[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 20 (Tuesday, March 1, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 1, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
               CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM DUE TO EXPIRE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Nebraska [Mr. Bereuter] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, unless Congress acts soon, millions of 
acres of grassland and tree cover protecting our soil, streams, and 
wildlife will be plowed and converted to cropland and an important 
investment in our environment will be lost.
  For 8 years, our Nation's natural resources have been protected by 
the Conservation Reserve Program. This Federal program provides the 
necessary incentive for farmers to convert land unfit for crops into 
grasslands and tree cover. Grasslands and trees, in turn, prevent 
topsoil erosion, improve water quality, and provide essential cover and 
nesting for wildlife.
  Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, the Conservation Reserve Program expires 
in 1995. Currently, 36.5 million acres are enrolled in the program and 
rapidly declining conservation funds will force nearly all land out of 
the program by the year 2001. Many of those concerned about protecting 
our natural resources are asking what will happen upon the program's 
expiration. If history repeats itself and current surveys are accurate, 
these grasslands and trees will be converted to cropland and our water, 
soil, and wildlife will be placed, once again, at risk.
  Mr. Speaker, in the 1970's, Congress neglected the expiration of 
another Conservation Program, the soil bank. Predictably, when the 
incentives for that Conservation Program expired, precious grasslands 
were converted to cropland and an investment in our soil, water, and 
wildlife was lost.
  Therefore, last week, this Member introduced legislation to extend 
and significantly modify the Conservation Reserve Program. By 
permitting the Secretary of Agriculture and, most importantly, farmers, 
a greater role in determining which land to protect, this legislation 
saves taxpayer dollars by better focusing precious conservation funds 
on our Nation's most environmentally sensitive lands.
  Mr. Speaker, this Member's legislation accomplishes this important 
dual task by, first and foremost, permitting the early withdrawal of 
certain lands from the Conservation Reserve Program. Critics of the CRP 
have rightly criticized this generally excellent program because it did 
not focus sufficiently on the most environmentally sensitive land, for 
example, the most highly erodible land. Nationally, 24 percent of the 
land enrolled in the CRP is not even classified as highly erodible. 
Therefore, this Member believes it is first necessary to stop spending 
precious conservation funds on land which merely requires good 
stewardship for production.

  Second, this legislation would allow the Secretary of Agriculture to 
work with farmers to modify current CRP contracts. Critics of the 
program have shown that many incentive payments are excessive. 
Therefore, this legislation would enable the Secretary of Agriculture 
to reduce incentive payments on certain lands while permitting farmers 
greater flexibility to use certain lands. In many circumstances, and 
with sensitivity to other economic interests which may be affected, CRP 
land can be devoted to economically productive uses such as haying, 
grazing, and the production of grass for alternative fuels without any 
negative environmental effect.
  Third, this legislation would permit the Secretary of Agriculture and 
farmers to work together to choose those parts of fields and 
agricultural lands which will best protect our groundwater, streams, 
and wildlife. Often, entire fields have been enrolled in the 
Conservation Reserve Program when partial fields would suffice. 
Sometimes, a narrow strip of land along a waterway will filter 
agricultural chemical runoff while protecting the water quality of the 
waterway. Most importantly, by allowing partial fields to be enrolled 
in the program, precious conservation funds can be saved and reinvested 
in other, more environmentally sensitive lands.
  Fourth, this legislation would permit farmers to harmonize field 
boundaries with each other, and if desirable, transfer cropland base 
acres from conservation reserve program land to other producers to use 
on nonhighly erodible land provided that they remain enrolled in the 
program. This increased flexibility and elimination of restraints on 
the transfer of cropland base will serve as an incentive for farmers to 
keep environmentally sensitive land in the program by making it easier 
for adjacent landowners to farm productive land while protecting 
environmentally sensitive land.

  Finally, this legislation places a cap on the Secretary of 
Agriculture's incentive payments on CRP land. This specified 80 percent 
cap of previous payment incentives reflects various surveys which 
indicate that many farmers are willing to keep their land in the 
program even if incentive payments are reduced. Also, this legislation 
seeks to further promote conservation compliance requirements by 
requiring, in limited circumstances, that established soil erosion 
limits are required if a farmer wishes to remain in the CRP.
  Mr. Speaker, our precious natural resources are in danger if Congress 
fails to address the expiration of the Conservation Reserve Program. It 
is not a simple task to protect our Nation's soil, waterways, and 
wildlife, yet the Conservation Reserve Program has admirably met its 
objectives. In Nebraska alone, this program annually saves an estimated 
32 million tons of soil from being washed away and carried into our 
Nation's waterways.
  Nevertheless, this Member acknowledges that changes are needed if the 
CRP program is to meet the environmental and budgetary challenges of 
the future. Therefore, this Member asked Mr. Jim Barr, my district 
office manager who is also a local farmer, to begin a real grassroots 
legislative drafting effort. He and this Member did so by meeting with 
farmers, soil conservationists, and local natural resources experts to 
gather information and ideas for improving the CRP from lessons learned 
in past conservation efforts. Together, these individuals have produced 
for my review and modification what I believe to be innovative and 
sensible grassroots legislation. This Member strongly believes the 
revision prepared will save taxpayer dollars by better focusing 
precious conservation funds on our Nation's most environmentally 
sensitive lands. This Member would like to thank Jim Barr, 
my agricultural and trade legislative assistant, Mr. Dan Martz, my 
environment legislative assistant, Mr. Alan Feyerherm, and the many 
farmers and experts who contributed to this legislation.

  Mr. Speaker, the challenge is now before the Congress. We cannot 
ignore the expiration of this important conservation program. We must 
reauthorize and reform this program well before the current 
authorization expires. If my fellow colleagues wish to avoid the 
disastrous mistakes of our past efforts--the destruction of expensive 
conservation structures and practices--we must ensure that the CRP 
continues as a reformed and improved program. If we act now and act 
quickly we can maintain and preserve the millions of acres of grassland 
and tree cover which protect our soil, streams, and wildlife. Most 
importantly, we can enable our Nation's farmers to continue to produce 
the necessary cheap supply of food which all American's enjoy while 
still adequately preserving our Nation's precious soil and water 
resources for future generations of Americans.
  In conclusion, this Member urges his colleagues to examine and 
cosponsor, H.R. 3894, the CRP Reform and Reauthorization Act which was 
introduced last Thursday. It is this Member's hope that our 
congressional agricultural committees may thus incorporate the 
provisions of this legislative proposal in a timely reauthorization of 
the Conservation Reserve Program.

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