[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 37 (Thursday, March 20, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E530]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




[[Page E530]]



                    STATEMENT ON CRP FOR THE RECORD

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. RICK HILL

                               of montana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 20, 1997

  Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I'm increasingly concerned about the timing of 
USDA's signup putting cropland into the national Conservation Reserve 
Program. From the information I receive, Montana farmers and ranchers 
would like to postpone the CRP signup for 1 year.
  Language in the farm bill directed USDA to issue CRP rules 3 months 
after enactment. The deadline was missed by several months and the 
lateness of the current signup has led to much uncertainty in Montana. 
Montana growers who want to bid land into CRP are told by USDA they 
will not know whether they're accepted until June or July.
  Farmers need certainty. They need to know; should they prepare land 
for planting wheat or for establishing a cover suitable for long-term 
enrollment in the program. If they aren't CRP-accepted, they're caught 
between nature's seasons and USDA's process. We can't change nature, 
but we can change the rules to help not hinder our farm families.
  My friends and neighbors are not the only ones confused about this 
delayed signup. I am informed that even local officials running the 
program are unclear about some of the new rules. None of this bodes 
well for farmers who need to make decisions about the future use of 
their land.
  Worse still, under the new CRP rules some of the most environmentally 
sensitive land for CRP is likely to receive a bid so low that farmers 
may decide to put these lands into crops, turning the program and its 
purpose upside down.
  Mr. Speaker, I support the CRP program and so do Montanans who 
currently have over 2.85 million acres in CRP. It's voluntary and 
incentive-based. It's a good program for keeping marginal crop land in 
grass to prevent soil erosion and provide wildlife habitat.
  However, I do not want my farmers to agonize over doing the right 
thing. I applaud USDA for their hard work, but the framework for 
decision is too short and it occurs too late in the farm year. It is 
also not well understood and has led to much uncertainty.
  Mr. Speaker, I call on USDA to work with Congress. Take the time and 
energy required to look at this situation and do the right thing. 
Postpone the new CRP 1 year, so farmers can make plans for next spring. 
We can do better and we should.

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