[Senate Hearing 113-249]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
S. Hrg. 113-249
NOMINATION OF KRYSTA L. HARDEN TO BE
DEPUTY SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE AND
ROBERT BONNIE TO BE UNDER SECRETARY
OF AGRICULTURE FOR NATURAL RESOURCES
AND ENVIRONMENT
=======================================================================
HEARING
before the
COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE,
NUTRITION AND FORESTRY
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
JULY 23, 2013
__________
Printed for the use of the
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.fdsys.gov/
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COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION AND FORESTRY
DEBBIE STABENOW, Michigan, Chairwoman
PATRICK J. LEAHY, Vermont THAD COCHRAN, Mississippi
TOM HARKIN, Iowa MITCH McCONNELL, Kentucky
MAX BAUCUS, Montana PAT ROBERTS, Kansas
SHERROD BROWN, Ohio SAXBY CHAMBLISS, Georgia
AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas
MICHAEL BENNET, Colorado JOHN HOEVEN, North Dakota
KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND, New York MIKE JOHANNS, Nebraska
JOE DONNELLY, Indiana CHARLES E. GRASSLEY, Iowa
HEIDI HEITKAMP, North Dakota JOHN THUNE, South Dakota
ROBERT P. CASEY, Jr., Pennsylvania
Christopher J. Adamo, Majority Staff Director
Jonathan W. Coppess, Majority Chief Counsel
Jessica L. Williams, Chief Clerk
Thomas Allen Hawks, Minority Staff Director
Anne C. Hazlett, Minority Chief Counsel and Senior Advisor
(ii)
C O N T E N T S
----------
Page
Hearing(s):
Nomination of Krysta L. Harden to be Deputy Secretary of
Agriculture and Robert Bonnie to be Under Secretary of
Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment.............. 1
----------
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
STATEMENTS PRESENTED BY SENATORS
Stabenow, Hon. Debbie, U.S. Senator from the State of Michigan,
Chairwoman, Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry... 1
Cochran, Hon. Thad, U.S. Senator from the State of Mississippi... 3
Chambliss, Hon. Saxby, U.S. Senator from the State of Georgia.... 3
Bishop, Hon. Sanford, U.S. Representative in Congress from the
State of Georgia............................................... 4
Witnesses
Harden, Krysta L., of Georgia, to be Deputy Secretary of
Agriculture.................................................... 6
Bonnie, Robert, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary of Agriculture
for Natural Resources and Environment.......................... 8
----------
APPENDIX
Prepared Statements:
Bonnie, Robert............................................... 22
Harden, Krysta L............................................. 25
Document(s) Submitted for the Record:
Public 5 day letter, Committee questionnaire and Office of
Government Ethics Executive Branch Personnel Public
Financial Disclosure Report filed by Robert Bonnie......... 34
Public 5 day letter, Committee questionnaire and Office of
Government Ethics Executive Branch Personnel Public
Financial Disclosure Report filed by Krysta L. Harden...... 77
Various organizations, letters of support for Robert Bonnie.. 99
Various organizations, letters of support for Krysta L.
Harden..................................................... 104
Bonnie, Robert:
``Endangered species mitigation banking: promoting recovery
through habitat conservation planning under the Endangered
Species Act.''............................................. 112
``Protecting terrestrial ecosystmes and the climate through a
global carbon market'', The Royal Society.................. 121
``A Market-Based Approach to Conservation of the Red-Cockaded
Woodpecker on Private Lands................................ 142
``Chapter 12, Financing Private Lands''...................... 151
``Conservation & Biodiversity Banking: A Guide to Setting up
and Running Biodiversity Credit Trading Systems''.......... 160
```Safe Harbors' Foes Have Ulterior Motive'', article, The
Dallas Morning News........................................ 169
``Program Will Give Longleaf Pines a Fighting Chance''.
article, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.................. 170
``Habitat Trading for Red Cockaded Woodpeckers: Enhancing
Recovery, Reducing Conflicts''............................. 171
``Saving Forests, Earning Credits''.......................... 174
Harden, Krysta L.:
``Grill the CEO, Krysta Harden answers your tough questions'' 175
Question and Answer:
Hon. Debbie Stabenow:
Written questions to Robert Bonnie........................... 206
Written questions to Krysta L. Harden........................ 206
Cochran, Hon. Thad:
Written questions to Robert Bonnie........................... 208
Written questions to Krysta L. Harden........................ 240
Bennet, Hon. Michael:
Written questions to Robert Bonnie........................... 215
Written questions to Krysta L. Harden........................ 214
Boozman, Hon. John:
Written questions to Robert Bonnie........................... 218
Gillibrand, Hon. Kirsten:
Written questions to Robert Bonnie........................... 223
Written questions to Krysta L. Harden........................ 221
Grassley, Hon. Charles:
Written questions to Krysta L. Harden........................ 224
Johanns, Hon. Mike:
Written questions to Krysta L. Harden........................ 225
Klobuchar, Hon. Amy:
Written questions to Robert Bonnie........................... 227
Written questions to Krysta L. Harden........................ 227
McConnell, Hon. Mitch:
Written questions to Krysta L. Harden........................ 228
Hon. Pat Roberts:
Written questions to Robert Bonnie........................... 230
Written questions to Krysta L. Harden........................ 229
Thune, Hon. John:
Written questions to Robert Bonnie........................... 233
Written questions to Krysta L. Harden........................ 231
Bonnie, Robert:
Written response to questions from Hon. Debbie Stabenow...... 237
Written response to questions from Hon. Thad Cochran......... 241
Written response to questions from Hon. Michael Bennet....... 239
Written response to questions from Hon. John Boozman......... 254
Written response to questions from Hon. Kirsten Gillibrand... 238
Written response to questions from Hon. Amy Klobuchar........ 238
Written response to questions from Hon. Pat Roberts.......... 249
Written response to questions from Hon. John Thune........... 251
Harden, Krysta L.:
Written response to questions from Hon. Debbie Stabenow...... 259
Written response to questions from Hon. Thad Cochran......... 265
Written response to questions from Hon. Michael Bennet....... 264
Written response to questions from Hon. Charles Grassley..... 277
Written response to questions from Hon. Mike Johanns......... 275
Written response to questions from Hon. Amy Klobuchar........ 260
Written response to questions from Hon. Mitch McConnell...... 277
Written response to questions from Hon. Pat Roberts.......... 272
Written response to questions from Hon. John Thune........... 274
NOMINATION OF KRYSTA L. HARDEN TO BE
DEPUTY SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE AND
ROBERT BONNIE TO BE UNDER SECRETARY
OF AGRICULTURE FOR NATURAL RESOURCES
AND ENVIRONMENT
----------
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
United States Senate,
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry,
Washington, DC
The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:36 a.m., room
328A, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. Debbie Stabenow,
Chairwoman of the Committee, presiding.
