National Association of Conservation Districts

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NACD OUTLINES FARM BILL PRIORITIES BEFORE CONGRESS

WASHINGTON, D.C.—May 1, 2007—The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) today urged members of Congress to provide continued support for conservation programs in the 2007 Farm Bill and to take steps to improve program efficiencies.

NACD President Olin Sims, a rancher from McFadden, Wyo., testified before the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, emphasizing the need for the farm bill to bring its conservation benefits to all producers and all agricultural lands.

“Conservation districts believe that every acre counts,” Sims said. “Regardless of the program utilized, on-the-ground results are what counts. Ensuring we have the vehicles to achieve those results throughout the life of the next Farm Bill will be the principal measure of our success.”

In defining NACD’s recommendations for the legislation, Sims focused on a priority for working lands conservation programs. He encouraged consolidation and streamlining of programs in an effort to make them easier for producers to understand and apply for, and easier for field office staff to administer.

Sims discussed the conservation practices implemented on his Wyoming operation, highlighting the benefits of the practices to his land and the community. “In my area, conservation programs are the farm bill,” he said.

He referred to the 2002 Farm Bill as a hallmark for conservation in America and urged the Senators to maintain the same commitment to conservation in the 2007 Farm Bill.

Sims also highlighted the critical need for conservation technical assistance as the basis for all conservation efforts. “The bottom line is that producers need quality technical assistance to maximize the effectiveness of the financial assistance they receive,” he said. “Even without financial help, many producers still rely on technical help to ensure that they are putting quality practices on the land. It is the combination of the two that makes America’s conservation delivery system efficient and effective.”

Sims’ full testimony is posted on the NACD website at http://nacdnet.org/policy/input/testimony/farmbill_05-01-07.html.

Also testifying before the committee were Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.); Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ); Gov. Jim Doyle (Wis.); Ferd Hoefner of the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition; John Hansen of the National Farmers Union; Julie Sibbing of the National Wildlife Federation; and Bob Harrington of the National Association of State Foresters.

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