Kansas Rural Center Action Alerts

 

March 31, 2008     ACTION ALERT No. 17

 

Calls Needed to Rep. Moran
and Sen. Roberts

CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM AND
RURAL DEVELOPMENT FUNDING AT RISK IN FARM BILL; PLUS, THIS IS THE LAST CHANCE FOR PAYMENT LIMITATIONS

Final negotiations are underway in the Farm Bill in an effort to pass a bill before the current bill expires April 18. Conferees are making final decisions over what titles of the farm bill get funded and at what levels. President Bush has also threatened to veto any bill that does not include greater commodity program reform than what was passed in the House or Senate versions of the bill.

Funding for a number of sustainable agriculture priorities hang in the balance, including the Conservation Stewardship Program (formerly Conservation Security Program), and most of the Rural Development programs.

Under the proposed funding framework, the Conservation Title would be cut by $1 billion to increase funding for a proposed $5 billion permanent disaster program. CSP is one of the conservation programs that could lose funding. The same funding proposal completely zeroes out funding for the Rural Development Title, which includes the Value Added Producer Grant Program.

KRC urges you to contact Rep. Moran and Sen. Roberts on the following three key issues:
1) Payment limitations
2) Conservation Stewardship Program
3) Rural Development Title.

The message is simple:

“I am a constituent (or Kansas resident) and am calling to urge Rep. Moran or Sen. Roberts to:

1. Support the new Dorgan-Grassley payment limitation compromise and to reinvest the $2 billion savings in conservation, nutrition, and rural development.

2. Support a $2 billion increase in mandatory farm bill funding for the Conservation Stewardship Program in the final farm bill. With all the pressure to produce fence row to fence row in response to the ethanol market, we need programs like the Conservation Stewardship Program more than ever to protect soil, water, air, and wildlife. Please ensure the final farm bill contains funding for this innovative program.

3. Support mandatory farm bill funding for key rural development programs, including the Value Added Producer Grant Program with $20 million in annual mandatory funding. Rural development programs allow farmers and non-farmers in rural communities to pursue innovative projects that raise incomes and create jobs.”

Background:

For more background on these programs, please see the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s farm bill platform, at: www.sustainableagriculturecoalition.org   And for more background on this alert, please see SAC’s Weekly Update dated March 28, 2008, available at the same website.

For Further Information, or to sign up for KRC Action Alerts, contact:
Mary Fund
Kansas Rural Center
Box 133
Whiting, Ks. 66552
785-873-3431
ksrc@rainbowtel.net

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Action Alert # 16 - February 18, 2008 -
Urge Congressman Moran to Support Payment Limits and to Fund the Conservation Security Program

Action Alert # 15 - February 4, 2008 -
Urge Senate & House Ag Committees to fund Sustainable Agriculture in the Farm Bill.

Action Alert # 14 - December 10, 2007 -
Urge Senators Roberts and Brownback to support Sustainable Agricuture in the Farm Bil..

Action Alert # 13 - October 30, 2007 -
Urge Senators Roberts and Brownback to support the Dorgan-Grassley payment limitations amendment on the Senate floor.

Action Alert # 12 - October 15, 2007 -
Wednesday October 17 is National Call to Action Day to get Senate to commit to conservation in the Farm Bill.

Action Alert # 11 - September 13, 2007 -
Urge Senate Finance Committee members to support sustainable agriculture in the Farm Bill

Action Alert # 10 - September 7, 2007 -
Urge Senator Roberts to support the Comprehensive Stewardship Incentives Program (CSIP) in Chairman Harkin's farm bill proposal

Action Alert # 9 - July 23, 2007 -
Urge Speaker Pelosi to save the Conservation Security Program and support real reform in the Farm Bill

Action Alert # 8 - July 13, 2007 -
Urge members of the House Agriculture Committee to co-sponsor and support key amendments in full committee markup

Action Alert # 7 - July 5, 2007 -
Support full funding for Conservation Security Program

Action Alert # 6 - May 30, 2007 -
Support full funding for Conservation Security Program

Action Alert # 5 - May 18, 2007 -
Calls to Rep. Nancy Boyda needed to save Conservation Security Program

Action Alert # 4 - May 14, 2007 -
Support Conservation Security Program in the new Farm Bill

Action Alert # 3 - April 16, 2007 -
Support a Competition Title in the new Farm Bill

Action Alert # 2 - March 12, 2007 -
Support adequate funding for new Farm Bill

Action Alert # 1 - Feb. 28, 2007 -
Defend the Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) program

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