May 1, 2007
index to previous eNotes
- Districts Celebrate Stewardship Week across the Nation
- Sims to Testify Before the Senate Agriculture Committee
- Districts on the Hill
- Presidential Veto Expected on Supplemental Spending Bill
- House Passes Legislation Banning the Commercial Sale of Wild Horse and Burros
- Administration Sends Farm Bill Legislative Language to Congress
- NACD CEO Meets with USDA Agency Heads
- Senate, House Continue Farm Bill Hearings
- EPA Releases Air Quality Assessments
- USDA and Congress Continue to Investigate Exposure of Participants’ Personal Data
- EPA Stormwater Webcast Addresses Social Marketing
1. Districts Celebrate Stewardship Week across the Nation
District leaders are celebrating Stewardship Week across the nation this week. Stewardship Week is one of the world's largest conservation-related observances. Since 1955, NACD has sponsored the national Stewardship Week program. The concept of stewardship involves personal and social responsibility. We have a duty to learn about and improve natural resources as we use them wisely. Stewardship Week reminds us of the power of each person to conserve natural resources.
Stewardship Week 2007, themed Conservation’s Power, began Sunday, April 29 and will conclude May 6. Learn more at http://nacdnet.org/stewardship/.
Tell us how you promoted Stewardship Week! Send us photos and a short overview of your community outreach at stewardship@nacdnet.org. Remember to promote Conservation’s Power throughout the year.
2. Sims to Testify Before the Senate Agriculture Committee
This afternoon, NACD president Olin Sims will testify before the Senate Agriculture Committee sharing NACD’s views on the Conservation Title of the 2007 Farm Bill. NACD’s Board-approved position recommends streamlining program delivery by consolidating several working lands cost-share programs to deliver the same program options and natural resource protection, but reducing paperwork in the field offices.
The hearing can be viewed on the web live today at 2 p.m. (EDT) at http://agriculture.senate.gov/.
Sims’ testimony coincides with NACD’s latest Action Alert on the 2007 Farm Bill. As congressional hearings conclude, Committees will write the text of the Bill. If you have not shared your view on the Conservation Title of the Farm Bill, now is the time to do so. The current Farm Bill expires on September 30, 2007.
3. Districts on the Hill
Conservation Districts continue to make their presence felt at the Capitol as representatives from states make visits with Congressional offices. Last week, representatives from the Maine Association of Conservation Districts were in Washington, D.C., meeting with members of their Congressional delegation to support conservation programs in the Farm Bill and appropriations priorities including the 319 program. The Maine delegation also visited the NACD offices, meeting with staff and providing insight from their Hill visits.
Contacts or visits with members of Congress are vital this year, with the Farm Bill progressing at a rapid pace to determine agriculture policy for the coming years.
4. Presidential Veto Expected on Supplemental Spending Bill
Today the President receives from Congress the fiscal year 2007 supplement spending bill, which he is expected to veto. The bill primarily focuses on the war in Iraq, but also includes emergency agriculture and conservation spending. Specifically included in the bill are: $3.5 billion in agriculture disaster, $400 million for wildfires, $425 million for Secure Rural Schools, $20 million for the Emergency Conservation Program and additional funding for the Conservation Security Program. The legislation also includes $37.5 million in funding for the Farm Service Agency to address network and database issues stemming from the security breach (see related article).
If the President vetoes the bill as expected, Congress must over-ride the veto. Although that vote will likely take place this week, it is expected to fail. Once the vote fails, Congress must write a new bill to provide funding.
5. House Passes Legislation Banning the Commercial Sale of Wild Horse and Burros
Last week, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 249, a bill that would prohibit the commercial sale or transfer of wild horses and burros. The legislation, introduced by Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall (D-WV), affects the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) ability to effectively manage horse and burro populations.
According to BLM estimates, there are several thousand more wild horses and burros on our rangelands than the land can handle, which can lead to rangeland degradation. Currently, the BLM has the authority to sell excess animals held in long term holding facilities that are over 10 years of age and are unable to be removed through an adoption process. Enactment of H.R. 249 would eliminate the sale authority.
NACD supports BLM’s continued management of wild horse and burro populations to balance the impacts on rangeland resources and protect the resource base. NACD’s sent a letter opposing the proposed legislation to the House Natural Resources Committee.
6. Administration Sends Farm Bill Legislative Language to Congress
Last Wednesday, Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns announced the release of legislative language to Congress for the credit and conservation provisions of the 2007 Farm Bill. While Senate Agriculture Chairman Tom Harkin welcomed the proposal, many members of Congress question provisions within the Administration’s proposal.