Present or submitting a statement: Senators Stabenow,
Bennet, Donnelly, Cochran, Chambliss, Hoeven, Grassley, and
Thune.
STATEMENT OF HON. DEBBIE STABENOW, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE
OF MICHIGAN, CHAIRWOMAN, COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION
AND FORESTRY
Chairwoman Stabenow. Well, good morning.
The Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
will come to order and we are delighted to have this nomination
hearing this morning.
I first want again, brag about our Committee and thank our
members. We were successful by unanimous consent of replacing
House Farm Bill with the complete bipartisan Farm Bill on
Thursday evening and sent it back to the House and asked for a
conference.
This would not have been possible without extraordinary
leadership on this Committee. I always thank Senator Cochran
and Senator Chambliss, who is sitting here, played a tremendous
role in that. I want to thank you very much for your leadership
in that effort as well.
Senator Hoeven, who is not here at the moment, who also
stayed on the floor Thursday night was very helpful. All the
members were extraordinarily helpful, and I am optimistic that
we are going to get a Farm Bill because we in the Senate worked
together on a bipartisan basis and we are committed to getting
it done and I think our ability to do that last week was an
example of why it is going to get done.
So I just want to thank all of our members on both sides of
the aisle for continuing to keep our eye on the prize which is
making sure that we are putting together a comprehensive five-
year Farm Bill for our farmers and ranchers and consumers and
rural communities and everybody who likes to eat.
[Laughter.]
Chairwoman Stabenow. So, we are happy to do that.
So, let me say today the Committee is meeting to consider
the nomination of Krysta Harden of Georgia to be the Deputy
Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture and
Robert Bonnie of Kentucky to be Under Secretary for Natural
Resources and the Environment at the Department of Agriculture.
We welcome and congratulate both of you on your nominations
and we also welcome your families and certainly want to give
you an opportunity, when you are speaking, to introduce them as
well.
These positions are critically important for America's
farmers and ranchers and our natural resources that serve as
the foundation of our wealth as a Nation. The Deputy Secretary
position at the Department of Agriculture is a vital role as
the second-highest ranking official in the USDA.
That means that our nominee will play a critical role in
managing the Department as it works to enhance the safety and
quality of the U.S. food supply while serving America's farmers
in rural communities.
Ms. Harden, I hope that you will use your perspective that
you have gained as a longtime public servant to improve the
operations of the Department by assessing how the agencies are
measuring performance and efficiency, cutting down on
duplication, and reviewing the quality of customer service
which I know is a continual focus.
I have confidence that your experiences as Chief of Staff
and as Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations at the
USDA have prepared you to manage relations between the
Department and lawmakers as well as interagency concerns as
well.
Mr. Bonnie, the Under Secretary for Natural Resources and
Environment at the USDA also plays a key role. As Under
Secretary, you will be the principal advisor to the United
States Secretary of Agriculture on policy to promote the
conservation and sustainable use of our Nation's natural
resources on private lands and to sustain production of all the
goods and services that the public demands of our National
Forests.
I trust, Mr. Bonnie, that your prior position as a Senior
Policy Adviser for the USDA has prepared you to take on the
tremendous task of overseeing the day-to-day operations of the
U.S. Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Ms. Harden and Mr. Bonnie, your nominations come at a very
important time. The staff at the Department of Agriculture has
been and will continue to be an indispensable resource for us
as we move forward with the Farm Bill.
USDA provides the boots on the ground, working directly
with our farmers and ranchers to implement vital programs that
we have worked so hard to make more efficient in the Senate-
passed Farm Bill.
We write the legislation, but it is up to you to implement
the policies and to create the rules that best serve the 16
million people whose jobs depend on American agriculture.
I know I speak for all the members of the Committee when we
say that we take our obligation to advise and consent very
seriously and we look forward to your remarks.
Before turning to my distinguished Ranking Member, I would
like to offer two items into the record. The first is a letter
in support of Ms. Harden's nomination by roughly 140
agriculture groups.
[The following information can be found on page 104 in the
appendix.]
Chairwoman Stabenow. The second is a letter in support of
Mr. Bonnie's nomination signed by roughly 90 conservation and
forestry groups. Those are quite the coalitions.
[The following information can be found on page 99 in the
appendix.]
Chairwoman Stabenow. If there are no objections, the
letters will be inserted into the record.
Seeing none, I would now like to turn to Senator Cochran.
STATEMENT OF HON. THAD COCHRAN, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF
MISSISSIPPI
Senator Cochran. Madam Chair, I am very pleased to join you
in welcoming our witnesses and the nominees for offices that
are very important in the Department of Agriculture. I think
both of them are very well qualified by virtue of their
experiences and performance of duties in the government as well
as private sector organizations in the field of agriculture.
I look forward to their testimony and to their favorable
consideration by the Committee.
Chairwoman Stabenow. Thank you very much.
Before turning to Congressman Bishop, who I know would like
to introduce our first nominee, and welcome, Congressman; it is
wonderful to have you here for the Committee, but I know that
Senator Chambliss also wanted to say a few words.
Senator Chambliss.
STATEMENT OF HON. SAXBY CHAMBLISS, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE
OF GEORGIA
Senator Chambliss. Thank you very much, Madam Chair. It is
a privilege for me to have a chance to introduce again to this
Committee my long-time dear friend Krysta Harden. It is hard to
believe that I first met Krysta in 1980 when she was a
volunteer for then aspiring Congressmen Charles Hatcher and she
gets the sole credit for him being elected that year.
[Laughter.]
Senator Chambliss. She has not gotten any older but I have.
She has been my dear friend since then and it has been a real
privilege to watch Krysta to grow and mature into the great,
great person she is now but also the great leader she is now.
She has great experience both on and off the Hill in
preparing for this position that she has been nominated to
which obviously is the number two position at USDA.
Krysta served in Congressmen Hatcher's office for many
years, starting out as a receptionist and ending up as Chief of
Staff. That is the kind of job that she did for him. She also
worked on the Agriculture Committee as Chief of Staff or one of
the Subcommittees that Charles was the Chairman of.
But probably, and of course, being in the Administration
now, was congressional liaison and then Chief of Staff to the
Secretary, letting her know what was going on inside USDA over
the last several years.
