----- Original Message ----- 
From: Scotty Johnson<mailto:[log in to unmask]> 
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> 
Sent: Wednesday, October 06, 2004 4:48 PM
Subject: ACTION NEEDED! PROTECT FARM CONSERVATION DOLLARS


Defenders of Wildlife 
Rural Updates!
October 7, 2004

SPECIAL ACTION ALERT!

TAKE ACTION: URGE CONGRESS TO PRESERVE FARM 
BILL CONSERVATION FUNDING!!

Please call your Representatives and Senators TODAY and urge 
them not to raid the farm bill conservation programs to pay for 
agricultural disaster assistance!

Congress is currently debating a measure to provide disaster 
assistance to producers who suffered damages from droughts, 
floods and hurricanes this year.  These types of funding measures 
are usually designated as emergency spending.  However, this year, 
the leadership in the House is considering offsetting the cost of the 
disaster assistance by taking money out of farm bill programs.  
Specifically, there is a move to pay for disaster assistance by 
imposing a multi-year cap on the Conservation Security Program.

A host of commodity, conservation and producer groups are united 
in their opposition to opening the Farm Bill in order to pay for 
disaster assistance  --  Defenders of Wildlife, National Wildlife 
Federation, Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, National Association 
of Conservation Districts, American Farm Bureau Federation, 
National Farmers Organization, National Farmers Union and 
American Corn Growers Assocation, to name just a few.  But 
Congress needs to hear directly from you!
Please call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to be 
connected to your Representative.  

(If you don't know your Representative, you can find out at 
www.vote<http://www.vote/>- smart.org).  Ask to speak to their agriculture or 
conservation staff person.  Tell them that you support the passage 
of a disaster assistance package but that it should be funded as 
emergency spending.  It should not be funded by modifying or 
cutting any of the farm bill programs, particularly the conservation 
title programs like the Conservation Security Program.  You can 
also point out that 26 producer and commodity groups and a dozen 
major conservation organizations are on record opposing funding 
disaster assistance through changes in the farm bill.  

Finally, please urge your Representative to relay your concerns to 
House Speaker Dennis Hastert.  Please forward this alert to others 
in your action network, and please act quickly.  Funding levels for 
important conservation programs, and the future of the CSP may 
depend on it!




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