FARM BILL EXPECTED ON SENATE FLOOR THIS WEEK

The Senate is expected to take up the farm bill this week. Many other bills are competing for floor time in the last few weeks of the session. The likely window of opportunity for debating the farm bill is today or Wednesday, because other bills have been slated for Thursday. The target adjournment date is now Friday, December 7. Last week Senator Harkin re-introduced the farm bill that was passed by the Senate Agriculture Committee. The bill is now numbered S.1731 but is still titled the Agriculture, Conservation, and Rural Enhancement Act of 2001. AFT has officially endorsed this bill. Among other changes, the Farmland Protection Program (FPP) has been bumped up from the original committee version. FPP would now receive a total of $1.025 billion over five years on the following schedule: 2002: $150 million; 2003: $200 million; 2004: $200 million; 2005: $225 million; and 2006: $250 million. Other conservation programs would also fare very well. The Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) would be increased to 250,000 acres per year, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) would get $5 billion over five years, the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) would get $500 million over five years and the new Grasslands Reserve Program (GRP) would be set at 2 million acres. All in all, when the bill is scored over ten years conservation spending is increased by $5 billion over the House version.

LEAHY-REID AMENDMENT

Stating that dairy issues are more pressing, Senator Leahy has backed away from leading the charge to increase conservation funding to $5 billion annually. While his staff continues to help with the effort, Mr. Leahy is no longer a lead co-sponsor of the Conservation and Regional Equity (CARE) bill he introduced with Senator Reid. Contact: Tobey Williamson, AFT's Federal Policy Program Manager, (202) 331-7000 x3020

2001 FARM BILL FACTS AND FIGURES

The National Association of Conservation Districts has posted a comprehensive comparison of the conservation titles under the House and Senate bills and current law online at <http://www.nacdnet.org/govtaff/FB/Combest-SenateAg.htm>. Highlights from the various bills are included below. H.R. 2646-House Ag Committee Bill: The Farm Security Act of 2001 Approved by a vote of 291-120, the House bill would spend ~$120 billion total on commodity programs over 10 years. The Conservation Title would spend ~$35 billion over 10 years on the following programs: Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) enrollment cap increased from 36.4 million acres to 39.2 million acres; Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) enrollment cap increased from 97,500 acres/year to 150,000 acres/year; Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) average of $1.3 billion/year; Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) average of $38.5 million/year; and Farmland Protection Program (FPP) $50 million/year. Boehlert-Kind-Gilchrest-Dingel Amendment to House Farm Bill Narrowly defeated in the House 226-200, the Boehlert-Kind-Gilchrest-Dingel amendment attempted to shift funds from commodity title to increase conservation title to $54 billion over 10 years, including the following conservation programs: CRP enrollment cap increased to 45 million acres; WRP enrollment cap increased to 250,000 acres/year; EQIP $1.7 billion/year; WHIP average of $380 million/year; and FPP average of $410 million/year. S. 1628-Senate Ag Committee Bill: Agriculture, Conservation, and Rural Enhancement Act of 2001 The Senate Agriculture Committee bill would fund programs for five years, but is scored over 10 years, spending a total of ~$170 billion over the next decade. (Note: the Senate continues to negotiate about the bill passed out of committee. Some figures are likely to change.) Commodity programs would receive a total of $115-120 billion over the 10-year period, while the conservation title would spend ~$35 billion. Notably, the bill includes Harkin's new Conservation Security Act, which would pay farmers for existing and new integrated conservation improvements. Conservation spending would be distributed as follows: Conservation Security Act (CSA) average of $500 million/year; CRP enrollment cap increased to 40 million acres; WRP enrollment cap increased to 250,000 acres/year; EQIP average of $900 million/year; WHIP average of $72 million/year; and FPP average of $170 million/year. S. 1727-Leahy-Reid Bill: Conservation Assistance and Regional Equity Act of 2001 The Leahy-Reid bill would shift funds in the Senate Ag Committee bill from the commodity title to increase conservation title programs to $5 billion/year. CRP enrollment cap increased to 42 million acres; WRP enrollment cap increased to 250,000 acres/year; EQIP average of $1.3 billion/year; WHIP average $430 million/year; and FPP average of $440 million/year.