But, I think probably what has prepared her most for this
job is the fact that she grew up on a farm in south Georgia.
Her dad who is also a dear friend, Jimmy ``Hardrock'' Harden is
here. He is a row crop farmer in south Georgia.
Krysta knows firsthand what it is like to watch the crops
be planted and hope there is rain and hope prices continue to
rise. So, she is well prepared for this position and it is,
indeed, a privilege for me to introduce her to the Committee
today for the position of Deputy Secretary of Agriculture.
Chairwoman Stabenow. Thank you so much also.
Congressman Bishop, we would welcome any comments and
thoughts from you as well before we turn to our nominees.
STATEMENT OF HON. SANFORD BISHOP, U.S. REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF GEORGIA
Mr. Bishop. Thank you very much.
Good morning, Madam Chair Stabenow, Ranking Member, Senator
Cochran, and members of the Committee.
It is my distinct honor and privilege to come today joined
by our distinguished senior Senator from Georgia and my good
friend, Saxby Chambliss, is to support the nomination of Krysta
Harden as the next Deputy Secretary of the United States
Department of Agriculture.
I have known Krysta and her husband Charles for decades and
consider them to be dear friends. She also happens to be my
constituent, hailing from the largely rural second
Congressional District of Georgia, the heart of production
agriculture as you have heard having been born and raised on
one of the many peanut farms in our area in Mitchell County.
Though she served many years in Washington D.C., Krysta
still refers to herself as a Georgia farm girl. I am proud to
say that she has never forgotten her roots and that she will
bring a wealth of knowledge and experience wound from our
rustic upbringing as well as her many years of federal
experience to the new position at USDA.
It has already been mentioned that she grew up and worked
on the land on a farm, that she spent 16 years on Capitol Hill
including a stint as Staff Director for the House Agriculture,
Peanut, and Tobacco Subcommittee.
She served for six years as CEO with the National
Association of Conservation Districts, which represents the
3000 districts tasked with carrying out our national resource
management program, and most recently, of course, during the
first Obama Administration, she joined Secretary Tom Vilsack at
USDA as the Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations,
ultimately working her way up and earning the promotion in 2011
by Secretary Vilsack as the Department's Chief of Staff.
As a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on
Agriculture, I have had the privilege of personally working
with Krysta on a range of challenging and sensitive issues
during her tenure in the Administration.
I can say that I found her to be bipartisan and no-nonsense
in our approach to problem-solving, demonstrating our ability
to listen and her persistence and follow-through; and they had
been altogether refreshing and valuable, I think, whether
working on national issues such as the re-authorization of the
Farm Bill or the Administration's proposed reforms for the crop
insurance and direct payment programs or working with the
Congressional Black Caucus on developing legislative framework
for the farmer settlements or assisting that our office or
other offices in helping local farmers overcome some of the
challenges with the county FSA offices. I have always found her
to be honest, forthright, and fair.
I have every belief that she represents the highest
standards of public service. So, I have every confidence that
she will perform admirably as the Deputy Secretary of the USDA
and I wholeheartedly support her nomination for this very, very
important position.
So, thank you, Madam Chair and members of the Committee,
for allowing me to have these few words to second the
nomination and to support my friend, my colleague, my
constituent Krysta Harden.
Chairwoman Stabenow. Well, thank you very much,
Representative Bishop.
I think, Ms. Harden, from your perspective we should just
adjourn your portion of the meeting at this point, I think.
[Laughter.]
Chairwoman Stabenow. But we will proceed with both of you
who have come with very impressive support. Let me officially
introduce you.
Our first nominee is Krysta Harden. Ms. Harden is
currently, as we know, Chief of Staff at the USDA, a position
that she has held since 2011. Prior to this, Ms. Harden served
as Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations at USDA in
2009 through 2011.
From 2004 through 2009, she served as the Chief Executive
Officer of the National Association of Conservation Districts.
At NACD, she was actively involved with the Committee in
building broader coalitions around the conservation title of
the farm bill.
Previously, Ms. Harden was the Senior Vice President of
Gordley Associates from 1993 to 2004. She also served as Staff
Director for the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture
Subcommittee on Peanuts and Tobacco from 1992 to 1993.
Ms. Harden received her BA in journalism at the University
of Georgia, and there may be others here with you today, but I
do want to recognize your father, Jimmy Harden, and your
husband, former Congressman Charles Hatcher. Welcome to both of
you. We are happy to have you.
Our next nominee is Robert Bonnie. Mr. Bonnie is currently
a Senior Policy Adviser at USDA, a position he has held since
2009. Prior to this, he worked for the Environmental Defense
Fund where he held a number of roles from 1995 until 2008,
including Vice President of Land Conservation and Wildlife and
Managing Director of the Center for Conservation Incentives.
Mr. Bonnie served on the board of visitors at Duke
University Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth
Sciences. He was a member of the board of directors for the
Piedmont Environmental Council in Scenic America.
Mr. Bonnie received an AB from Harvard College and an MF
and MEM from the Duke University Nicholas School of the
Environment. I understand, Mr. Bonnie, that your wife Julia
Gomena and your brother Shelby Bonnie are also with you today.
So, we welcome them.
Now, there are two things that we need to do before hearing
from you. One is to administer an oath that we have for all of
our nominees and I would ask you to stand and raise your right
hand.
Do you swear that the testimony you are about to present is
the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help
you God?
Ms. Harden. I do.
Mr. Bonnie. I do.
Chairwoman Stabenow. Secondly, do you agree that if
confirmed, you will appear before any newly constituted
Committee of Congress if asked to appear?
Ms. Harden. Yes.
Mr. Bonnie. Yes.
Chairwoman Stabenow. Thank you very much.
At this point, we would like to proceed, Ms. Harden, with
your remarks, welcome.
TESTIMONY OF KRYSTA HARDEN, OF GEORGIA, NOMINATED TO BE DEPUTY
SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE
Ms. Harden. Madam Chairwoman and members of the Committee,
thank you for this opportunity to appear today before you as
President Obama's nominee to serve as Deputy Secretary of the
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
I apologize, every time I read that, it's just hard to
believe.
I want to begin by expressing my appreciation to the
President for nominating me and to Secretary Vilsack for his
great leadership at USDA.
I want to thank you, Senator Chambliss, for your kind words
today. Your friendship and support have meant so much to me for
many years and a thank you to Congressman Bishop for coming
over to the Senate side and spending your time for all those
kind words. Thank you too, sir.
