National Association of Conservation Districts

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONSERVATION DISTRICTS REMAIN OPPOSED TO PENALTY-FREE RELEASE FROM CRP CONTRACTS

NACD President John Redding, a cotton, peanut and pine tree producer from Monroe, Georgia, today issued the following statement following a federal court ruling on the Conservation Reserve Program.

WASHINGTON , D.C. —July 25, 2008—“ In light of yesterday’s U.S. District Court decision on the critical use permits under the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) , I want to express the National Association of Conservation Districts’ continued commitment to the environmental benefits of the CRP.

“We understand that producers across the country are facing pressures given recent weather and economic conditions. NACD supports landowners’ ability to hay and graze, as consistent with conservation plans and taking into account wildlife habitat.

“However, as NACD emphasized in a letter to Agriculture Secretary Schafer earlier this month, we remain opposed to early release from CRP contracts without penalty.

“NACD believes that CRP should be targeted to the most environmentally sensitive land, and that producers who have enrolled land in CRP have met environmental criteria and have committed to removed this land from production, creating natural resource benefits. The contracts were entered into for a specific time period, producing environmental benefits in return for payment.

“Conservation districts remain committed to the success of the Conservation Reserve Program, and believe the natural resource benefits resulting from enrollment should not be sacrificed through early release from contracts.”

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