Conservation Districts Remain Opposed to Pentalty-Free Release from CRP Contracts - National Association of Conservation Districts

NACD's mission is to serve conservation districts by providing national leadership and a unified voice for natural resource conservation.

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONSERVATION DISTRICTS CONGRATULATE
VILSACK, SALAZAR ON NEW POSTS

NACD President John Redding, a cotton, peanut and pine tree producer from Monroe, Georgia, today issued the following statement following U.S. Senate confirmation of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.

WASHINGTON , D.C. —January 21, 2009—“ Yesterday the United State Senate confirmed several top Cabinet members of the Obama Administration, including U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. On behalf of the National Association of Conservation Districts, I congratulate the new leaders on their posts.

“As Governor of Iowa, Secretary Vilsack worked closely with conservation districts in the state and was a proponent of wise natural resource use. Conservation districts work hand-in-hand with our partners in the Department of Agriculture and its agencies at the local, state and national levels. We look forward to continuing a strong partnership with USDA through the implementation of the Farm Bill, economic stimulus efforts and other issues facing the new Administration.

“Secretary Salazar has demonstrated leadership on energy and natural resource issues during his tenure in the U.S. Senate. He will oversee a department with a broad scope of responsibility, including wildlife, public lands, forests and more. NACD shares a Memorandum of Understanding with agencies within the Department of Interior, together promoting local and state level partnerships and encouraging conservation district participation in DOI programs.

“We look forward to working with both of these leaders and the departments that they oversee to provide local landowners and communities the programs, policies and tools they need to manage and protect America’s natural resources.”

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The National Association of Conservation Districts is the non-profit organization that represents the nation’s 3,000 conservation districts and 17,000 men and women who serve on their governing boards. For almost 70 years, local conservation districts have worked with cooperating landowners and managers of private working lands to help them plan and apply effective conservation practices. NACD’s website is at www.nacdnet.org