With me today is my husband of 17 years, Charles Hatcher.
There is so much I would like to say about him, but for the
sake of time, I will just say that he is my biggest champion,
my strongest supporter and best friend. Thank you, Charles, for
all you have done to make this day possible for me.
I would also want to thank my wonderful parents, Jamie and
Jimmy Harden. My daddy is here representing the family, as you
have heard. It takes a lot to get him off the farm, especially
this time of year.
[Laughter.]
Ms. Harden. So, I would like to say thank you to him for
being here.
I want to send a big hello and a hug to my mama Jamie and
my sister back home in Georgia. I am truly blessed with a
loving and supportive family.
Finally, I want to recognize my friends and colleagues from
over the years. Many are here today or watching via the
Internet. Your guidance, your friendship, and help are very
much appreciated.
I am a product of rural America. Even during my time in
Washington, I had considered Georgia home. I grew up in
Camilla, Georgia on my parents farm. My daddy grew up raising
tobacco, fruits, and vegetables; and my mommy came from a
traditional row crop farm where her family also had a cow/calf
operation.
Their backgrounds show the incredible diversity of American
agriculture. My home also reminds me of rural America and the
need for a thriving rural community. When I graduated from
college I did not see opportunity in rural Georgia.
Today, too many young people face that same challenge. They
feel deeply connected to rural America but they are not sure
how to stay. We owe them strong rural communities.
I have done my best to contribute to that goal over the
years from my time as a House staffer, to working with soybean
producers at Gordley Associates, to serving as CEO of NACD and
finally serving on the leadership team at USDA.
I am proud of what we have accomplished during my time at
the Agriculture Department. We quickly implemented the 2008
Farm Bill which has allowed us to deliver record results. This
includes record farm loans, record investment in small towns,
record conservation efforts and record agriculture trade.
We have supported agriculture research, expanded local and
regional markets and improved the safety of our food supply. In
partnership with this Committee, we also achieved passage of
the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 and we have provided
dependable nutrition assistance to millions of American
families.
Today, our work is not finished. If confirmed, I will
continue our efforts to strengthen the rural economy in several
key areas.
First, we can continue to support our farmers and ranchers
to grow existing markets and create new ones. If confirmed, I
would help open more doors around the world for quality U.S.
products. We can expand local and regional markets.
If confirmed, I want to grow the numbers of farmers markets
and regional food hubs around the country. This creates new
income opportunities and it helps to ensure that there is a
place for everyone in agriculture. We need new farmers and they
are coming from all walks of life, young people, immigrants,
returning veterans, and women more than ever are starting all
sizes of operations. We can give them the tools to get started
and to keep growing.
We are on the cutting-edge of new conservation
opportunities today. USDA can help protect our natural
resources and tap into economic opportunity through increased
outdoor activities, and we can grow the outdoor-based economy.
Many of us here today have worked hard over the years to
harness the potential of home-grown products. I share Secretary
Vilsack's belief that rural America can do even more, creating
new jobs in the process.
Throughout all of this work, we must continue to foster a
new era of civil rights at USDA. With the support of this
Committee, we have taken steps to correct USDA's past history
of discrimination and we can ensure history does not repeat
itself.
To carry out much of our work, USDA relies on the Farm
Bill. We remain committed to helping Congress pass a
comprehensive agricultural reform food and jobs act that builds
on the strong bipartisan spirit shown in the U.S. Senate. If
confirmed, I look forward to leading our effort to implement
this legislation swiftly once it is passed.
Finally, in a time of tight budgets, if confirmed, I will
support USDA's proactive efforts that have already saved more
than $828 million in recent years.
Madam Chairwoman and members of the Committee, thank you
for this opportunity to appear before you today. I come from a
small town with parents who are still on the farm. But I know
that Camilla, Georgia is just one of the thousands of wonderful
small towns in every corner of the Nation. They are the
backbone of our country and the heart of our values. They
deserve our best.
If confirmed, I look forward to working with you, President
Obama and Secretary Vilsack to deliver results for rural
America and create opportunity for generations to come.
Thank you, and I look forward to answering any questions
you might have.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Harden can be found on page
25 in the appendix.]
Chairwoman Stabenow. Thank you very much.
Mr. Bonnie, welcome.
TESTIMONY OF ROBERT BONNIE, OF VIRGINIA, NOMINATED TO BE UNDER
SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE FOR NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT
Mr. Bonnie. Thank you. Madam Chairwoman and members of the
Committee, I want to thank you for the opportunity to appear
before you today and for your consideration of my nomination as
Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment at USDA.
I want to thank President Obama for nominating me and
Secretary Vilsack for his confidence in me. If confirmed, I
look forward to working with Secretary Vilsack to build upon
the Administration's commitment to rural America through the
conservation of our working lands, and our National Forests.
I want to start by thanking my wife Julie, who is here
today, and my daughter Lilly, both of whom have seen a little
less of me as a result of my government service. If confirmed,
I suspect that will not change a whole lot and I appreciate
their love and patience.
Also, I want to recognize my mother, my father, and my
brother Shelby who is here today as well. They have encouraged
my interest in the outdoors.
My commitment to conservation began at an early age. I grew
up on a farm in Kentucky and, as a kid, spent a lot of time
outside fishing, hunting, and helping out around the farm.
My family has also owned and managed forest land in South
Carolina for over a century. As a forester, I worked directly
on managing these lands for timber, for wildlife, and for
recreation.
I understand from personal experience the challenges of
maintaining family-owned farms and forests while being good
stewards. Our working lands and our National Forests provide
significant benefits to the American people, including food and
fiber, clean water, wildlife habitat, and recreation.
USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service in particular
plays a key role in the voluntary conservation of working lands
by providing financial and technical assistance to farmers,
ranchers, and forest owners to conserve soil and water, to
improve rangeland and to protect habitat for hunting and
fishing.
In particular, NRCS makes it possible for landowners to
enhance the productivity of their operations while conserving
natural resources. In a budgetary environment where resources
are limited, focusing NRCS resources on important conservation
challenges and leveraging additional capacity from partnerships
with farm, conservation, and other stakeholders will remain
important.
Continued innovation through efforts such as working lands
for wildlife that combine financial and technical assistance
with regulatory assurances is also important.
Through authorization of a comprehensive food farm and jobs
bill is central to USDA's work on conservation. This Committee
and the U.S. Senate have passed strong, bipartisan legislation
to reauthorize farm programs; and if confirmed, I will work
with Secretary Vilsack to highlight the importance of passing
long-term legislation; and when such legislation passes, I will
work with NRCS and the Forest Service to implement the
legislation in a timely way.
