The National Wildlife Federation commends Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-MS) for their leadership in crafting and moving out of committee a strong, bipartisan reauthorization of the farm bill.

“The Senate farm bill includes an historic agreement between agriculture and conservation organizations to ensure that basic soil and wetland protection requirements were extended to apply to crop insurance premium subsidies,” said Julie Sibbing, director of Agriculture and Forestry Programs, National Wildlife Federation.

“NWF thanks the Committee members for their support of the agreement, especially Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), who successfully offered an amendment to attach these provisions to crop insurance on the Senate floor last year and who stood up for the agreement in committee today.”

“We also thank Chairwoman Stabenow for standing up against amendments that would have weakened the current requirements to protect soil and wetlands as a condition of receiving subsidies.”

The National Wildlife Federation praises the inclusion of a number of modifications to the farm bill, including:

• an amendment by Senator Thune (R-SD) to ensure tracking of conversion of native prairies to crop production,
• an amendment by Senator Bennett (D-CO) to make the new easement program work better for protection of native grasslands
• an amendment by Senator Donnelly (D-IN) to begin to address the issue of risk management coverage for energy crops
• an amendment by Sen. Heitkamp (D-NV) to allow the Natural Resources Conservation Service to have more say over how to allocate technical assistance programs among programs

“The Senate Agriculture Committee passed a farm bill today which seeks to minimize the effects of cuts to conservation and energy programs, and includes important protections for soil, water, wildlife and declining grassland ecosystems,” Sibbing said. “We look forward to working with them to pass a final farm bill this year that includes these important protections.”

  Ensure that worthy Farm Bill conservation programs are reauthorized at appropriate levels, structured to achieve maximum wildlife and environmental benefits, and fully funded during the annual appropriations process.

For more National Wildlife Federation news visit www.nwf.org/news

The National Wildlife Federation is America’s largest conservation organization inspiring Americans to protect wildlife for our children’s future.

Pintail ducks in flight (Photo: USFWS Pacific)

“Few conservation programs can boast the success rate of conservation compliance,” said Moseley, who served as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 2001 to 2005. “This program has helped farmers save 295 million tons of soil per year and kept an estimated 1.5 million to 3.3 million acres of vulnerable wetlands from being drained. The results of this compact between farmers and taxpayers have been astounding.”

Unfortunately, we are now at risk of losing the conservation gains we have made through this important program. Currently, farmers who receive crop insurance subsidies from the government do not have to participate in conservation compliance. However, over the last 15 years, Congress has increased the subsidy amounts on crop insurance, making it the largest subsidy to farmers.  And, as Congress updates federal farm policy in the next Farm Bill, it is increasingly likely that some commodity programs – which do require conservation compliance – will be phased out in favor of a strengthened crop insurance program. Therefore, it is essential that conservation compliance also be updated to apply to the crop insurance premium assistance.

As Moseley explains:

As Congress reauthorizes the farm bill, it is important that the conservation gains made over the last 25 years be retained. Unless included in the ongoing farm bill discussions, there is a possibility that, for the first time in a quarter century, conservation compliance provisions will no longer be attached to the largest federal payment program supporting producers.

Take Action: Call your member of Congress and tell them that you support linking conservation compliance to crop insurance in the next farm bill.

Lest we forget floods, another potential result from changing weather patterns due to climate change. Photo: US Fish & Wildlife Service

“What does it mean, in terms of our agricultural economy, if we don’t do more to curb the greenhouse gas issues we’re facing?” Cowan asked.

A good question, and members of Congress don’t ask it often enough. Farmers, and subsequently consumers, are already feeling the effects of climate change. Dr. Joe Glauber, Chief Economist of the USDA, answered the question by discussing a recent USDA report that included these key messages, paraphrased below:

• Bad news: Climate change will have an impact on agricultural productivity, but
• Good news: there are steps we can take to curb emissions and lessen the negative impacts of climate change.

The report explains that the economic effects of climate change on agriculture depend on a complex web of factors. For example, climate change can impact the livestock industry through the price of feed grains, competition for pasture land, and changing patterns of pests and diseases. How it all plays out could very well depend on how the livestock industry adapts to climate change. Farmers could build livestock shelters to protect their animals from extreme temperatures, but how will farmers protect livestock from the less predictable changes in disease distribution?

