(WATER, BUT WHAT ABOUT AIRBORNE CHEMICALS & POLLEN...?) ---------- From: "Farm Bill News" <[log in to unmask]> Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2001 00:13:45 -0600 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Vilsack backs 'third way' in land conservation Farm Bill News ([log in to unmask]) Posted: 03/20/2001 By [log in to unmask] ============================================================ The materials in the AP file were compiled by The Associated Press. March 19, 2001 Vilsack backs 'third way' in land conservation By KEN THOMAS, Associated Press Writer Gov. Tom Vilsack on Monday touted a third way in private land conservation, calling for financial incentives for landowners to protect the environment. In the past, conservation measures were pushed through the buying of public lands or adopting stricter regulations on farmers to practice conservation. Vilsack said using financial incentives could encourage farmers and other landowners to take their land out of production, develop buffer strips to prevent chemical runoff, and restore wetlands to help the environment. "This is an opportunity for us to take the least-productive land out of production and at the same time compensate the farmers for the use of that land for society's good," Vilsack said. The governor said it could greatly benefit farmers in Iowa - the state has the nation's highest percentage of privately-held land and 92 percent of the land is devoted to agriculture. Nationally, 1.4 billion acres are involved in agricultural production, with 98 million acres developed and 402 million acres federally owned. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, plans to resubmit a proposal to expand federal conservation programs to pay farmers for using conservation practices such as conservation tillage, the management of pest, soil and nutrients and energy and water conservation practices or managed grazing. Called the 'Conservation Security Program," it would set up tiers of payments to farmers - ranging from $25,000 to $50,000 annually over five to ten years - to use conservation practices on their farms or ranches. With his role as the top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee and a 50-50 split in the Senate, Harkin has pushed for its inclusion in the next farm bill. "Farmers and ranchers are already good stewards of our land," Harkin said. "Many of them already practice responsible conservation on their land, and given the opportunity and proper assistance, I know that they'll voluntarily do even more." Vilsack led a conference last week in Washington on private land conservation. The governor chairs the Natural Resources Committee of the National Governors' Association. He said the program also would enhance the state's clean water initiative, which is attempting to reduce the number of polluted waterways in the state. Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency decided against increasing regulation of Iowa's waterways because the state has progressed in cleanup efforts. The state will continue to clean 157 waterways designated as polluted. Vilsack and lawmakers have given farmers incentives to plant buffer strips, or grassy strips planted near waterways as barriers to prevent chemical runoff. On the Net: Gov. Tom Vilsack: http://www.state.ia.us/governor/ Sen. Tom Harkin: http://www.senate.gov/(tilde)harkin/ Niel Ritchie, National Organizer Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy 2105 First Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55404 (612)870-3405 Phone (612)870-4846 Fax http://www.iatp.org =========================================================== How to Use this Mailing List ============================================================ You received this e-mail as a result of your registration on the farmbillnews mailing list. To unsubscribe, please send an email to [log in to unmask] In the body of the message type: unsubscribe farmbillnews For a list of other commands and list options, please send email to [log in to unmask] In the body of the message type: help Please direct content questions about this list to: [log in to unmask] Please direct technical questions about this service to: [log in to unmask] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For SC email list T-and-C, send: GET TERMS-AND-CONDITIONS.CURRENT to [log in to unmask]