National Association of Conservation Districts

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NACD HIGHLIGHTS CONSERVATION DISTRICTS’ WORK BEFORE CONGRESS

WASHINGTON, D.C.—September 6, 2007—The National Association of Conservation Districts today outlined before Congress the work of conservation districts in helping livestock producers and Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) operators manage their operations and address local natural resource concerns.

NACD President Olin Sims, a rancher from McFadden, Wyo., testified before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, emphasizing the importance of technical assistance and education to give landowners the knowledge they need to effectively manage their operations. The Committee, chaired by Barbara Boxer (D-CA) held today’s hearing to examine the potential human health, water quality and other impacts of CAFOs.

Sims presented examples from states across the nation, describing the many roles that conservation district officials and their staff play when working with livestock operations. Districts educate producers on impacts on water quality and resources and teach about regulatory requirements. They help producers develop comprehensive nutrient management plans and demonstrate how to correctly obtain soil, water and manure samples, and how to interpret the results to comply with their individualized plans. Districts also build demonstration projects, provide cost-share and technical assistance and help producers implement best management practices to comply with their nutrient management plans.

“Each state or local conservation district may take a slightly different approach to addressing local environmental concerns,” Sims said. “But there is a consistent theme across the country of working with landowners and providing technical assistance, financial assistance and expertise to help them improve their operations and practices. The varied efforts of conservation districts are resulting in significant results on the ground.”

When asked about the need for more stringent relations for CAFOs, Sims said that new regulations were not necessary, rather the existing regulations needed to be better implemented. “Producers want to do the right thing,” he said. “Sometimes they just don’t know what to do.”

U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), the newest member of the Committee, took the opportunity at the hearing to praise the work of conservation districts, recognizing their success in using voluntary incentives to motivate landowners to make the right decisions for the land.

Also testifying before the Committee were Robert Hirsch, Associate Director for Water for the U.S. Geological Survey; Benjamin H. Grumbles, Assistant Administrator for Water with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Drew Edmondson, Attorney General for the State of Oklahoma; Thomas P. Bonacquisti, Water Quality Program Manager with the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies; Leonard Blackham, Commissioner of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food; Catharine Fitzsimmons, Chief of the Air Quality Bureau at Iowa’s Department of Natural Resources, National Association of Clean Air Agencies; Chris Chinn, a producer representing American Farm Bureau Federation; Nick Nemec, a producer representing Western Organization of Resource Councils and Dakota Rural Action; Dr. Michael Dicks with Oklahoma State University; and Rick Dove, Community Representative.

A complete copy of the testimony is at http://nacdnet.org/policy/input/testimony/cafo_09-06-07.phtml.

# # #

The National Association of Conservation Districts is the non-profit organization that represents the nation’s 3,000 conservation districts and 17,000 men and women who serve on their governing boards. For almost 70 years, local conservation districts have worked with cooperating landowners and managers of private working lands to help them plan and apply effective conservation practices. NACD’s website is at www.nacdnet.org.