Climate change is already costing us. Continuing to use the agricultural economy as an example, consider the hefty price tag of the drought of 2012; it cost taxpayers $14.2 billion in crop insurance alone. Our pocketbooks will be feeling the cost of rising food prices throughout 2013. That is why it is even more important to take action and promote agricultural policies that encourage climate-friendly farming.

As several agricultural producers testified in the hearing, conservation practices have the potential to make farming systems more resilient to changing weather patterns.  For example, conservation tillage practices and cover crops have the potential to improve soil health so that the soil holds more water and sequesters more carbon, keeping harmful greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere and making agricultural land more productive.

 Sometimes people ask me why NWF is involved in the fight on climate change.  I work on agricultural issues, but all natural systems are connected. There is no greater threat to wildlife than climate change; it’s that simple.  A recent report by NWF shows the urgency of acting to protect wildlife against climate impacts. That is why I hope you’ll join us this Sunday at the “Forward on Climate Rally” in DC, or consider financially supporting our work.

Click here to view the embedded video.

It’s a romantic view of farmers, but still it resonates with me. I grew up around farmers and the FFA and I don’t believe there’s a more important vocation on the planet. Farmers carry a lot of responsibilities, looking after the land, feeding their own families, and also producing food for the world. As I watched, I wondered why Dodge chose the Super Bowl to deliver that message of appreciation to farmers.

Maybe it was a show of solidarity after a hard year. First, there was the 2012 drought, one of the worst in recent history. Then, the House of Representatives and Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) let farmers down everywhere when they dropped the ball and failed to get a five-year farm bill on the floor.

But for me the Super Bowl commercial evoked an important question: What is the most important role of farmers in our society? It has always been my belief that one of the most important duties is farming the land in a way that protects the earth, and maintains natural resources for the next generation. Liberty Hyde Bailey, a Michigan farmer’s son and agrarian philosopher who lived over a hundred years ago, put it this way:

“We shall conceive of the earth, which is the common habitation, as inviolable. One does not act rightly toward one’s fellows if one does not know how to act rightly toward the earth.” – Liberty Hyde Bailey, The Holy Earth, 1915

Most of the lifelong farmers that I know share Bailey’s views. However, high crop prices, combined with farm subsidies have created a situation that removes the natural risks of farming.  As a result, some farmers are draining wetlands, and grasslands are being plowed up in the Prairie Pothole Region and Great Plains.

We need farmers, and we need to help support farmers as they provide food for the world, while still promoting good stewardship of the land. Two things need to happen in 2013:

1. Congress needs to pass a farm bill.
2. The farm bill must contain a conservation compliance provision and a Sodsaver provision.  This will close the loophole that eliminates natural risks and rewards bad practices.

Please consider writing personally to your Senator and Congressional Representative about this issue, and let s/he know that this is an important issue to you, and why.

Transocean Pleads Guilty to Violating CWA and Will Pay $1.4 Billion

January 3 - The Department of Justice announced today that Transocean will plead guilty to violating the Clean Water Act and other statutes and pay $1 billion in civil penalties and $400 million in criminal penalties for its role in the 2010 Gulf oil disaster.

“This is an important step to get money flowing into the Gulf of Mexico,” said John Kostyack, vice president for wildlife conservation at the National Wildlife Federation. “Environmental restoration is critical to the well-being of the communities and ecosystems of the Gulf. In passing the bipartisan RESTORE Act, Congress recognized that a healthy ecosystem supports a healthy economy, both regionally and nationally. These are the first funds that will be directed under that historic statute, potentially beginning the largest ecosystem restoration project in U.S. history.”

Farm Bill Extension Falls Short

January 2 - After failing to pass a five year Farm Bill this past year, Congress has extended the 2008 Farm Bill for nine months as part of the fiscal crisis deal. In addition to preventing new farmers from enrolling in the Conservation Stewardship Program, the extension lacks funding for critical renewable energy programs and delays the implementation of sodsaver, a policy that would reduce federal subsidies for farmers who convert native grassland into cropland.

“It is disappointing that Congress was unable to pass a five year Farm Bill in time,” said Julie Sibbing, Director of Agriculture and Forestry Programs for the National Wildlife Federation. “Passing a nine month extension delays much needed reforms and cuts a key incentive program for farmers wanting to implement conservation measures on their land. America’s farmers, taxpayers and wildlife deserve more than this Band-Aid fix.”

