) |
Sen.
Diane Feinstein ((D-CA) |
| Sen.
Mitch McConnell (R-KY) |
Sen.
Richard Durbin (D-IL) |
| Sen.
Conrad Burns (R-MT) |
Sen.
Tim Johnson (D-SD) |
| Sen.
Larry Craig (R-ID) |
Sen.
Mary Landrieu (D-LA) |
| Sen.
Sam Brownback (R-KS) |
|
For more information: Contact Mark Schultz of the Land Stewardship
Project at 612-722-6377 or marks@landstewardshipproject.org.
