Home Legislative NFU, Coalition Support Conservation Programs
NFU, Coalition Support Conservation Programs PDF Print E-mail
Written by Administrator   
Thursday, 26 April 2012 08:54
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                    Contact: Melisa Augusto, 202-314-3191
April 26, 2012                                                                          This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Tony Jarboe, 202-314-3104
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 
NFU, Coalition Support Conservation Programs
 
WASHINGTON (April 26, 2012) – National Farmers Union (NFU) and a coalition of agriculture organizations provided testimony today to the U.S. House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry. The testimony was presented by National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) President Garry Niemeyer and urged members of the House Committee on Agriculture to support a flexible, streamlined conservation title in the 2012 Farm Bill.
 
“It is important to acknowledge that farm bill conservation programs have had significant positive impacts over the past several decades, which have led to lasting environmental improvements on agricultural lands,” Niemeyer said in the joint testimony. “A combination of technology adoption, improved management practices, and voluntary conservation programs has resulted in dramatic conservation benefits.”
 
In the testimony, the coalition supported programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), among many others.
 
“It is critical that we continue to support conservation programs in the next farm bill, because they have proven time and again to be both popular and effective,” said NFU President Roger Johnson. "We encourage continued support for a flexible conservation toolbox and streamlined program delivery for working lands, land retirement and easement programs, coupled with significant federal funding. Deep, unjustified cuts to farm bill programs are unacceptable and the agriculture community should not be asked to do more than its fair share in reducing the federal budget deficit.”