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Spotlight for August 04, 2004


President Unveils Conservation Measures to Protect Wildlife and Fragile Land

To submit comments on the Conservation Reserve Program--Long-Term Policy please visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov/crpcomments/

August 4, 2004

On August 4, President Bush visited Katzenmeyer Farm in Le Sueur, Minnesota, to announce several key new Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) initiatives that will help protect wildlife, water and land resources.  The President outlined four CRP measures that will expand the program’s benefits and success.

1. Fully Using CRP Enrollment Authority

The President announced the Administration’s commitment to full enrollment of CRP up to 39.2 million acres.  In 3 years, 16 million acres under CRP contract will expire.  Another 6 million acres will follow in 2008, 4 million acres in 2009 and 2 million acres in 2010.  To ensure that the benefits of CRP continue, the President announced that USDA will offer early reenrollments and extensions of existing contracts to current CRP participants.

The President also invited public comment on several issues important to the future of CRP.  Through 2008, about 22 million acres will expire.  All told, that’s 56 percent -- well over half -- of the land authorized for CRP enrollment.  Also, new farm bill discussions are fast approaching.

These upcoming years offer an opportunity to evaluate CRP and fine-tune it as needed to ensure that CRP continues its strong protection of the environment and natural resources, including enhancing wildlife habitat, improving air quality, reducing soil erosion and protecting surface and groundwater quality.  A notice seeking public comment on CRP will be published in the Federal Register in early August 2004.  The notice will be available online at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html and on FSA’s Web site at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/crpcomments/

Among other issues, FSA is seeking public comment on the following issues:

  • How to manage the large acreage set to expire from CRP;
  • How to manage future CRP sign-ups and acreage;
  • How to evaluate the program’s environmental effectiveness;
  • How to better utilize information technology, such as Geographic Information Systems, that evaluate acreage for enrollment; and
  • How to improve CRP, including the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, through partnerships that better address local environmental issues.

Comments on the issues must be received in writing by 120 days after the date published in the Federal Register.  Comments may be submitted in writing or electronically via the means provided in the notice.

2. CRP General Sign-up

The President announced dates for the 29th CRP sign-up.  The sign-up will occur from Aug. 30 through Sept. 24, 2004, at local FSA offices.

The announcement underscores the President’s commitment to helping our nation’s farmers and ranchers maintain a healthy environment that is compatible with a robust agricultural economy.

Since there is limited acreage available for enrollment, farmers and ranchers are encouraged to work with their local FSA offices to maximize the environmental benefits of their CRP offers.

FSA will use an Environmental Benefits Index (EBI) to rank the expected benefits of enrolling in CRP.

The EBI is based on cost and the five environmental factors of:

  • Soil erosion;
  • Water quality;
  • Air quality;
  • Wildlife enhancement; and
  • Enduring benefits that continue beyond the life of the contract.

Offers accepted under this sign-up will become effective on either Oct. 1, 2005, or Oct. 1, 2006. 

3. CRP Northern Bobwhite Quail Habitat Initiative

CRP has already strengthened wildlife habitat that has increased populations of birds, fish and a multitude of other wildlife species.  In fact, statistics show that more than 2.1 million new ducks are attributable to CRP each year.  And pheasant populations are at or near record-high levels in many Midwestern states.

To build on this success, the President announced a new initiative to increase the population of northern bobwhite quail by 750,000 birds annually.  This native quail’s historic range is in 35 states, but its numbers have dropped from 59 million to 20 million birds over the last quarter-century.

The CRP Northern Bobwhite Quail Habitat Initiative will create 250,000 acres of grass buffers along agricultural field borders.

Besides providing food and cover for bobwhite quail, the planted buffers will:

  • Provide habitat for reptiles, amphibians and aquatic species;
  • Increase populations of upland birds, many of which have suffered significant population reductions; and
  • Reduce soil erosion and protect water quality by trapping field sediments and nutrients.

FSA estimates the program to cost $125 million.  Program sign-up begins Oct. 1, 2004, at local FSA offices. 

4. Non-floodplain Wetlands Restoration Initiative

On Earth Day, the President announced an aggressive new national goal -- moving beyond a policy of “no-net-loss” of wetlands to an overall increase of wetlands in America each year.  The President’s goal is to create, improve and protect at least 3 million wetland acres over the next 5 years in order to increase overall wetland acres and quality.

In fact, for the first time in recent history, agriculture had a net gain in wetland acres compared with the previous year.

