[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 154 (Friday, September 29, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1887]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            INTRODUCTION OF FARMS FOR THE FUTURE ACT OF 1995

                                 ______


                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 29, 1995

  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing the Farms for the 
Future Act of 1995. I have joined my friend Mr. Gilchrest in drafting 
this bill to help fix a problem that threatens the very essence of 
Thomas Jefferson's vision of our Republic: the family farm.
  The U.S. Department of Agriculture Resource Inventory shows that the 
Nation is losing over 1 million acres of productive farmland each year 
to urban development. This represents a loss of topsoil roughly 
equivalent to that being saved by Federal erosion control efforts, 
including the Conservation Reserve Program.
  The land being lost is disproportionately prime farmland with the 
highest productivity. In many cases, it is irreplaceable as a source of 
domestic fruit and vegetable production, 85 percent of which comes from 
counties near expanding cities.
  The loss of this land threatens our Nation's long-term ability to 
produce abundant inexpensive food supply and compete in the global 
agricultural market. Moreover, keeping this land in agricultural 
production has additional benefits, ranging from watershed and wildlife 
habitat enhancement, to reducing the tax burden on communities from 
wasteful urban sprawl.
  Since the late 1970's, States and localities have invested an 
estimated $650 million to protect this resource--funds that went 
directly into farmers' pockets in exchange for voluntarily agreeing not 
to develop their property. This has protected 400,000 acres of high-
quality farmland, but a study by the American Farmland Trust shows that 
for every farmer the States can help, another six willing farmers are 
disappointed. Meanwhile, the Federal Government has contributed almost 
nothing.
  This is wrong. A national problem of this magnitude deserves national 
attention. The State and local leaders in this effort deserve a Federal 
partner. And the farmers who have been turned away from State and local 
programs because of a lack of resources deserve Federal support to help 
them meet their goals.
  This Federal response should be governed by two basic principles. 
First, Federal efforts to conserve productive farmland must protect the 
private property rights of farmers. Second, the Federal Government 
should build upon existing and future State and local farmland 
preservation efforts.
  My bill does that by simply helping the existing State farmland 
conservation programs more effectively serve the farmers and other 
agricultural landowners who want to get the equity out of their land 
without contributing to urban sprawl. It would establish a matching 
grant program to add Federal resources to this State driven effort.
  I urge my colleagues support of this legislation.

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