America's forests face significant threats including
catastrophic wildfire and pine bark beetles on National
Forests, and the loss of our private working lands to
development.
On our National Forests, we must work in collaboration with
communities, with forest industry, and with conservation groups
to increase the pace and scale of restoration and management.
If confirmed, I will work with the Secretary and with
Forest Service Chief Tidwell, to treat more acres on National
Forests, to produce more timber and biomass, and to improve the
ecological health of our forests.
Catastrophic wildfire is an enormous challenge for the
Forest Service and its federal and state partner agencies.
Since the 1970s, average acreages burned have more than doubled
to over 7 million acres a year. Fire seasons are now 60 to 80
days longer. A warming climate, increased fuel loads, and
housing construction in the wildland urban interface have
increased threats to people, property, rangeland, and forests.
The President and the Secretary have spoken about the
fiscal challenges related to wildfire. The Forest Service now
spends about 40 percent of its budget on fire, forcing the
agency to make difficult decisions including curtailing funds
for management activities that might otherwise reduce threats
from fire. If confirmed, I look forward to working with the
President, the Secretary, and all of you to address this
challenge.
In our working forests, we must ensure landowners have the
economic incentives to conserve and maintain lands to the long
term. Here NRCS and the Forest Service can work together to
ensure land owners have the incentives and the markets to keep
forests as forests.
Outdoor recreation, including hunting and fishing and many
other activities, is also important to the economies of rural
communities. If confirmed, I will work with NRCS, the Forest
Service, and other agencies across the federal government to
promote outdoor recreation on our public and private lands.
Madam Chairwoman and members of the Committee, in closing,
I want to again thank you for the opportunity to appear before
you today. Conservation of our natural resources is closely
linked to the prosperity and well-being of rural and urban
Americans alike. If confirmed, I look forward to working with
President Obama, with Secretary Vilsack to contribute to the
conservation of our working lands and forests.
Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Bonnie can be found on page
22 in the appendix.]
Chairwoman Stabenow. Thank you very much.
Senator Thune. Madam chairwoman, will we have the
opportunity to submit questions for the record if we cannot do
it today?
Chairwoman Stabenow. Absolutely. We are happy to accept
both opening statements and questions for the record. Thank
you.
First, let me just ask both of you. You have been with the
Department over the last four years. There have been a lot of
challenges, a lot of accomplishments. I wondered if you each
might speak to one or two examples in your experience that
demonstrates both the challenges you have faced and the role
that you have played in addressing them as you look to your new
roles.
Ms. Harden.
Ms. Harden. That is a good question. I think the first
thing that comes to my mind, Madam Chairwoman, is managing it
with uncertainty on budgets. I think of the four years that I
have been at USDA, three of those years we have not had a
budget, not knowing if we are going to have a continuing
resolution, trying to keep the workforce focused across the
country, across the world. Our folks do not always understand
how Washington works or sometimes do not. So, trying to manage
through that and making sure that we continue to provide the
quality service that we are known for.
We have the greatest employees I believe in any institution
at USDA. They want to serve. Our stakeholders, they want to do
the right thing, but I think that would probably, in preparing
for this job, would give me the understanding of what is needed
to keep folks focused and doing that kind of work even with
uncertainty.
I think the other thing that comes to mind is being
involved in the implementation of the 2008 Farm Bill, we walked
in needing to get that done quickly. Folks were waiting. Our
stakeholders needed to have results from the department. So
being prepared hopefully to implement the 2012 will be the two
issues that come to mind.
Chairwoman Stabenow. Thank you.
Mr. Bonnie.
Mr. Bonnie. Senator, I think one of the issues I would
mention is our work on the drought last summer. I worked with
the Secretary, NRCS, FSA and even the Forest Service to work to
provide some flexibility for landowners that we are dealing
with a very difficult drought situation.
On the NRCS side, we targeted some Farm Bill dollars to
help with drought mitigation. On the CRP side, it was about
making sure that we provide some flexibility in the program to
allow for some emergency haying and grazing and to move quickly
in a way that we could do that would pass legal scrutiny as
well. We worked quickly to do that.
We had a tough fire season as well last summer and again
this summer and so we worked with the Forest Service to make
sure we have the resources, whether it is air tankers or
otherwise.
Those are two areas where, I think, we have had to a little
bit of thinking on the fly and work within the resources we
have but recognize that the stakes are big for our
stakeholders, farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners and for
the public that relies on the food and fiber that they and the
National Forests produce.
Chairwoman Stabenow. Just a little bit more, talking about
thinking on the fly or being creative, we all know we are in
very challenging times as it relates to resources. Our Farm
Bill saves money in the ways of streamlining that we hope will
make it actually easier to implement and better for folks on
the ground, farmers and ranchers and so on. But, it is going to
involve a lot of creative thinking as we go forward as we look
at how we leverage funding and so on.
So, I wonder if each of you might just speak of little bit
more about that as we are looking at tight resources,
leveraging funds, being creative, anything along that line that
you would want to talk about.
Ms. Harden. I will first highlight a couple of things. The
first that comes to mind, as I mentioned in my opening
statement, about the $828 million that we proactively have been
able to avoid spending at USDA, and that is really by being
creative.
It is a blueprint for stronger services, what we have
called this initiative and looking at ways to consolidate
contracting, look at the way we manage our procurements of
buildings and facilities, looking how to modernize our
workforce, using all the tools that we have available
proactively thinking about what is ahead. So, I think those
kinds of things we have to continue.
I learned a lot about working in partnerships when I was
NACD, working with states, federal, local districts and
building on those partnerships; sharing the workload, working
together, making sure you are not duplicating.
Those are the two examples that I would have.
Mr. Bonnie. I will just add to that. I think clearly we are
all operating in a difficult fiscal environment. In the case of
the Farm Bill, it means leveraging our resources through
partnerships, the kind of leverage that I think you all were
thinking about in putting together regional conservation
partnership initiative in the Farm Bill. That is exactly the
approach we need to take.
We need to bring partners to the table, leverage our
resources. I think it is also important to think about priority
setting. We are going to have to use our resources in a way
that generates the most benefit for the public and obviously
generates important benefits for natural resources as well.
Chairwoman Stabenow. Let me just in closing my time, really
commend both of you and the Secretary and the Department
because when you look at percentage-wise across in the Federal
Government, we have seen more cuts I think in agriculture than
just about any other area.
