Take Action on Federal Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program Interim Final Rule
On July 2, 2009, the USDA and Natural Resources Conservation Service issued a correction to the Interim Final Rule for the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program originally released on January 16, 2009. This correction re-opens the comment period on the entire Interim Final Rule through August 3, 2009
Now is the time to make your voice heard at the USDA and Natural Resources Conservation Service! The comment period for the Interim Final Rule ends on August 3rd.
Before you comment, be sure to check-out our, Top 5 Changes Needed to the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program Interim Final Rule. Read this document to learn about how the correction has improved the FRPP program and the rule's interpretation opens the door to further improve the program. Since several modifications to the Interim Final Rule that American Farmland Trust along with many other eligible entities sought were not incorporated in the correction, we believe that this correction provides an important window of opportunity to urge changes to the program for FY10, including each of our top five areas:
- Treatment of easement terms and conditions in light of the new interpretation of a contingent right of enforcement;
- The certification process for eligible entities;
- Forest management plan requirements;
- Impervious surface standards; and,
- National ranking criteria
We encourage all of you to not only comment on the changes included in the correction but to again raise any and all concerns you have with other aspects of the Interim Final Rule. For more information on these issues, please read our “Top Five” concerns related to the program. You may also contact me at bwagner@farmland.org,
If you are a landowner, a land trust, a state or local farmland protection program administrator, or concerned citizen who cares about this important federal program, please take the time to submit your comments to the USDA and Natural Resources Conservation Service. Comments can be submitted electronically by going to http://www.regulations.gov/ and following the instructions to look up the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program. Be sure to include the docket number on your comments: Docket Number NRCS-IFR-08013.
Sincerely,
Bob Wagner
Senior Director Farmland Protection Programs
American Farmland Trust
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