11/13/03
While
you're at it, tell them to pass the payment limitation amendment on
the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
The Congressional
Conference Committee on Agricultural Appropriations is meeting in
the next few days to decide on what will be in the Ag Appropriations
bill that will be sent to President George W. Bush for signing into
law.
There
are two key conservation policy issues on the table: full funding
for the Conservation Security Program (CSP), and lowering the amount
that any one operation can receive from EQIP.
The Land
Stewardship Project has made developing and passing the CSP a top
priority since 1999. The Senate kept the commitment for full funding
to implement this new and important program in 2004, while the U.S.
House has acted to kill the CSP for 2004. Key appropriations decision
makers need to hear from you that they should accept the Senate position
on CSP and fully fund CSP for 2004.
CALL
TODAY (by Wednesday, Nov. 19 at the latest):
•
Rep. Henry Bonilla, Chair, House Ag Appropriations Subcommittee
Phone: 202-225-4511
•
Rep. Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
Phone: 202-225-2976
•
Senator Robert Bennett, Chair, Senate Ag Appropriations Subcommittee
Phone: 202-224-5444
We need
a BIG outpouring of citizen action on this to win the CSP.
Let us know what you hear back when you call!
AND - While you're talking to them:
Tell
Rep. Bonilla, Speaker Hastert, and Senator Bennett to support the
payment limits on the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
that were passed by the Senate. The Senate decreased the amount any
one operation could get from EQIP from $450,000 to $300,000 (still
a huge chunk of change), which will decrease the subsidy to huge factory
farms, and distribute the funds more efficiently to a larger number
of farms to help them improve their environmental stewardship.
For more information, contact:
Mark Schultz, LSP Policy Program Director
Phone: 612-722-6377
marks@landstewardshipproject.org
Back
to Conservation Security Program page.
