Daily News Update, Feb. 8, 2008

Farm bill conservation programs

NCBA and 31 additional cattle and environmental organizations sent a letter to House and Senate Ag Committee leaders regarding the Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) in the House and Senate farm bills.

NCBA is urging that the Farm Bill maintains a strong GRP and outlined support for the following priorities:

• increase the GRP acreage to two million acres with no fiscal cap. At a minimum, keep the 1.34 million acres as directed by the House bill, with no fiscal cap.
• emphasize large, intact and native and naturalized grasslands to achieve efficient program implementation. The bulk of GRP funding should be focused on conservation easements rather than restoration activities. GRP should be exempt from the regional equity provision to allow the program to target areas in the country where grassland is under extreme conversion pressure.
• use the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice for fair market valuation and appraisal methodologies.
• allow third parties to write and hold easements. The Senate language comprehensively enhances the role of third parties and allows USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service to let others negotiate, hold and monitor easements.