• Related: What the Fiscal Cliff Deal Means for Wildlife

TIME OUT: A New Year’s Resolution for the Whole Family

December 31 - One of the most popular New Year’s Resolutions is to “spend more time with my family”. National Wildlife Federation says one of the best ways to keep that resolution all year long is to head outdoors where families can enjoy time together while improving the physical and mental health of their children.

In 2013 resolve to Be Out There and spend more time in the company of Mother Nature. By doing this, families can recapture an essential part of childhood that is being lost; the part that makes outdoors the favorite play space. It’s easier than you think to work into a family routine and National Wildlife Federation’s Be Out There program will be there throughout the year with activities, ideas and inspirations to get more green time into kid’s lives.

And here are highlights from NWF in the News:

• Reuters: Nebraska environment report favors revised Keystone XL pipe plan
• PNS: Fiscal Cliff Deal Includes a Reprieve for Wind Tax Credits
• PNS: ‘Be Outside’ Pledges in MT Aim for Outdoor Fun Every Week
• The News Star: Birds of a feather
• Reuters:  EPA faces legal battles, might take easy confirmation road

For more, visit www.nwf.org/news

This week Congressional leaders are working with the White House behind closed doors to come up with a budget deal to avoid the “fiscal cliff” — and may be considering including a Farm Bill with subsidies that reward people for destroying wetlands and causing soil erosion. 

Don’t let special interests use backroom deals to undermine common sense conservation provisions that protect streams, wetlands and grasslands.

Pintail ducks in flight (Photo: USFWS Pacific)

Farm Bill Must Not Cave to Special Interests

Up until now, conservation has been an important part of the federal Farm Bill.  Conservation programs have protected wildlife by providing farmers and other private landowners incentives to set aside land for wildlife, such as grasslands, wetlands and stream corridors — and landowners have been required to protect wetland habitats and control against serious soil erosion as a condition of receiving subsidies.

If special interests get their way in the fiscal cliff deal, taxpayer dollars will be used to reward the destruction of millions of acres of wetlands and reward farming practices that lead to worsened soil erosion–choking streams with silt and harming fish.

Help Stop the Destruction of Wildlife Habitat

Right now, we can stop lawmakers from using the fiscal cliff as an excuse to subsidize the destruction of Prairie Pothole wetlands where Northern Pintail ducks breed.

Urge President Obama to ensure that any final Farm Bill he signs include conservation measures that were voted on by the Senate. Failure to include these conservation provisions could lead to a massive destruction of important habitat for the Northern Pintail duck.

Urge President Obama to protect our remaining prairie wetlands for northern pintails.

Click here to view the embedded video.

My thoughts quickly centered on the many barriers and obstacles to making this transition, but I also considered alternatives and found that while difficult, going to no till and cover crops has created some great opportunities.

First lesson: Other farmers are a valuable resource

Going through this process is much easier when networking with other farmers going through similar transitions, especially if they are in your area. In my first year, there were no other farmers in my area using no till and cover crops.  Just recently I learned of another farmer choosing to go to no till with cover crops. The conversations since have been quite valuable for the education and information exchanged.  Just 10 minutes on the phone, comparing notes with this nearby farmer provided me with insights that would help me improve my system. This type of information exchange is all the more valuable when farmers convert to less well-known systems.

Winter Wheat, October 2012.

Second lesson: No till makes it easier for beginning farmers to get into agriculture

No till and cover crops have allowed me and other beginning farmers an easier entry into agriculture.  For those just entering the business, acquiring assets (land, cattle, equipment etc.) is often the most expensive and difficult step. The costs of some of this equipment can be truly astounding. Systems with reduced equipment requirements (such as no till or rotational grazing) lower that initial barrier to entry. By not having to purchase tillage equipment (chisel plow, disk, field cultivator and stalk shredder) and a larger tractor to power that equipment, I am able to keep costs low.

Third lesson: Farm Bill conservation programs make a difference

Despite the benefits to farmers, the environment and taxpayers (see my previous post), conservation programs which help farmers transition to these conservation practices face budget cuts in the next Farm Bill. Few programs provide as many benefits to so many, yet all of the Farm Bill proposals include some drastic cuts to conservation programs. More immediately, because of the current impasse on the Farm Bill leading to its expiration on September 30, some conservation programs cannot take new enrollments.

