From: Debbie Neustadt I have seen several emails on this today and last weekend at the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture meeting this was mentioned. This is a case where the program was schedualed to run out and action would be needed to keep it funded. This is what happens when the theme of the day is "tax cut". In Iowa the demand for this program was more than the money available. The Administration has decided not to continue the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP). In its efforts to reduce cut the USDA budget and provide a larger tax reduction, programs that are complete are not renewed (i.e., would need reauthorization language in the budget to be continued). See http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/usbudget/blueprint/bud16.html , "Completed and Reformed Programs:." The Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) and Forestry Incentive Program also are in the group to be eliminated. The FY2002 budget "Blueprint" only includes the outline for the budget and total amounts allocated to each department. The detailed budget showing how much each agency will be allocated is not scheduled to be released until April 3 - after the tax reduction bill has passed. Once the tax cut bill is passed, there will not be any "new" funds available to restore unbudgeted programs or fund new ones without taking money from some other program. The final year of WRP enrollment is underway. The $164,000,000 available for enrollment of 140,000 acres into the WRP in FY 2001 has been allocated to the states. The 1,075,000 acre authorized cap for the program will be reached this year. The current unfunded backlog of eligible project applications exceeds 570,000 acres on more than 3,000 separate farms and ranches across the nation. Although many Senators and Representatives recognize the value of WRP in restoring valuable wetland functions, taking much relatively unproductive and flood prone land out of production, and in provided needed funds to help farm families, individuals and the leadership do not seem to be willing to insist on continued funding for the program. For more information on WRP see http://wl.fb-net.org/ Terry Terry Z. Riley Director of Conservation Wildlife Management Institute 1101 Fourteenth Street, NW, Suite 801 Washington, DC 20005 (202) 371-1808 FAX: (202) 408-5059 E-mail: [log in to unmask] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For SC email list T-and-C, send: GET TERMS-AND-CONDITIONS.CURRENT to [log in to unmask]