November 12, 2004

Dear Land Stewardship Project member,

As you know, the passage of the Conservation Security Program in the 2002 Farm Bill was a major priority of the Land Stewardship Project. Beginning in late 1998, LSP started developing the framework of a proactive farm policy that would encourage and reward stewardship-oriented farming practices on working farmland. From that time on, we worked closely with members of Congress (including U.S. Senator Tom Harkin and U.S. Representative David Minge, who introduced the bill in the Senate and the House, respectively) to develop, refine, and build support for the Conservation Security Program (CSP). As passed in the 2002 Farm Bill, the CSP is a first step in a good direction.

I believe you also know that LSP has been disappointed with the implementation of the CSP thus far by the USDA, and with the funding provided to it by the Administration and Congress. We remain concerned about these issues, and will work to prevent the CSP from being further shortchanged or distorted by bureaucratic and political interests.

That said, the good news is that the CSP is up and running. This summer, CSP was launched in 18 watersheds around the country. Earlier this month, USDA announced 202 watersheds in which CSP will be available in 2005 to farmers practicing effective conservation on their land. If you think you may be in one of the selected watersheds, give us a call, and we can help you verify the watershed boundaries and fill you in on the sign-up process.

The purpose of this mailing is three-fold:
1. Let you know what is happening with CSP.
2. For those of you who farm, give you some more tips about how to prepare your farming operation for CSP sign-up, when CSP comes to your watershed.
3. Ask you to make a phone call to your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator regarding funding decisions on agriculture programs.

Update on CSP implementation and funding
As mentioned above, the good news is that CSP is being implemented. In July 2004, it was made available to farmers in 18 watersheds around the country. USDA has decided that farmers in those watersheds who did not apply for CSP in the 30-day sign-up period, or were not accepted into the program, will not be able to apply this year (USDA says they want to make it available in each watershed in the U.S. only once every eight years). This fall, 202 different watersheds were selected by USDA for CSP implementation in 2005, for their once-in-eight-years opportunity. USDA also announced that there will be $162 million available for the next CSP sign-up, which is likely to start in the early part of 2005. The funding will be spent on USDA administration of the program, as well as on payments to farmers. If the U.S. Senate wins the funding argument in Congress this month, there could be somewhat more money available.

LSP staff made numerous phone calls to farmers in the watersheds which were selected for CSP implementation this past summer. We received excellent information on how these farmers experienced the CSP sign-up process. Some tips we gleaned from those calls and from other sources, along with the map of selected watersheds for 2005, are enclosed with this letter. However, it was not possible for us to send out all the information we have on CSP, so if you want to know more, please give us at call at 612-722-6377.

A key factor in whether farmers will get a chance to sign up for CSP, or get accepted if they do sign up, is federal funding for the program. As passed in the 2002 Farm Bill and signed by the President, CSP is an “entitlement” program, meaning that every farmer who signs up and meets the quality criteria for effective conservation on their farmland is entitled to CSP payments, which are determined by the level of conservation benefits they deliver. That is similar to another ag entitlement program, the commodity program, which delivers payments to producers who sign up and raise certain commodity crops, based on the volume of their production. However, the Administration and the U.S. House Appropriations Committee have consistently cut CSP funding in order to restrict CSP sign-up and payments to farmers, in contradiction to the law that was passed. The U.S. Senate, led by Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, has been better, consistently working to fund CSP at the level passed in the 2002 Farm Bill. (Note: LSP favors placing strong payment limits – such as the payment limit per farmer that already exists in CSP – on commodity programs, a fiscally responsible action which is strongly opposed by commodity groups and corporate agribusiness).

It makes no sense to gut funding for conservation on working farms, while continuing to bust the budget with nearly unlimited subsidies for maximum production of corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, and rice (the crops that receive the great majority of commodity payments). We must preserve our nation’s farmlands. There are just no two ways about it. That is what CSP is for.

Making sure your Congressional delegation gets the message Congress is currently back in session for a few weeks. In November, they are debating appropriations bills, including funding for agriculture, CSP included. After Congress adjourns, the newly elected Congress will convene in January 2005. The issues of adequate CSP funding and excessive subsidies for commodity crop production will still be on the table.

Making three phone calls (to your U.S. Representative and your two U.S. Senators) this week would be very helpful. The message is pretty straightforward – fully fund CSP as an uncapped program, like it was passed by Congress and signed into law. Especially if you are a farmer, let them know that you are, and that you want CSP fully funded and implemented. And tell them to put meaningful payment limits on commodity crop subsidies – stop giving away hundreds of thousands of dollars to the huge corporate cropping operations that don’t need it.

If you don’t have the phone numbers for your U.S. Representative and Senators, contact the CAPITOL SWITCHBOARD at 202-225-3121, and ask for their numbers. Whether you reach them in time for this year’s final debate, or just start in early for next year’s, it’s worth the call. We need to turn these funding decisions around.

Sincerely,

Mark Schultz, Policy Program Director

P.S. LSP’s Federal Farm Policy Committee is already getting started on developing farm policy changes for the next federal Farm Bill, slated for 2007. We welcome your input into that process. Please contact us with any thoughts you have about that, and look for notices of meetings we will be having this winter on the subject.