Here is an update on the issue of early cancellation of CRP lands. Jane Clark Acting Secretary Conner Decides Against Jeopardizing Highly Erodible Land WASHINGTON (RuralWire), Oct. 1, 2007 - Keith Bolin, President of the American Corn Growers Association (ACGA), commended the recent decision of Acting U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Conner to not offer penalty-free early releases from Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts at this time. "It was the prudent decision by Secretary Conner for USDA to stay the course on the CRP," said Bolin. "We are pleased with his decision and commend him for his leadership and understanding on this critical issue." Last week, ACGA urged USDA to "Stay the course on CRP" and suggested an administrative action to allow farmers to exit the program early was short-sighted and ill-advised. "The Department of Agriculture heeded our call and made the best decision," said Bolin. "We had dire concerns that the continuation of the CRP program was at risk due to budgetary pressures as well as those in the agribusiness sector who want more corn planted next year in order to suppress corn prices. We are pleased that our concerns were heard and Secretary Conner sided with our views." "Current USDA projections for next year's corn crop and carryover shows there will be more than sufficient production to cover all needs," concluded Bolin. "Jeopardizing highly erodible land by taking it out of the reserve just so that the integrated livestock factory farms can go back to buying cheap corn as they have for the past decade is unacceptable. ACGA opposes any actions that threaten the integrity of the CRP and we once again applaud the decision of Department of Agriculture. The CRP was established in 1985 as a voluntary program that allows farmers to retire highly erodible land from production and also ensure a secure income during times of low commodity pricing. As the program grew, farmers were able to retire land to reduce degradation of environmentally sensitive areas. Some of these environmental considerations include wetland acreage, runoff into waterways, and wildlife habitat. ACGA represents 14,000 members in 35 states. For more information, or if you would like to join ACGA or help support our efforts, please see www.acga.org ----- Original Message ----- From: Neila Seaman To: [log in to unmask] Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2007 7:46 AM Subject: USDA announcement on CRP lands FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 26 September 2007 Contact: Josh Dorner, 202.675.2384 Ginny Cramer, 202.675.6279 USDA Announcement on Conservation Reserve Lands Unnecessarily Threatens Fragile Lands, Habitat at Time of Record Production Report on Sustainable Biofuels Production to be Released Next Week Today, Acting Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Conner announced that the USDA is considering allowing farmers to cancel the contracts enrolling their lands in the Conservation Reserve Program up to several years early without penalty. The program, pays farmers to let 34 million acres--much of which is marginal, easily eroded, and prime habitat for wildlife--remain idle. It is one of the most important land conservations programs in use today--providing habitat on par with that provided by our important system of wildlife refuges. Statement of Ed Hopkins, Director, Sierra Club Environmental Quality Program "It is extremely unfortunate that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is considering allowing farmers to break their contracts and take their lands out of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) years ahead of schedule. The USDA is considering this despite previously saying it would not to do so and with its own experts already predicting an all-time record corn crop of 13.3 billion bushels The present level of corn production has already increased 27 percent over last year and is putting severe strain on the CRP. We believe these marginal and often fragile lands should remain in the CRP instead of being put to use to grow even more corn or other row crops--increasing erosion, the runoff of fertilizers and pollutants into our streams and rivers, and other detrimental environmental effects. "CRP lands are prime habitat for the kind of wild game and game birds that provide countless Americans unmatched opportunities for recreation and hunting. It would be unfortunate to lose even more of this critical habitat at a time of already-booming production and mounting questions about the sustainability of present agricultural practices." In response to concerns about the environmental and economic impacts of the corn boom and corn ethanol production, the Sierra Club, in conjunction with the Worldwatch Institute, will be releasing a report on Tuesday, October 2 entitled "Destination Iowa: Getting to a Sustainable Biofuels Future." The report will discuss the present impact of corn and corn-based ethanol production on Iowa and how the second generation of biofuels and increased renewable energy production offer the prospects of sustained--and sustainable--economic growth and prosperity for rural communities across the Heartland. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp