1: Take Action: Tell Congress We Need More Conservation Funding

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Take Action: Tell Congress We Need More Conservation Funding

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February 28, 2008

Help Improve Our Environment: Support More Funding for Conservation

Dear Agriculture,

Farm bill programs help keep our water clean and improve our environment. Budget decisions are being made now, tell Congress to increase funding for conservation!

Congressional budget committees are working on their Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Resolution—and will soon determine how much money is available for programs like conservation and farmland protection.

Contact your Congressional representatives now, and tell them to urge Budget Committee members to increase funding for conservation programs.

American Farmland Trust supports Chairman Peterson and the House Agriculture Committee for seeking additional resources for farm bill programs, specifically more funding for conservation, in their February 27th budget letter (PDF) to House Budget Chairman Spratt.

AFT agrees "In the area of farm conservation, the 2002 Farm Bill provided the largest funding increase for such programs in the Agriculture Department’s history. Even so, there is widespread agreement that further expansion is appropriate."

Let your representatives know you agree—tell them we need more conservation funding to support farmers and ranchers working to protect our air, water, land and wildlife.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of Chairman Peterson, Chairman Harkin, and the leadership in Congress we are finally closing in on an agreement on the farm bill. Urge your representatives to keep the pressure on and get it finished!

We need a new farm bill, not an extension, and we need new resources in the bill to expand critical nutrition, conservation, renewable energy and healthy and local foods programs.

Sincerely,