RULES FOR CONSERVATION SECURITY PROGRAM SHOULD BE REVISED
February 11 , 2004
CANTON, MN - The Minnesota Project today called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to issue a revised rule for the Conservation Security Program, because the proposed rule would severely limit enrollment and slash conservation payments to producers in the program.
"The proposed rule was drafted for a brief period of limited funding, but Congress has removed the funding cap for the program, and that changes everything back to the way it was passed in the farm bill," said Loni Kemp, Senior Policy Analyst at the Minnesota Project. "Let's not waste time on a program designed for only a few months of limited funding. Let's get to the rule that will guide the Conservation Security Program for years to come," said Kemp.
At the Iowa national listening session today, the Minnesota Project testified that the proposed rules would drastically limit the number of farmers who could enroll, the kinds of conservation needs they could address, and the amount of money they could receive.
"When rules were proposed in December, USDA noted they would issue a supplement to the proposed rules if full funding was restored. Now that has occurred, so it is important that new rules be issued so the public can comment on the true program, one that will be a national program open to any farmer who meets its substantial conservation standards," said Kemp.
Key changes needed for the proposed rule:
More information at www.mnproject.org/csp.