Take Action

With the Farm Bill debate set to begin again right after the election, speak out for wildlife and let Congress know you value Farm Bill conservation programs for the clean water and wildlife they protect.  The many farmers who rely on these programs to implement good conservation practices will certainly thank you.

“We were too selfish and we were trying to make money. It didn’t work out.” – Dust Bowl Survivor quoted in Ken Burns’s documentary, The Dust Bowl

Wednesday night, I attended an early preview of Ken Burns’ documentary, The Dust Bowl, which will be airing on PBS November the 18th. Mr. Burns presented 6 clips from the film, followed by a panel discussion that also included Dust Bowl survivor Cal Crabill, National Geographic editor Peter Miller, and CBS news correspondent Jim Axelrod.

Click here to view the embedded video.

As a former student of soil science and the history of agriculture in America, I was more than passingly familiar with the story of the Dust Bowl as a cautionary tale of the consequences of the coincidence of human greed, government policy, and extreme climate conditions. As I know the story, a favorable market for crops, speculation from wealthy investors, and encouragement from the federal government led to a massive plow-up of land in the Midwest and Plains States during the 1930s. This was before modern soil conservation practices evolved, when people really believed that their activities would not harm the land.

“The soil is the one indestructible, immutable asset that the nation possesses.  It is one resource that cannot be exhausted, that cannot be used up.” – Federal Bureau of Soils, 1909

We now know the above quote is not true. It is possible for humans to cause incredible, and even irreversible damage to our natural resources. The soil is resilient, but it is not indestructible.

Watching the film brought the human dimension of the Dust Bowl and its aftermath to life in my mind. I can’t imagine what it was like for people to sit in the dark in their own homes, covering their faces with flour sacks or pieces of cloth to keep from breathing in the dirt as black clouds of dust raced by just outside their walls. I can’t imagine the aftermath of poverty, when people’s lives were destroyed and their sources of income depleted, so that mothers went to extreme measures to find lost dimes to feed their children.

Photo: Arthur Rothstein, 1936. Library of Congress. Farm family walks through a dust storm near Cimarron County, Oklahoma.

Right now, market conditions are encouraging farmers to plant fence row to fence row, breaking out new land in the Midwest and Plains and destroying what native grasslands remain. This past summer, one of the worst droughts in recent history created ideal conditions for dust storms. Indeed, yesterday, in Oklahoma, a dust storm caused “near blackout visibility” and a 30 car pile-up, resulting in injuries, damage to property, and the risk of human life.

It is crucial that our government policies do not encourage us to repeat past mistakes. That is why NWF has been fighting to get a national Sodsaver provision applied to the next Farm Bill. The Great Plains of the past that supported vast herds of buffalo and antelope are long gone, but our remaining grasslands are home to a wide array of wildlife, such as pheasants, prairie dogs, and songbirds. It is very important that we don’t lose what little grassland remains. We should remember the lessons of the Dust Bowl, and think not just about what could happen to wildlife, but also what could happen to human beings if we try to do too much on the land.

Let Congress know that you want a national Sodsaver provision in the next Farm Bill.  This is a small step we can take to make sure taxpayer dollars aren’t funding the same kind of activities that contributed to the Dust Bowl.

My job is to update you on the wildlife impacts of Farm Bill developments from the past few months and give you an idea of what conservation’s future might look like, if the Farm Bill doesn’t pass by September, 21st (Please see my previous blog for a basic explanation of what the Farm Bill is and how it affects wildlife).

Recap: Senate and House Bills

On September 12, 2012, farm groups gathered in front of the Capitol to urge Congress to pass the Farm Bill now. National Wildlife Federation staff attended.

• It maintains an adequate level of funding for conservation programs;
• It contains a national Sodsaver provision to protect native grasslands;
• And it requires that farmers receiving taxpayer-funded crop insurance premium subsidies protect the public good by following a soil conservation plan on highly erodible land and refrain from draining wetlands (known as conservation compliance).

After the Senate bill passed, it was the House’s turn to pass their own version. The House Agriculture Committee moved quickly to pass H.R. 6830, the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2012. Although the House version maintained a similar level of funding to conservation in comparison to the Senate bill, it lacked important protection for wildlife. The House bill’s version of Sodsaver only applied to the Prairie Pothole Region, despite efforts by Reps. Timothy Walz (D-Minn.) and Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) to extend Sodsaver nationally and protect native grasslands nationwide. The House version also lacked conservation compliance provisions in exchange for crop insurance premium subsidies. However, if brought to the House floor, members of Congress will have the chance to apply Sodsaver to the entire nation, and apply important soil and water conservation provisions, as Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) did on the Senate floor.