The Administration’s conservation title language has passed the scrutiny of the Office of Management and Budget and requests an increase of $7.8 billion in conservation spending. A recurring theme of increased administrative efficiencies and better program delivery are reflected in the proposed language.
NACD continues to work closely with both House and Senate Agriculture Committee staff in the development of Farm Bill conservation provisions. The Committees face tough budget constraints for writing this year’s farm bill with direction that any funding increases must be off-set by decreases in another area, making significant funding increases in any one area of the bill unlikely.
For more information, see the USDA legislative language for the conservation title, or read the transcript from the USDA news conference addressing the issue.
7. NACD CEO Meets with USDA Agency Heads
NACD Chief Executive Officer Krysta Harden met last week with key agency partners. She met with Farm Services Agency Administrator Teresa Lasseter to discuss office closures, security breach issues and other issues of mutual interest. She also met with Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Arlen Lancaster regarding issues impacting conservation districts and the conservation delivery system. Harden meets with the agency leaders on an as needed basis to identify possible areas of collaboration and address any issues of concern.
8. Senate, House Continue Farm Bill Hearings
The Senate Agricultural, Nutrition, and Forestry committee held two hearings last week to gain more information from groups and organizations on what they want to see in the 2007 Farm Bill.
The first hearing focused on economic challenges for specialty crops, dairy, sugar, and organic production and marketing. Some of the main concerns were competitiveness in markets, the need for greater research and data so producers are able to make informed decisions, and the recent staggering loss of honey bees. Suggestions for the new Farm Bill included greater technical assistance for farmers, more education on the current aid programs and more advertisement for specialty crops.
The second hearing addressed the challenges facing commodity farmers. While very different views were expressed on how the Farm Bill should address the commodity title, there was agreement that there should be a secure safety net for producers, a disaster relief program, and that new energy sources should create opportunities for commodities.
On the House side, the Agriculture committee heard from farm and commodity groups, reviewing program crop provisions of the Farm Bill. Regarding conservation programs, changes were proposed for retirement programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), to minimize acres enrolled by protecting environmentally sensitive lands but allowing less sensitive lands to be farmed with sustainable practices. Working lands programs, such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Security Program (CSP), received more favorable review with requests for increased support for these programs.
More information can be found at the Senate Agriculture website: http://agriculture.senate.gov or the House Agriculture website http://agriculture.house.gov.
9. EPA Releases Air Quality Assessments
An early look at air quality and emissions data for 2006 shows continued improvement in the nation's air quality over the long term, according to reports this week from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Emissions of six key pollutants have dropped by more than half since 1970 and the national average concentration for each criteria pollutant is below the level of its air quality standard.
Under the Clean Air Act, EPA sets national air quality standards for six key pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter and lead. Each year, EPA examines the levels of these pollutants in the air and the emissions from various sources to see how both have changed over time and to summarize the current status of air quality.
Review the national air quality and emissions trends showing the nation's progress towards clean air at http://www.epa.gov/airtrends/econ-emissions.html.
10. USDA and Congress Continue to Investigate Exposure of Participants’ Personal Data
The Department of Agriculture continues to narrow down the number of program participants whose personal information was accessible to the public on a government-wide website. Following NACD’s coverage of the issue in last week’s eNotes, USDA modified their press release removing inclusion of conservation program participants.
The House Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing on Wednesday, May 2, to review the security breach.The hearing will focus on reviewing the department's information systems, how the release occurred, the proposed remedies, and recommendations on how to make sure it does not happen again. For more information on the hearing, go to http://agriculture.house.gov/hearings/index.html.
11. EPA Stormwater Webcast Addresses Social Marketing
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will host a webcast next week titled Social Marketing: A Tool for More Effective Stormwater Education and Outreach Programs. The webcast is scheduled for May 9, 2007, from 12 noon to 2 p.m. (EDT).
Noted expert Nancy Lee will discuss the concept of social marketing and how it can be used in the stormwater program to encourage citizens to adopt stormwater-friendly behaviors. Nancy will present ten social marketing principles that you can put to use in your education and outreach programs. Jack Wilbur, author of the recently published “Getting Your Feet Wet with Social Marketing: A Social Marketing Guide for Watershed Programs,” will discuss several case studies and lessons learned from watershed outreach campaigns. To register for this webcast, please visit www.epa.gov/npdes/training.
For queries about this newsletter or to subscribe, contact editor Lisa Lerwick, NACD Director of Communications, at Lisa-Lerwick@nacdnet.org or 202-547-6223.