National Association of Conservation Districts

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NACD PLEASED WITH SENATE FARM BILL PASSAGE

NACD Acting President Steve Robinson, a producer from Marysville, Ohio, today issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Senate’s passage of the Farm Bill.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—December 14, 2007—“Today members of the U.S. Senate passed the 2007 Farm Bill. On behalf of the National Association of Conservation Districts, I want to thank Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Ranking Member Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) for their leadership and continued commitment to moving the bill forward..

“While it was not a quick or easy road to get to this point, we are pleased that members of the Senate were able to come together in a bi-partisan way to finalize the legislation.  The final Senate bill maintains the strong financial and programmatic commitment to conservation that the Senate Agriculture Committee proposed.

“We still need to address short-term continuation of conservation programs until the two houses can conference to work out differences and get a bill to the President for signage. The Farm Bill is critical to American landowners and producers, and continuity of programs is important. We look forward to a final bill that contains strong support for working lands conservation.”

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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.