Conservation needs better funding in farm bill
Source: The Morning Call Online, by Melody Zullinger and Larry Schweiger
June 04, 2007
'Despite the lack of funding, Pennsylvania leads the nation in having 173,000 acres enrolled in CREP.'
Think farming and protecting the environment can't go hand in hand? Think again. Penn State research has confirmed the tremendous wildlife value of one national Farm Bill conservation program in Pennsylvania: song sparrow populations doubled, American kestrel numbers tripled, and five times as many Eastern meadowlarks were found in areas where the federal Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) covered at least 4 percent of the landscape, compared to areas with no CREP contracts.
Since the mid-1980s, the Farm Bill has provided benefits to farmers and forest owners far beyond the production value of traditional crops. More than 1.5 million Americans participate in Farm Bill conservation programs and have helped improve populations of fish and wildlife for future generations. In 2007, Congress is writing a new five-year Farm Bill, with votes beginning this month.
Farm Bill conservation programs aren't only good for wildlife, they are good for land and water resources. Highly erodible land can be set aside; stream banks fenced and cattle crossings constructed; forests properly managed; grasslands restored (providing hay for farmers) and wetlands restored, protected and enhanced.
As a result, the hunting, fishing and conservation community has supported Farm Bill conservation programs and pushed for adequate funding. Earlier this year, a coalition of 16 conservation groups, brought together by the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, released a report: 'Growing Conservation in the Farm Bill.' Groups with diverse interests like Trout Unlimited, Pheasants Forever and Ducks Unlimited all found significant value in Farm Bill programs for fish and wildlife conservation, and made specific recommendations on how to improve Farm Bill conservation programs.
Their key recommendation: Farm Bill conservation programs need more funding.
As evidenced by its popularity with farmers, CREP is especially important in Pennsylvania. The program offers one of the biggest conservation payoffs in Pennsylvania's agriculture conservation history. Under the program, farmers can get paid for the cost of installing vital conservation practices, and also receive annual rental payments, annual maintenance payments, and one-time incentive payments on top of it all. This is strictly a voluntary program that not only offers significant benefits for the farmer, but also for fish and wildlife.
Under CREP, farmers get help to fence stream banks and restrict livestock access to natural water sources. This reduces stream bank erosion, enabling sensitive riparian areas to thrive. Riparian buffers reduce erosion and sedimentation, and help filter nitrates and phosphates from cow manure and farming operations. Native trees and shrubs replanted in the buffer strip add stream-side shade, reducing water temperatures and improving stream habitat. Some marginal areas of cropland can be restored to grassland. Native warm season grasses are used for their drought resistance, and they provide food and habitat for wildlife.
Other Farm Bill conservation programs provide equally impressive benefits. Across America, they have helped farmers restore and protect more than 1.8 million acres of wetlands, and one million acres of native prairie. They provide incentives for farmers to reduce their pesticide use, and keep 450 million tons of topsoil on the land instead of in our rivers every year. All together, they provide 40 million acres of wildlife habitat.
Despite the obvious benefits Farm Bill conservation programs provide for protecting and improving fish and wildlife habitat, the programs have been woefully under-funded. For example, in 2004, nearly 75 percent of the applications from farmers and forest owners to participate in Farm Bill conservation programs were rejected due to lack of funds. Despite the lack of funding, Pennsylvania leads the nation in having 173,000 acres enrolled in CREP.
If we are to invest in land conservation and abundant wildlife for our children's future, there's no better place to start than in the Farm Bill. The 110th Congress should build on the success of Farm Bill conservation programs, expanding them so that thousands of farmers already in line will have the funds necessary to participate. Out of the entire farm bill, including nutrition, commodities, research and rural development spending, conservation amounts to only $5 billion out of $125 billion.
It's a win-win-win for Pennsylvania farmers, taxpayers and wildlife, but only if more farmers can enroll. An increased investment today in Farm Bill conservation programs will pay off for generations to come. These programs support the bottom line of family farmers and forest owners, and help secure fish and wildlife for the future.
Melody Zullinger is executive director of the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs. Larry Schweiger is president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation.
