Environmental Defense Applauds Senate Farm Bill Conservation Title

Environmental Defense
Wednesday, 13 February 2002

Following today's passage of farm legislation in the U.S. Senate, Environmental Defense called the bill's conservation title one of the most promising pieces of environmental legislation to pass since the Clean Air Act amendments a decade ago.

"The conservation title of the Harkin Farm Bill is one of the most promising pieces of environmental legislation to pass the Senate in more than a decade," said Environmental Defense senior attorney Tim Searchinger. "This package will provide unprecedented resources to reward farmers and ranchers when they help improve water quality, restore wildlife habitat or limit sprawl."

The conservation title provides $4.4 billion in annual average conservation spending. The funding includes $1 billion to aid endangered fish in seven states, $270 million in annual average spending to restore lost wildlife habitat, $350 million in annual average spending to preserve farmland threatened by sprawl, and $1.4 billion in annual average spending to improve water quality. The conservation title will also help restore 1.25 million acres of lost wetlands and grasslands.

"With Senator Harkin's help, the majority of landowners seeking federal assistance will no longer be turned away," said Environmental Defense water resource specialist Scott Faber.

Faber expressed concern that the high levels of commodity subsidies in the Senate's bill would encourage farmers to plow up new land to grow crops, but said an amendment successfully offered by Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) would help limit the conversion of grasslands and pastureland.

"Sen. Durbin's amendment limits subsidies to land that is already being plowed, so it is likely to save millions of acres of grassland from being used to produce excess crops," said Searchinger.

Environmental Defense, a leading national nonprofit organization based in New York, represents more than 300,000 members. Since 1967 we have linked science, economics, and law to create innovative, equitable, and cost-effective solutions to the most urgent environmental problems.

For more information, or to contact Environmental Defense, see their website at: www.edf.org