You have had to manage a tremendous amount of cuts and
rearranging things; and when I look at agricultural research, I
am very concerned that has been the area hit harder than any
other area of research in the federal government around food
safety and pests and disease and so on.
I am hopeful that while we will continue to focus on
structuring dollars, that agriculture will be treated fairly in
the context of the overall budget discussion. That is our job
as well.
Senator Cochran.
Senator Cochran. Madam Chair, I am pleased to join you in
welcoming our distinguished witnesses this morning and
congratulating them on their nomination. We look forward to
working with you in trying to be sure that we do the things
that we need to do to help promote American agricultural
interests and create an environment where we are working
together, the public sector and private enterprise can help
assure the continued viability and profitability of American
farms.
We know that you both have personal experiences that you
will be able to draw on to help deal with the challenges that
these offices have.
First of all, I want to ask Ms. Harden. I know that you
realize I have got to ask about catfish inspection. So, I might
as well just go on and get that out of the way.
[Laughter.]
Senator Cochran. What are your thoughts about how we can
implement in a responsible way a catfish or aquaculture program
guaranteeing the wholesomeness and the fitness for food of
these fish throughout the United States?
Ms. Harden. Senator Cochran I would have been disappointed
if you did not ask me.
[Laughter.]
Ms. Harden. It is a complex issue as you know very well and
I would say to you, if I am confirmed by the Senate, that I
will work with you for a path forward this year on this issue.
I know you have waited a long time and I will work with you on
this, sir, if I am confirmed.
Senator Cochran. Mr. Bonnie, do you have any thoughts about
that?
[Laughter.]
Mr. Bonnie. I think I will stay away from this one.
Senator Cochran. Well, you have some important
responsibilities too. I think in our State somebody was
surprised to find out that forestry and forest products were
the number one commodity for production of income for
landowners and those involved in the industries.
What are your thoughts about carrying out the provisions of
the Farm Bill that provide programs under the jurisdiction of
the National Resources Conservation Service and how you can
assist farmers in dealing with challenges that they face in the
marketplace today?
Mr. Bonnie. I think on the forestry side, if you look at
private forest lands across the United States, we are losing,
slowly losing our private working lands and they provided
incredible benefits to the public.
NRCS has made some really important strides in working with
landowners on everything from timber stand improvements to re-
forestation. I think it is going to be critical in places like
Mississippi where forests not only provide places where people
hunt and fish and important natural resource benefits to the
communities there but it also is critical to the economic
infrastructure.
So, working with farmers and forest landowners to keep
forest viable to make sure it remains an important economic
resource that they can grow timber and produce all those
benefits but also do it economically viably I think is
critically important.
Likewise, on the agricultural side, the work that NRCS does
to not only encourage good stewardship but do it in a way that
enhances the productive capacity of the land is going to be
critically important.
I think that is an area where NRCS is a bit of an unsung
hero frankly in conservation and there is a lot more work to do
there; and if confirmed, I look forward to doing it.
Senator Cochran. Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Chairwoman Stabenow. Thank you very much. I also want to
thank Senator Cochran. When I was in Mississippi speaking to
the Delta Council, he made sure we had catfish. It was good.
Senator Bennet, the Chair of our Conservation Subcommittee.
Senator Bennet. Thank you. I would like to thank Senator
Cochran for his catfish question. We are not producers of
catfish in Colorado but I am married to a woman from the
Mississippi Delta and rural Arkansas so we are consumers of
catfish in Colorado and look forward to working with you and
following your work on this.
Ms. Harden, congratulations to both of you and thank you
for your service and you're incredibly well qualified for these
jobs and I look forward to working with you.
I wanted to ask Ms. Harden first a question about exports.
You alluded to this in your testimony. We often talk in this
Committee about the safe, and affordable and abundant food
supply that we enjoy as Americans. That is all true. That is
certainly true.
But, the rest of the world is also paying attention to what
we are doing here and more consumers from overseas are opening
their wallets to our production here.
My office has held eight sessions around the State, eight
export workshops, an initiative we are calling Beyond Colorado,
aimed at helping farmers, ranchers, and small businesses export
their products and I can tell you there is tremendous interest
among our producers about this worldwide market.
So, with exports representing one of the greatest
opportunities to create new wealth in agriculture, what more
can the USDA do to help facilitate more business opportunities
for our farmers and ranchers around the world?
Ms. Harden. Thank you, sir, I could not agree with you
more.
As I did mention in my testimony, that is one area I hope
to really focus on in making sure that we do open more of those
doors and more of those markets.
The trade agreements that we have with South Korea, Panama
and Colombia immediately open markets that we have not had
access to. So, that is a start obviously. TPP and discussions
in the EU are underway so we are hoping that those will
conclude.
We have been working on non-tariff barriers at USDA to get
our products into new markets. It has been a priority for USDA
even during tough budget times to make sure that we are leading
trade missions with U.S. companies and producers and state
departments of agriculture. We had a trade mission to Turkey
just this summer. There is one scheduled in the fall with South
Africa.
So, we very much agree with you, sir, and I personally
pledge to you that I will work in this area if I am confirmed
by the Senate.
Senator Bennet. I look forward to working with you on that.
I think this is just vital for job creation in rural Colorado
and rural America. So, thank you.
Mr. Bonnie, I know that you are well aware of the issues
that we are facing in Colorado with our forests both in terms
of the wildfires and beetle infestation that we've had. It has
been a very, very difficult time for us.
We've noticed that the Forest Service's 2012 report on
restoration and job creation on our National Forests called for
large landscape-level environmental analyses extensively to
accelerate restoration over a large area without having to do
countless studies.
I understand the Black Hills National Forest in my
colleague Senator Thune's State of South Dakota recently
undertook such an analysis covering 250,000 acres.
So, my question is whether the Forest Service plans to do
any additional landscape-level analysis in other states; and if
so, I would gladly volunteer Colorado as a place where you can
do your next one.
Mr. Bonnie. Well, I think these types of approaches are
going to be critically important. We have got the quarter of a
million acres in the Black Hills National Forest. We have got
one in the Four Forest Restoration Initiative in Arizona which
is a million acres.
We are trying to do this to both provide the landscape-
scale work we need to do to be able to confront this problem of
both bark beetles and catastrophic fire but at the same time do
a large enough project so that the forest industry, has
certainty that they can invest in the mills and the
infrastructure they need to help carry out these efforts.
We are going to try to do more of this. The Chief is
interested in doing more of it and there is an enormous need,
as you know better than anyone, in Colorado particularly on the
front range where we have challenges related to fuel buildup
intermixed with communities that are right in the wildland-
urban interface.
