USDA UNVEILS BACKYARD CONSERVATION CAMPAIGN
                                                           
                                        Release No. 0182.98
                                                             
                                Roger Salazar (202)720-4623
                                     roger.salazar@usda.gov
                                   Dave White (202)720-3210
                                        dave.white@usda.gov
                                                             
  USDA UNVEILS BACKYARD CONSERVATION CAMPAIGN
  
       WASHINGTON, April 22, 1998--As part of the Agriculture
  Department's Earth Day activities, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman
  unveiled a new Backyard Conservation campaign.
  
       USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service developed  the
  campaign to inform urban, suburban, and rural residents of the good
  conservation work being done by farmers and ranchers.  At the same time,
  it encourages them to adopt miniature versions of the same practices in
  their own backyards, such as composting, mulching, tree planting,
  nutrient management, and water conservation.  
       
       "USDA has worked hard to help America's farmers find new and
  innovative ways to protect our natural resources," said Glickman.
  "However, being a friend to the environment can start in our own
  backyard.  By using the same conservation techniques farmers use, those
  of us who live in the cities and the suburbs can also make a positive
  contribution to the environment."  
  
       Farmers and ranchers are already making progress in natural
  resource conservation by protecting and restoring wetlands, enhancing
  wildlife habitat, and curbing soil erosion.  There are nearly 2 billion
  acres of land in the U.S.  Most of that land, 1.4 billion acres, is
  managed by farmers and ranchers.  More than 92 million acres, however,
  is privately developed and much of it is tended by homeowners.  These
  homeowners can join the conservation tradition of farmers and ranchers
  right in their own backyard to curb water pollution and enhance wildlife
  habitat.
  
       The public release of the new campaign was part of an NRCS Earth
  Day celebration called "Agriculture and the Environment: A Growing
  Partnership," that showcased the growing achievements of agriculture and
  private landowners in protecting the environment.  It also included a
  public rededication to conserving and protecting the more than one
  billion acres of land used for food and fiber production in the United
  States.
  
       "This is the first time the agricultural community has come
  together to officially celebrate Earth Day in the Nation's capital,"
  Glickman said. "Farmers and ranchers have a long history of caring for
  the land and a true pride in land ownership.  For more than 60 years,
  they have worked side by side with NRCS to protect our country's natural
  resources, and their achievements over the last 10 years have been
  remarkable.  This is a perfect time to take farmers' conservation
  stories to the American public."  
  
       The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives was the lead
  agricultural partner with NRCS on the celebration.  Other partners
  included:  Agricultural Retailers Association, American Farm Bureau
  Federation, American Feed Industry Association, Association of
  California Water Agencies, Cargill, CF Industries, Farmland Industries
  Inc., The Fertilizer Institute, IMC Global, National Association of
  Conservation Districts, National Association of State Departments of
  Agriculture, National Cattlemen's Beef Association, National
  Conservation Buffer Council, National Corn Growers Association, National
  Farmers Union, National Grange, National Pork Producers Council, Society
  of American Florists, Sunkist Growers, and Terrene Institute.
  
       The celebration culminated a week-long series of events held
  across the country that demonstrated environmental successes and
  innovative practices that conserve and protect natural resources while
  providing the world with an abundant, reliable, and affordable supply of
  food and natural fiber.
  
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