Date: Wed, 9 May 2001 Subject: ACTION ALERT!! CSA Update Farm Bill News ([log in to unmask]) ============================= ACTION STILL NEEDED By this Friday, May 11 ASK YOUR REPRESENTATIVES TO SUPPORT THE CONSERVATION SECURITY ACT!!! ***PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY*** Earlier this week, we wrote urging you to ask your congressmen and senators to support the Conservation Security Act (CSA), which will be introduced in Congress on May 15. Thanks to your efforts, we are happy to report that there are now SEVEN co-sponsors for this bill. In addition to Senators Harkin (D-IA), Smith (R-OR) and Representatives Thune (R- SD), Senators Daschle (D-SD), Leahy (D-VT), Dorgan (D-ND), and Schumer (D-NY) are now supporting this important effort! We still have a long way to go, however, so we need your efforts to contact your senators and representatives to ask them to co-sponsor the CSA. Please remind your representatives that: 1) The CSA is bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA), Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Representative John Thune (R-SD). 2) The CSA serves two important functions: it helps farmers accomplish conservation objectives and provides them with a direct income source. It is therefore an important complement to existing agricultural conservation programs and to Farm Bill reform efforts aimed at securing fair prices for farmers. 3) The CSA rewards farmer and rancher "good stewards" who already doing the right thing to protect the land, water and biodiversity. ACTIONS NEEDED!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. CALL TODAY Contact both of your Senators and your Representative and urge them to co-sponsor the Conservation Security Act. The Capitol Switchboard number is 202-224-3121. (To find out who they are go to http://www.vote-smart.org/index.phtml) Ask for your Senator or Representative by name and they will connect you. Ask to speak with the legislative aid who handles agriculture. If you get voice mail, leave a short message and/or ask to be called back. Tell them you support the Conservation Security Act. Tell them you understand the bill will be introduced on May 15th, and ask them to become co-sponsors. Tell your Senators that to contact Tom Harkin (D- IA) or Gordon Smith (R-OR) to be added as a sponsor. Tell your representatives to call John Thune (R-SD) Representative to be listed as a co-sponsor. 2. SIGN ON YOUR GROUP FOR SPONSORSHIP If your organization supports the Conservation Security Act and you want to endorse the bill, call or email the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture at (845) 744-8448 or [log in to unmask] Include your organizations name and authorizing signature. You can also fax your groups endorsement to the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition at 845 744 8477 3. SEND A LETTER OF SUPPORT to Senators Tom Harkin and Gordon Smith US Senate, Washington D.C. 20501 by faxing a letter on organization letterhead to the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition at (202) 547 1837. Thank them for working so hard to pass the CSA, a visionary new approach to helping producers take care of the environment. Tell them your members support this legislation and your good efforts to advance it. Be sure to . Time is of the essence. Please forward this to other groups as well. While we can continue to add co- sponsors over the next couple of months, we need to have as big a showing as possible at the kick-off event on the 15th. Please act today! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For ON-LINE ACTION INSTRUCTIONS go to: http://www.familyfarmer.org/alerts/actioncsa.html To learn more about the CSA go to http://www.familyfarmer.org and click on the CSA box. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ========================== 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] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask]