The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H1003-H1004 on March 13, 1997.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
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CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM
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, this Member comes to the floor to raise concerns about the Conservation Reserve Program signup which began on March 3.
Over the past decade, the Conservation Reserve Program, the CRP, has proven to be enormously successful. It is a national investment which provides dividends to farmers, environmentalists, sportsmen, conservationists, the general public, and wildlife. The CRP is a voluntary program established by Congress in 1985 that provides incentives for farmers to convert land poorly suited for row crops into grasslands and tree cover. Grasslands and trees in turn prevent topsoil erosion, improve water quality, and provide critical wildlife habitat.
The CRP has now reached a critical point as previous contracts expire and new land is enrolled in the program. This September, the contracts on more than 60 percent of existing CRP acres will expire. That is 60 percent. Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued its long-delayed rules to govern the enrollment of new land into the program. The new rules make two-thirds of all existing U.S. farmland eligible for the program. It is possible that half the program's acres could be enrolled during this upcoming signup period.
These facts make it clear that a careful, thoughtful approach is needed to ensure that the benefits of this successful program are not lost. Unfortunately, this Member must be concerned that the complex new rules combined with the short time frame in place to implement them could lead to an unmitigated disaster which could tarnish this program for many years to come.
By taking so long to issue the rules, the USDA left a ridiculously short amount of time to inform producers and employees about the changes, conduct the signup and reach decisions about which bids to accept. Mr. Speaker, this is clearly a recipe for a bureaucratic disaster. While the intent of the new rules to focus on more environmentally sensitive land is, indeed, laudable, and supported by this Member, this Member is also concerned that the rushed and haphazard signup process will make this goal much more difficult to reach.
Although local USDA employees are doing their best to implement these new rules, they have clearly been given a demanding task which has been made even more difficult by shifting instructions. Recent changes in the rating system during the signup process has only added to the frustration of producers.
Another concern about the signup is that the proposed rental rates announced by the Farm Service Agency office do not reflect the grassroots input that was solicited and furnished last fall. A related concern is that the resulting rates in many instances could significantly distort any signup efforts.
A local County Conservation Review Group recently reviewed the rental rates for counties in southeastern Nebraska which were announced by the USDA. In one instance, the same type of soil is projected for a rental value of $84 per acre in one county but only $58 per acre across the road in another county. Disparities such as this are simply too great.
Mr. Speaker, this Nation has invested too much in the CRP to risk it on a rushed signup process. This Member believes it would be wise, and yes, absolutely necessary to offer an extension for existing contracts which expire this year. Such action would allow sufficient time to carefully analyze the new guidelines and determine whether any corrections are needed before the majority of CRP signups take place.
I would like to start it now because so much is involved in the signup period, but simply, we have waited too long at the USDA. It would be extremely detrimental if irreversible damage is done to the CRP during this signup period. This Member believes that the new process should be tested to determine whether the new rules are feasible and beneficial. Action must be taken now before it is too late.
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