National Association of Conservation Districts

Action Alert

Action Requested

Date: September 4, 2008

Subject: Proposed Farm Bill Conservation Program Cuts

Action Requested
Contact your Members of Congress opposing any reduction in Farm Bill Conservation Programs in fiscal year 2009 funding.

Background
Congress has less than a month to complete work in their final legislative session before adjourning for fall elections. A major task they must complete before October 1 is fiscal year 2009 funding for federal agencies. With such little time, legislation to approve funding will come in the form of a short-term continuing resolution.  Due to a variety of competing financial costs such as nutrition programs (increase food costs) and funding for the war, program cuts can be made in any area—and with our history, conservation programs are a prime target.

During the August recess, a proposal was submitted by the Administration that would drastically cut funding for several Farm Bill Conservation Programs. Program impacted by the proposal include the Agricultural Management Assistance Program, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Program, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, the Farmland Protection Program, the Healthy Forests Reserve Program, and the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentives Program. These cuts would mean a loss of $100 million in Farm Bill conservation funding.  This action would ELIMINATE the Chesapeake Bay Program, the Agricultural Management Assistance Program and the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program.

NACD President John Redding opposed any such cuts, sending a letter to leadership in the House and Senate and NACD staff has been conveying the same message to Congressional offices. NACD's letter can be viewed at http://www.nacdnet.org/policy/input/letters/farmbill_08-13-08.pdf.

Action is needed now—contact Congress. The new farm bill provides significant investment financial resources for Conservation programs and recognized the need to assist landowners with proper natural resource management. Congress needs to hear from constituents back home that cuts to Farm Bill Conservation Programs would severely impact that ability.

Talking Points

Some key points that you can use when contacting your Member of Congress include:

• Congress worked hard to craft a Farm Bill that received broad, bi-partisan support.
• Programs should be given an opportunity to work.
• Changes should not be made before USDA has had the opportunity to implement programs. Action like that proposed by the President would eliminate programs before they are every started. 
• There is a strong demand for conservation program in (my state, my district, this county) and we need your support to continue the funding for the program as Congress just passed in June.

Contact Information
To contact your Members of Congress, information is available on the following websites:

U.S. House of Representatives: http://www.house.gov/writerep
U.S. Senate: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Remember to make your message reflect local impacts that funding cuts would have. Also keep in mind that email communication is the quickest, surest method to contact Congress.

Follow Up
Please keep us posted on your contacts to Congress. Email follow ups can be sent to me at jeremy-peters@nacdnet.org.