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 Agricultural reform got a big setback last
month when the House passed an anti-environmental Farm Bill (HR
2646) and rejected the pro-conservation
Boehlert-Kind-Gilchrest-Dingell Amendment. But there is another
opportunity coming up in the Senate to devote more funds to
incentive-based, voluntary conservation programs that encourage and
reward farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners for environmental
stewardship. This week, Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) and Harry
Reid (D-Nevada) will introduce a Farm Bill proposal, which includes
$5 billion a year in conservation spending. Next week, the senators
will solicit co-sponsors with the proposal likely to come up for a
vote before Thanksgiving.
This vote is critical in determining how the government spends
$171 billion over the next ten years on agriculture programs. HR
2646 would essentially undo wetland protection and longstanding
wildlife habitat programs and award subsidies mainly to large
agribusiness. The Leahy-Reid proposal would ensure that funds are
spread more equitably to promote conservation efforts, rural
development, and the health of agricultural communities. For
example, $440 million a year is allotted to protecting farmland and
open space from sprawling development and $430 million a year for
protecting and restoring wildlife habitat. | 
