The Crowing Post:  08/13/07

By a vote of 231-191, the U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of the Federal Farm Bill, sending the farm-bill debate to the Senate. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever supports the Farm Bill passed by the House, recognizing it as a strong foundation for conservation.

"The House measure addresses many conservation priorities and works for the security and stability of America's conservation programs," said Dave Nomsen, PF's Vice President of Government Affairs. Nomsen led a large coalition of conservation organizations in support of the House measure, and PF staff, members and biologists influenced support of the bill with their phone calls and participation on Capitol Hill.

"We thank House Ag Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN) and Ranking Minority Member Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) for their commitment to this crucial legislation and their strong bipartisan effort on conservation policy and federal farm conservation programs," Nomsen said.

Major conservation provisions in the bill include:

·             The reauthorization of CRP at its current level of 39.2 million acres. Maintaining CRP - the most successful conservation program in U.S. history – is crucial for the continued success of quail, pheasant and other wildlife populations. Maintaining CRP at this level will also help the success and expansion of two Conservation Practices. CP-33, commonly referred to as bobwhite buffers, and the new state-specific CP-38 program have the potential to greatly benefit quail populations.

·             New provisions for "Open Fields" that would provide $20 million to help fund and augment state-managed, voluntary sportsmen’s access initiatives, often called “walk-in” programs. Walk-in programs are great not just because they provide for improved public access to private lands, but also because in most cases they require those lands be managed to optimize their value to fish and wildlife

·             New forestry language within the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) that could be very beneficial for quail populations.

·             It provides $1.6 billion to re-establish WRP, and the expansion of WRP to a new nationwide cap of 3.6 million acres. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Secretary has the authority to enroll 250,000 acres per year.

·             A new baseline for GRP - up to 1.34 million acres.

·             A new Regional Watershed Enhancement Program (RWEP) that allows Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to administer conservation practices.

·             New provisions disallowing crop insurance on newly converted native prairies – Sod Saver.

The farm-bill debate now moves to the Senate, where Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin says he'll introduce a bill in September. "The passage of the Farm Bill by the House does make it more likely that we will have a Farm Bill in place by the end of the year," Nomsen said, "We look forward to working with Chairman Harkin and the Senate Ag Committee in drafting a Farm Bill that contains strong conservation provisions."

 habitat today….pheasants forever!