So, this is just the type of approach that we are
interested in that we want to do more of and we would love to
work with you to take it forward.
Senator Bennet. We will take you up on that.
Madam Chair, I know that you know this. This beetle kill in
Colorado is a wasting asset. If we do not figure out how to use
it and get it milled, it is not going to be there anymore.
I mentioned to you, Mr. Bonnie, when we were together. I
recently had a chance to visit a small mill named Colorado
Timber Resources who are making two by fours that they are
shipping to Louisiana. Their view was that they could triple
their production if we could figure out how to get them for
this material.
So, I look forward to working with you. Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Chairwoman Stabenow. Thank you very much.
Senator Chambliss.
Senator Chambliss. Thanks very much, Madam Chair.
Krysta, you alluded to this in your opening statement and
obviously I know what your answer is but just for the record,
as you know, we are in the process of trying to complete a Farm
Bill this year.
It is imperative that we get that done, and thanks to the
leadership of our Chairman and Senator Cochran hopefully we are
headed that way.
But, we had some implementations issues with both of the
last two Farm Bills. Some of it was relative to new programs
that were created that you are very familiar with. I do not
think we got anything new and different in this program but we
certainly have a lot less money to operate with than we have
ever had.
I simply would like a commitment from you that you are
going to work as hard as you can to make sure that once this
bill does get signed into law that the Department of
Agriculture is going to implement the new Farm Bill as quickly
as possible to give our producers some certainty and some
definitive answers to the many issues that they are going to
have in that Farm Bill.
Ms. Harden. Senator Chambliss, we are ready. You all send
us a Farm Bill, we will get it done in a timely and orderly
manner and I hope to be leading that effort if I am confirmed
by the Senate.
Senator Chambliss. Mr. Bonnie, as you know, palmar
amaranth, which is commonly known as pigweed, has developed a
resistance to glyphosphate which is a widely used herbicide.
NRCS has a pilot program that was developed through EQIP that
helps cotton farmers control this resistant pigweed.
I would like to note that the control measures were
developed by Stanley Culpepper, as you know, at Tifton Campus
at the University of Georgia.
Can you give me an update on that program? There have got
to be other issues out there too relative to resistance to our
herbicides. What has NRCS got on the table relative to how we
are going to combat these resistant weeds?
Mr. Bonnie. Yeah, this is a challenge across the country.
In the case of the work in South Georgia, I believe NRCS has
put about $1 million into this program over the fiscal year
2010 through 2012 and it is seeing some real results.
I think we are seeing some benefits in that pilot project
and hope that we can take the lessons from that and use a
program like EQIP or other Farm Bill programs to spread the
gospel, as it were, both through technical assistance and
through financial assistance.
I would think more broadly that this is a perfect example
of where NRCS programs can both work on critical natural
resource conservation challenges and improve the productive
capacity of our farmers and ranchers to produce food and fiber.
This is an area that I think is a growing problem and we
are going to need to tackle it more aggressively as we move
forward.
Senator Chambliss. One other program that has been really
beneficial to Georgia forestry farmers is the Longleaf Pine
program. It is now making a huge difference in many areas
whether it is a erosion or whether it is the long-term economic
benefit to our farmers.
I know you are very familiar with it and I hope you will
continue to pay close attention to that program and monitor it
as we go along in this next Farm Bill.
Mr. Bonnie. I will indeed. As most people who know me, I
have a soft spot for Longleaf Pine and it is important. NRCS is
doing great work there and that will continue.
Senator Chambliss. Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
Chairwoman Stabenow. Thank you. Now to the Chair of our
Subcommittee on Commodities and Markets, Senator Donnelly.
Senator Donnelly. Thank you, Madam Chair, and
congratulations Ms. Harden and Mr. Bonnie. You know, when they
called me Senator, I could not believe it either. So, it has
been a great honor.
Ms. Harden, just a couple of things. In regards to product
that is out there, it is called Enlist, and it is something
that we talked about a little bit. This has been under review
for four years now.
I said to somebody, you know, I have some kids; and I was
fortunate that they were able to graduate college within four
years; but they did that in a quicker time than they have been
able to complete the review of this.
I was wondering if you have any idea when USDA plans to
respond to the latest petition for deregulation.
Ms. Harden. I believe I am familiar with what you are
talking about.
Senator Donnelly. Right.
Ms. Harden. It is in our General Counsel's Office, and we
will be able to provide a response late this summer.
Senator Donnelly. Thank you very much.
Then this is just a technical issue that we have a place to
call. We had a group of farmers from Indiana who came out to
speak to folks at USDA on this and kind of got bounced around
all week and we would just like to know that we can give you a
call and get people squared away when they come into town.
Ms. Harden. Most definitely, sir. I have prided myself my
entire career and especially my years at USDA at being
accessible and responsible to the people that I work for, and I
believe that is the taxpayer, and so I assure you, sir, I will
be available.
Senator Donnelly. Thank you very, very much.
Mr. Bonnie, thank you again for coming by the office, both
of you. In Indiana, we actually lead the Nation right now in
the highest percentage of acres using cover crop.
When it is done right, it increases yields, improves
drought resistance, reduces nutrient runoffs that affect in our
State almost what happens through a huge portion of the country
when it goes down the Ohio River and goes into other areas.
If it is not done right, though, there can be a lot of
negative consequences and that is the pullback that we get from
a lot of farmers back home.
So, what was mentioned before by some of the other
colleagues here is about technical assistance and that seems to
be the key to getting it done right.
I was wondering how you plan to deliver that kind of
technical assistance in a better, more effective way that we
can reach out to more because it seems every dollar spent on
this provides cleaner rivers, reduced runoff and better land
stewardship.
Mr. Bonnie. You are exactly right. I think technical
assistance is an incredibly valuable role of NRCS and I think
one of our goals at NRCS is to get our folks out behind desks
and back out into the field where they can interact directly
with farmers.
We have got a conservation streamlining delivery initiative
to do that. I think that is going to be absolutely critical
figuring out ways that we can use new types of technology to
interact with farmers to give them ready information on this.
Just as you say, cover crops are incredibly important but
they have to be done right. We need to be able to facilitate
that by providing information and ready access to information
for farmers and ranchers. I think that will continue to be a
real priority of NRCS as we move forward.
Senator Donnelly. I also wanted to ask you about our
National Forests in Indiana. A number of Hoosiers are worried
about potential reductions in the Forest Service timber harvest
goals, and it seems to be that this could be a win-win
situation that we want to manage these forests right but my
colleague Mr. Bennet was just talking about the tremendous fire
problems we have.