The President announced an initiative that will further these large-scale accomplishments.  The Wetlands Restoration Initiative encourages landowners to enroll 250,000 acres of large wetland complexes and playa lakes located outside the 100-year floodplain.

Restoring these wetlands will provide critical environmental benefits:

  • Provide vital habitat for many wildlife species, such as upland ducks and sandhill cranes;
  • Filter runoff, recharge groundwater supplies and protect drinking water; and
  • Reduce downstream flooding.

With the addition of this acreage, there are now CRP enrollment opportunities for all types of wetlands.

FSA estimates the program cost to total $200 million.  Program sign-up begins Oct. 1, 2004, at local FSA offices. 

Background on CRP

Farmers, ranchers and private forest landowners own and manage two-thirds of the Nation’s land and are the primary stewards of our soil, air, water and natural resources.  While the cost of stewardship on that land is borne by land managers, the benefits serve society at large.

CRP partners with farmers and ranchers to protect fragile cropland.  The program’s participants retire land from agricultural production and plant permanent covers of grass and trees on environmentally sensitive lands.

Vegetation planted through CRP provides multiple benefits for our nation:

  • Safeguards millions of acres of American topsoil from erosion;
  • Improves air quality;
  • Provides food and habitat for wildlife; and
  • Protects ground and surface water from water runoff and sedimentation.  Countless lakes, rivers, ponds and streams are cleaner, healthier and more useful because of CRP.

CRP is the Federal government’s largest and most effective conservation program on private lands.  Since its inception in 1986, this program has helped reduce soil erosion by more than 40 percent and restored 1.8 million acres of critical wetland acreage.

Even more impressive, CRP’s success is accomplished through local voluntary partnerships between individuals and USDA.  Instead of mandating participation, the program uses financial incentives to encourage farmers and ranchers to voluntarily establish valuable conservation practices.

Currently, there are 663,415 CRP contracts covering 34,795,564 acres on 391,059 farms in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.  The annual Federal outlay to cover CRP is $2 billion.  CRP has an authorized enrollment of 39.2 million acres, which is roughly equal to 10 percent of the Nation’s cropland.

Additional CRP Initiatives Already in Place

Out of the 39.2-million-acre CRP cap, FSA reserves acreage for other continuing CRP initiatives that target the most pressing environmental needs.  The initiatives are:

  • Up to 4 million acres for CRP continuous sign-up, which protects the most environmentally sensitive land.  Sign-up for this initiative is on a continuous basis, meaning eligible land may be enrolled at any time;
  • Up to 500,000 acres for bottomland hardwood tree planting to help sequester greenhouse gases, improve water quality and restore wildlife habitat.  Sign-up for this initiative is also on a continuous basis;
  • The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, which is a federal-state partnership to target additional resources in defined geographic areas for conservation practices such as buffers and filter strips; and
  • Up to 1 million acres under the Farmable Wetlands Program to protect certain farmed and prior converted wetlands.



Photos

President George W. Bush talks about expanding the Conservation Reserve Program during a visit to the Katzenmeyer family farm in Le Sueur, Minn., Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2004. White House photo by Eric Draper.
 President George W. Bush talks about expanding the Conservation Reserve Program during a visit to the Katzenmeyer family farm in Le Sueur, Minn., Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2004. White House photo by Eric Draper.

 President George W. Bush walks with Minnesota Governor Tom Pawlenty, left, and Sen. Norm Coleman during a visit to the Katzenmeyer family farm in Le Sueur, Minn., Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2004. White House photo by Eric Draper.
 President George W. Bush walks with Minnesota Governor Tom Pawlenty, left, and Sen. Norm Coleman during a visit to the Katzenmeyer family farm in Le Sueur, Minn., Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2004. White House photo by Eric Draper.

 President George W. Bush talks with audience members at the Katzenmeyer family farm in Le Sueur, Minn., Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2004. White House photo by Eric Draper.
 President George W. Bush talks with audience members at the Katzenmeyer family farm in Le Sueur, Minn., Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2004. White House photo by Eric Draper.

 Walking with Mark and Shirley Katzenmeyer, President George W. Bush tours their family farm in Le Sueur, Minn., Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2004. White House photo by Eric Draper.
 Walking with Mark and Shirley Katzenmeyer, President George W. Bush tours their family farm in Le Sueur, Minn., Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2004. White House photo by Eric Draper.

 

 

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Content updated August 04, 2004   Follow this link to go Back to top  
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