Habitat & Conservation  |  09/06/2017

POLICY ACTION: September CRP and Farm Bill Update


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Above: Part of getting the CRP and Farm Bill conservation message out is letting key decison makers see results on the ground. The Gallatin Valley Land Trust, along with Quail Forever and Pheasants Forever, held such a tour in Montana last month.

Any time of year is the perfect time to get engaged on policy that impact sportsmen. But as members of Congress return back to D.C. after their August and Labor Day break, it’s prime time for you to let your feelings about conservation issues known.
 

Action Alert

Take action now to support a larger Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), and other Farm Bill conservation program. Sign the CRPWorks Petition at CRPWorks.org. Then email or call your members of Congress.  

Let your senators and representatives know how important these programs are for you, your family and friends. Tell these legislators that as a hunter, angler, farmer, rancher, landowner or business owner that CRP and other Farm Bill programs are critical to your way of life. Drop them a note at www.Senate.gov or www.House.gov.

That’s what you can do. Now here’s some important news on what we’ve been doing to keep the upland conservation mission forefront on lawmakers’ minds.


Legislation and Policy Update

The Quail Forever and Pheasants Forever team in Washington DC launched several initiatives to write conservation into the 2018 Farm Bill. The current legislation expires this month, and Congress continues to work toward markup of new legislation. That process could happen yet this year.

In an effort to positively impact the process, Quail Forever and Pheasants Forever held the third of four 2017 DC Farm Bill Trips that included chapter representatives from eight states. 

We also hosted chapter leaders, farmers and ranchers in DC, coordinating meetings with representatives and senators, along with key agriculture committee staff members, to talk about Quail Forever and Pheasants Forever priorities for the 2018 Farm Bill.

These priorities include:

*Continuing and expanding CRP.

*Building a strong working lands programs with initiatives such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and additional funding for the Voluntary Public Access – Habitat Improvement Program (VPA-HIP), which supports several states’ walk-in hunting access programs.

*Providing technical assistance via Quail Forever’s and Pheasants Forever’s network of staff biologists.

*Providing additional funding for implementation of conservation programs.

Photo Credit: Ducks Unlimited.