Let your voice be heard!
Contact USDA Secretary Ed Schafer
In an attempt to make it easier for you to get straight to the point, here is a website that you can use to send a message directly to USDA Secretary Ed Schafer: CONTACT USDA SECRETARY ED SCHAFER
CRP Report: Special Edition
Check out this Analysis Of The Economic Impacts On The Agricultural Sector Of The Elimination Of The Conservation Reserve Program
Recent Legislation News
Jul-30-2008 - Last week, Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) biologists met with officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and political leaders in Washington, DC. The meetings focused on conservation opportunities in the new Farm Bill. For PF/QF, the meetings marked an important transition from the Farm Bill legislative process to implementation. "It's important to remember the signing of a new Farm Bill into law is only the first step in the conservation process," explained Dave Nomsen, PF/QF's Vice President of Governmental Affairs. "Rules, regulations, appropriations, and promotion of conservation programs are all critical to the magic of turning law into habitat on the land." ...more
CRP Survives Early Outs Talk, but Soil Bank Tragedy LoomsJul-29-2008 - Quail Forever (QF) and Pheasants Forever (PF) support the U.S. Department of Agriculture's decision not to offer "early outs" to Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts without penalty. Today's USDA announcement comes after months of speculation about early outs, which would have led to a multi-million acre loss of environmentally sensitive lands currently providing wildlife habitat, protecting water quality, and safeguarding soil resources. However, PF/QF warns of further trouble ahead for CRP, which has already seen 3 million acres leave the program with an additional 13 million more acres in line for expiration in the next three years. ...more
Statement from USDA Secretary Schafer on CRPJul-29-2008 - "We have just completed a very thorough review of whether we should allow the early release of acres enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) without penalty to land owners. After carefully considering recent crop reports and weather conditions, the price trends we are seeing in grain markets and the likelihood of increasing land for crop production, we have decided not to allow the penalty-free release of CRP land at this time. ...more
Quail Forever Opposes Early Outs to CRPJul-01-2008 - On July 1st, Quail Forever joined 12 other national conservation groups on a letter to USDA Secretary Ed Schafer. The letter opposed any "Early Outs" to Conservation Reserve Program contracts. Any form of Early Outs to CRP would have a dramatically negative impact on quail, other species of wildlife, water quality, and many rural economies. ...more
Important Days for CRP AheadMay-30-2008 - Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) have a mix of reactions as a result of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s announcement to open more than 24 million acres of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands to haying and grazing later this summer. While the move holds some habitat benefits, it does create problems for hunters this fall and sends the wrong message about the value of CRP to America. Also looming is the recurring discussion about “early-outs” from CRP contracts. ...more
