ACTION ALERT: E-mail the White House - Stop Delaying the Conservation Security Program!

11/12/03

We invite you to take the Harkin challenge! (See the article below.)

Please send an e-mail to President George W. Bush demanding that the administration release the draft rules for the Conservation Security Program (CSP). Send the message to president@whitehouse.gov, or go to http://www.congress.org and click on President/Vice President, then click on Send Message, write a brief message in the box provided, fill in your name and address, and click Send.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service of the USDA sent the CSP rules to the White House's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 77 days ago, on August 29, which itself was already six months behind the schedule mandated by the 2002 Farm Bill. However, OMB has yet to release the rules.

Be respectful in your message, but do point out that, as Senator Harkin mentions below, the President praised the Conservation Security Program when he signed the Farm Bill last year. Point out that the program has widespread support in the countryside, and that the delays in the release of the program are inexcusable.

Send this action alert out to your networks--we want thousands to respond! And please let us know you sent an e-mail.

Thank you!

Mark Schultz
LSP Policy Program Director
612-722-6377
marks@landstewardshipproject.org

Harkin fights for CSP

By Dan Looker
Business Editor
Successful Farming magazine
Nov. 5, 2003

Senator Tom Harkin, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, wants you to e-mail the White House and your governor. That's what farmers and ranchers need to do if they want to save the Conservation Security Program, Harkin told reporters Wednesday.

He repeated his assertion that the innovative new program is being held up by the White House, whose Office of Management and Budget has not signed off on rules for the program, which pays a modest fee to producers who already have good conservation practices on working agricultural lands.

Harkin pointed out that the CSP was one aspect of the 2002 Farm Bill that was praised by President George W. Bush when he signed the bill into law last year.

"It's time for President Bush to live up to what he said when he signed the farm bill," Harkin said. He asked the President to get OMB to release the rules and to put pressure on members of the House of Representatives who have cut all funds for the CSP in the 2004 fiscal year. The federal fiscal year started in October but the agricultural spending bill that covers conservation programs hasn't yet been passed by Congress.

Harkin said he has tried to be understanding about delays from the Department of Agriculture in writing rules for the new Conservation Security Program. Under the new Farm Bill, the rules were due last February. He said he understands that USDA had a lot of work to do to put the new farm bill into effect.

"My patience is running out. It looks like the White House is determined to kill the Conservation Reserve Program," Harkin said.

Harkin pointed out that the program has broad bipartisan support in both the Senate and the House, that it's supported by farm groups, by environmental organizations and by the heads of state agriculture departments.

He said he's optimistic that the Senate's support for CSP will prevail as House and Senate negotiators hammer out the final ag spending bill. And he said he'd be looking for a way to get the program going before this session of Congress ends.

Meanwhile, "farmers and ranchers ought to get on their e-mails," Harkin said. "Don't e-mail me or Senator Grassley or a lot of Republicans. They're on our side. E-mail the White House."

Back to Conservation Security Program page.