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USDA Announcement on Conservation Reserve Lands Unnecessarily Threatens Fragile Lands, Habitat at Time of Record Production Report on Sustainable Biofuels Production to be Released Next Week Today, Acting Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Conner announced that the USDA is considering allowing farmers to cancel the contracts enrolling their lands in the Conservation Reserve Program up to several years early without penalty. The program, pays farmers to let 34 million acres--much of which is marginal, easily eroded, and prime habitat for wildlife--remain idle. It is one of the most important land conservations programs in use today--providing habitat on par with that provided by our important system of wildlife refuges. Statement of Ed Hopkins, Director, Sierra Club Environmental Quality Program "It is extremely unfortunate that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is considering allowing farmers to break their contracts and take their lands out of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) years ahead of schedule. The USDA is considering this despite previously saying it would not to do so and with its own experts already predicting an all-time record corn crop of 13.3 billion bushels The present level of corn production has already increased 27 percent over last year and is putting severe strain on the CRP. We believe these marginal and often fragile lands should remain in the CRP instead of being put to use to grow even more corn or other row crops--increasing erosion, the runoff of fertilizers and pollutants into our streams and rivers, and other detrimental environmental effects. "CRP lands are prime habitat for the kind of wild game and game birds that provide countless Americans unmatched opportunities for recreation and hunting. It would be unfortunate to lose even more of this critical habitat at a time of already-booming production and mounting questions about the sustainability of present agricultural practices." In response to concerns about the environmental and economic impacts of the corn boom and corn ethanol production, the Sierra Club, in conjunction with the Worldwatch Institute, will be releasing a report on Tuesday, October 2 entitled "Destination Iowa: Getting to a Sustainable Biofuels Future." The report will discuss the present impact of corn and corn-based ethanol production on Iowa and how the second generation of biofuels and increased renewable energy production offer the prospects of sustained--and sustainable--economic growth and prosperity for rural communities across the Heartland. # # # |
