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NFC: Fw: Action needed! Calls for USDA Conservation Programs

Calls Needed to Protect Funding Increase for USDA Conservation 
Programs

House-Senate Conference on the Buduget for Next Year (FY'02 Budget
Resolution) Expected Wednesday

The first major step Congress takes in deciding how much money to 
spend on which programs is a budget outline called the Budget 
Resolution.  This year, the Senate budget outline included an 
increase in $1.65 billion for agricultural conservation programs.  
That is enough money to fund vast increases in:

     * the restoration of wetlands,
     * programs to protect grasslands and forests,
     * thousands of miles of stream buffers
     * thousands of acres of easements to protect farmland and 
       forests from sprawl
     * major water quality improvements
     * increased research for sustainable agriculture.

The House budget, however, included no increased money for 
conservation, and its outline would even phase out funding for the 
Wetland Reserve Program, which over the last decade has restored 
almost 1 million acres of wetlands.

Key legislators from the Senate and House are planning to negotiate a 
joint budget this week.  At this time, our sources indicate that the 
Chairmen of the budget committees are planning to keep this funding 
in a final deal.

We have identified several Senators and House members as having 
significant potential to influence the final budget.  If you are a 
constituent of one of the following Members of Congress, PLEASE call 
on or before Wednesday and urge them to keep the $1.65 billion 
increase for agriculture conservation programs in the final Budget 
Resolution. Please encourage others to do the same.  We have included 
the names of key staff.  Some names indicated are supporters of these 
funds, but how hard they push will probably depend on how much they 
hear from you.

Supporters of this funding whom we believe can influence a final 
result include:

Senate:
Lincoln Chaffee (R-RI), (202) 224-2921
Susan Collins (R-ME), (202) 224-2523
Jim Jeffords (R-VT), (202) 224-5141
Gordon Smith (R-OR), (202) 224-3753
Olympia Snowe (R-ME), (202) 224-5344
Michael Crapo (R-ID), (202) 224-6142
Paul Sarbanes (D-MD), (202) 224-4524

House:
Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), (202) 225-3665

Other Important Legislators because of their importance on the Budget
Committee include:

Senate:
Peter Domenici (R-NM), (202) 224-6621
Ernest Hollings (D-SC), (202) 224-6121
Kent Conrad (D-ND), (202) 224-2043

House:
Jim Nussle (R-IA), (202) 225-2911
Pete Hoekstra (R-MI), (202) 225-4401
John Sununu (R-NH), (202) 225-5456
Charles Bass (R-NH), (202) 225-5206
Gil Gutnecht (R-MN), (202) 225-2472
John Spratt (D-SC), (202) 225-5501
Jim McDermott (D-WA), (202) 225-3106
Ken Bentsen (D-TX), (202) 225-7508
Jim Davis (D-FL), (202) 225-3376


Talking Points:

1.  Federal farm spending has greatly increasd in recent years but 
not for conservation.

2.  Increased conservation spending is critical to helpinig to sovle 
a huge range of problems, from improving water quality, to stopping 
sprawl to saving endangered species.  DESCRIBE WHAT THE SPENDING CAN 
DO IN YOUR AREA.

3.  The increased conservation spending in the Senate budget is the 
only net increase in conservation spending in the entire Senate 
budget.

4.  Conservation spending can help large nubmers of farmers who do not
benefit from traditional farm programs that only pay farmers who grow
commodities.  Protecting this increase for USDA conservation programs 
is especially important given that President Bush's budget proposal 
would eliminate or seriously curtail funding for programs such as the 
Wetlands Reserve Program, Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, and 
Farmland Protection Program, among others.

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