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President Signs U.S. Farm Bill With Record Conservation
Spending
MEMPHIS, TN, May, 2002 ---On May 13,
President Bush signed the 2002 U.S. Farm Bill into law at a White
House ceremony attended by Ducks Unlimited representatives. The
six-year bill increases spending for conservation programs by 80%,
compared to the 1996 bill.
"This is a huge accomplishment for
conservation," said Ducks Unlimited's Executive Vice President, D.A.
(Don) Young. Ducks Unlimited, the Memphis based waterfowl and
wetlands conservation group, has been outspoken in its support for
farmland conservation programs. "Since our inception, our most
effective wildlife conservation programs start on the farm with
cooperating landowners," said Mr. Young. "By supporting Farm Bill
programs like the Conservation
Reserve Program and the Wetlands Reserve
Program, the Administration and the U.S. Congress are advocating
a strong commitment to farmer conservationists, the hands on
stewards of the land," continued Young.
"We can't be shy
about our support for these conservation programs. There's stacks of
scientific evidence indicating that they're vital to migratory
birds, in addition to hundreds of other species of wildlife, " said
Dr. Alan Wentz, Group Manager of Conservation Programs at Ducks
Unlimited. In addition to dispatching several biologists to Capitol
Hill for congressional testimony before agricultural committees, Dr.
Wentz enlisted Ducks Unlimited's D.C. based governmental affairs
office to facilitate meetings between farmers and members of
Congress in support of the Farm Bill. "We're concerned about
economic duress for farmers, which is leading to loss of family farms.
When farms get sold, they often get drained and paved," said Dr.
Wentz. "We're excited about these programs because they conserve our
natural resources, help wildlife, and also help financially strained
farmers and ranchers stay on the farm," added
Wentz.
According to Scott Sutherland, who directs Ducks
Unlimited's Governmental Affairs office, the new bill contains
record spending levels for conservation programs, including $1.5
billion for the Wetlands Reserve Program. $1.517 billion will fund
the Conservation Reserve Program, which will increase the total from
a 36.4 million acre ceiling to 39.2 million acres. "We're happy with
the bill. We are excited about this package and the impact it will
have across the country," said Sutherland. The Wildlife Habitat
Incentives Program (WHIP), a popular cost share program that focuses
on fish and wildlife conservation, will get a ten fold increase in
spending, putting the total budget for that program at $700 million.
And the Farm Bill also calls for a new program called the Grasslands
Reserve Program, which will enroll up to two million acres of
grassland in 10, 15, 20, and 30-year contracts, as well as perpetual
easements, at a cost of approximately $254 million.
To learn
more about the conservation title
- click here of the U.S. Farm Bill.
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