He mentioned 40 percent of the budget is on that now. It is
the kind of thing that I have been looking closely at
personally. How do we reduce the fuel load that is in these
forests? To just not manage them is to seem to make the
decision to cause things to occur there.
So effective proper management, I think, is the best way to
protect our forests in the long run as well. I would like to
get your views on that.
Mr. Bonnie. I could not agree more. We have got 60 to
80,000,000 acres across 193 million acres system that are in
need of some form of restoration treatment, whether that be low
intensity prescribed fire or the type of mechanical treatment
where we are going in and thinning forests, making them more
resilient to fire.
There is a real opportunity here to improve not only
ecological health of forests by doing stewardship the right way
and treatments the right way but also to provide jobs and
opportunity to local communities.
Of course, it is a balance but the National Forests are a
multiple use system. We need to balance timber production with
recreation and ecological health of forests but there is a real
opportunity here.
We need to do more work and the way over the long term to
keep the fire numbers from swallowing the Forest Service budget
entirely is to do the work on the front-end that will reduce
the severity of fires over the long term.
Senator Donnelly. Well, congratulations to both of you. We
look forward to working with you, and thank you so much for
your leadership.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Chairwoman Stabenow. Thank you very much.
Senator Hoeven, and before you give your questions, you
were not here earlier when I said how proud I was of the team
effort last week in order to move things forward to go back
from the Senate Farm Bill returning to the House but I just
want to say once again thank you for the final hours joining me
on the floor and being a part of a very important effort and I
really appreciate your leadership.
Senator Hoeven. Thank you, Madam Chairman. I appreciate it
and really appreciate your leadership on working so hard to get
a new Farm Bill which we very much need.
Chairwoman Stabenow. Yes.
Senator Hoeven. Again, welcome to both of you and thank you
to both of you for coming by my office and sitting down and
visiting on some of these important issues for our producers,
for our farmers and ranchers. I really appreciate that.
I just want to start out and talk for a minute about the
regulatory burden that our farmers and ranchers face. It is
something that we talked about, and it is not unique just to
agriculture. I am hearing this across every industry.
We understand there is a proper role for regulation. I
mean, it is to protect the environment. We want to make sure
there are not abuses going on there.
But at the same time, it should not be so burdensome and
complex that people do not know how to comply and spend all
their time trying to figure out and end up not just being able
to farm or ranch in the proper fashion they normally do.
Instead of making sure that you prevent the exception, we
are forcing the rule kind of on everybody in a way that really
is burdensome, difficult, and complicated.
I tried to give you a couple of examples when we met and I
would just like your response, and I will start with Ms. Harden
on a couple of these examples and you can sure expand it to
something else.
For example, in the area of NRCS maps. North Dakota is a
very pothole region of the country. Farmers and ranchers need
to understand how to manage their farm or ranch and maintain
the wetlands in a reasonable manner.
For example, even in the maps, the NRCS maps from 1990 to
1996, some of the maps were approved, some were not. Farmers
still do not know whether they can rely on those maps.
How do you propose, I mean, can we go back and actually
look at those maps and get the farmers squared away on that
specific issue?
Mr. Bonnie, you can start with this one if you'd like, but
I am just using that as an example. I would use the special
measures on prevented plant, the one in four rule except then
you have to define what is a normal weather year which nobody
can define.
How do you cut through this stuff and get our farmers and
ranchers some certainty that works for them? I would love both
of you to respond. Use these specifics or others.
Mr. Bonnie. I am happy to start on the issues related to
wetlands and the prairie pothole region.
We really have two challenges. One is there has been a
significant backlog of landowners who have been trying to get
wetlands certifications over the last several years. NRCS has
worked to put more staff, more contractors there to reduce that
backlog by 40 percent. There is still work to be done there and
I think that is an area, if confirmed, I will continue to work
on.
The second piece has to do with, I think, the issue you
raised about maps and data. Are we using the best data? This is
another area that NRCS is focused on, continued to do work on,
and we will need to do work on going forward to make sure we
are using the best data and that farmers and ranchers can rely
on that and that we do it in a transparent way.
That is an area that we will continue to work on and, if
confirmed, I am happy to focus on it.
Ms. Harden. Senator, I will just talk to you in a general
sense. Obviously, common sense gets lost sometimes, and I think
that is what is needed, practical approaches. Things that sound
very good on paper, sound very good in an office here in
Washington, just does not make good sense on the ground.
I do not have to go very far to get an earful from my own
daddy, sitting in the corner over here, a farmer himself. He
says, ``Why in the heck are you all doing this this way?''
I understand that. I cannot tell you I can fix everything
because that would not be honest but I can tell you I am aware,
I understand, I agree with you and that, if confirmed by the
Senate, as well as Deputy, I will do what I can in that role to
make sure that we do have practical approaches, that common
sense applies, and just use my personal experience in
recognizing that farmers want to do what is right. I believe
that, if given the opportunity to, farmers and ranchers.
Senator Hoeven. What I would propose and I think it would
be helpful is if we could get you to come out to North Dakota,
look at some of the wetlands areas, talk to some of the
farmers.
On the grasslands, come out and see the grasslands, talk to
the ranchers so that when you work on grazing plans and
allotments, you have seen it and you have heard from them
directly.
I think you hear from a lot of different folks back here
but there is nothing better than seeing and then hearing from
the people on the ground that are doing it every day. I would
ask that you both commit to do that.
Ms. Harden. Yes, sir, you have got our commitment.
Mr. Bonnie. Absolutely.
Senator Hoeven. Thank you very much. I do look forward to
working with both of you.
Chairwoman Stabenow. Thank you very much.
At this point we have completed our questions so we want to
thank you for being here today and I think it is very clear
that we are impressed with both of you and I would just speak
for myself, looking enthusiastically toward supporting your
moving forward in this process. We will not be voting today on
your nominations, but I will be working with Senator Cochran to
find the time as soon as possible for a business meeting so
that we can actually vote out your nominations.
We look forward to working with both of you. We have a lot
of work to do, now it is on us to get a Farm Bill done and then
it will move to you in implementing that in the quickest, most
efficient way for our farmers and ranchers. I know this will be
a top priority for both of you.
So, congratulations again on your nominations.
The meeting is adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 11:35 a.m., the Committee was adjourned.]
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A P P E N D I X
JULY 23, 2013
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DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD
JULY 23, 2013
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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
JULY 23, 2013
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