Unfortunately, the Farm Bill is stalled. There are only 3 days left on the Congressional calendar before the 2008 Farm Bill expires on September 30th, 2012, and the House leadership still hasn’t allowed the Farm Bill to go to the floor. Although Rep. Bruce Braley (D-IA) filed a discharge petition to force the House to a vote, it is unlikely the petition will get enough signatures before the Farm Bill expires.

What will happen if the 2008 Farm Bill expires?

The longer it takes to pass a farm bill, the worse things will be for conservation. According to the Congressional Research Service, funding for some conservation programs, including the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) was extended beyond the Farm Bill until September 2014, by the FY2012 Agriculture Appropriations Act (P.L. 112-55); however, that appropriation contains significant cuts to all those programs.

But the Farm Bill expiration isn’t the only thing affecting conservation funding right now. In an effort to keep the government running  until March 2013, the House has passed a continuing resolution which would cap some conservation programs and cut others. If the House votes on a Farm Bill in the lame duck session after the November election, there is still another chance to restore vital conservation funding.  If Congress waits until next year to vote on the Farm Bill, the process will have to start all over again and conservation will continue to be a target for disproportionate budget cuts.

Will the agricultural world as we know it come to an end?

Old barns might still be pretty, but old farm laws are not. The Farm Bill has to keep moving forward to keep up with the times. Photo credit: flickr, cwwycoff1

So, no, the world isn’t going to end if the Farm Bill doesn’t pass by September 30th. That being said, I am hugely disappointed in this turn of events. I would like to believe that our elected officials can work together and get things done. A Farm Bill that pleases everyone may not exist. But I believe that with hard, bipartisan work, Congress can pass a Farm Bill we can stand behind. There is still time left, and a bill is so close. Yet so far.

What can you do to make sure mayhem doesn’t ensue and wildlife is protected?

Follow the link to ask your representative to extend the important wildlife protection provisions from the Senate version to the House version of the Bill, whenever it comes to the floor.

UPDATE: September 20th: House Speaker John Boehner announced that the Farm Bill will not go to the House floor until after November elections.  

Click here to view the embedded video.

Wildlife-friendly farming practices

Wildlife like these Sandhill cranes forage through crop residue in late spring. No till and cover crops not only protect water quality and improve soil health and productivity, but provide vital habitat and forage for wildlife.

No till and cover crops increase carbon sequestration, provide more benefits to wildlife, and reduce erosion. It was specifically that last point why I went out in the rain a few weeks back. As I made my way down the road I noticed the water running off of my field was still clear. The soil and nutrients stayed in the field. But as I crossed the road it was a rather different story which became immediately apparent. Runoff from my neighbor’s field (using conventional tillage practices) was a thick brown color, indicating considerable soil and nutrient loss—contributing to water quality issues for wildlife and downstream residents.

If I can farm profitably and also protect habitat and water quality, it seems to me a rather easy decision. Yet, not all farmers use these techniques for a multitude of reasons. There are transition barriers, but conservation programs help. I have an Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) contract through the Natural Resources Conservation Service that helps defray some of the costs of implementing nutrient management and no till practices. Most farmers would agree conservation programs provide the biggest impact in protecting resources and are well worth it for farmer and taxpayer alike.

Opportunity to protect water quality and wildlife in the Farm Bill

This conventionally tilled farm field with massive erosion and nutrient runoff impacts wildlife and costs down stream residents.

Voice your support for conservation in the Farm Bill

We need a farm bill that supports programs that help farmers transition to practices that conserve resources and provide multiple benefits. We also need provisions that ensure basic conservation is implemented in exchange for all farm subsidies and that subsidies do not encourage the destruction of valuable wildlife habitat. Please call your representative to ask them for a Farm Bill that includes conservation compliance reconnected to crop insurance premium subsidies, a national sodsaver provision, and more funding for conservation programs! Take action online: https://online.nwf.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1628 Better yet, with August recess upon us, meet with your representative or a staff member to discuss the value of conservation in the Farm Bill.