News Release

Newswire - 06/08/2001
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONGRESSIONAL ACTION COULD BE WATERSHED FOR WILDLIFE; 40 WILDLIFE AND CONSERVATION GROUPS UNITE IN SUPPORT OF FARM BILL PROVISIONS

Washington, D.C., -- June 8, 2001 -- A group of leading wildlife and conservation groups have united in support of "Farm Bill" conservation programs currently being evaluated by Congress. On June 6, congressional testimony delivered by Ducks Unlimited represented 40 organizations with a combined membership of 10 million individuals. "The current conservation provisions Congress is looking at have created more wildlife habitat than any other federal program. This year will be a watershed year for wildlife---the Farm Bill programs will hopefully be increased or at the very least renewed," said Scott Sutherland, director of governmental affairs for Ducks Unlimited.

Jeff Nelson, Director of Operations for DU's Great Plains Regional Office, testified before the House Agriculture Committee. "We are here today to pledge our support to you and this Congress as you establish agriculture policy at the outset of the 21st century," said Nelson, on behalf of a broad spectrum of groups, including The Nature Conservancy, Bass Anglers Sportsman's Society, Pheasants Forever, the National Rifle Association, and the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation.

Because the U.S. Congress assesses programs that affect farming, ranching and forestry once every five years, the opportunity to voice support as well as concerns with the overarching policies is rare. Congress is engaged in this process right now, with a House Agriculture Committee vote expected as early as August. Final passage is not expected until 2002 based on early indications from Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (IA).

The coalition has lined up in support of three existing programs and one new conservation program: the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP), and the new Grasslands Reserve Program (GRP). The WRP and CRP are widely viewed as two of the most effective conservation programs. Because of acreage and authorization limits contained in the current presiding law, these programs must be reauthorized or they will become extinct, as will their many benefits.

"These programs have very broad appeal because they are the most effective tools for influencing the condition of our air, soil, water, plants and wildlife," said Dr. Alan Wentz, Group Manager of Conservation Programs at Ducks Unlimited.

The Wetlands Reserve Program, which is on the ground in 49 states, provides farmers with financial incentives to remove marginal lands from crop production, and in many cases, restore and protect wetlands.

"Benefits from this program are evident along streams, lakes, bays and estuaries throughout the country. In addition to the economic benefits for landowners, a myriad of wildlife species, several of them threatened or endangered, have gained improved habitat," said Nelson.

"The people who value wildlife and open space, whether they are hunters, anglers, bird watchers or just outdoor enthusiasts, also are obvious beneficiaries of WRP." Nelson concluded with the coalition's recommendation to expand the WRP to accommodate the enrollment of 250,000 acres per year for the next five years.

The CRP, like WRP, is widely credited as being one of the most successful federal wildlife habitat conservation programs in history, conserving millions of acres of critical habitat. Scientists estimate that from 1992 to 1997, CRP habitat in just three states (Montana, North Dakota & South Dakota) contributed 10.5 million new ducks to the migratory flight in the fall.

When CRP was originally established, Congress authorized enrollment of up to 45 million acres. That ceiling was later reduced to 36.4 million acres, most of which now have been completely enrolled. The 40-group coalition recommends reauthorizing CRP and restoring the enrollment caps to 45 million.

While not threatened by immediate extinction, the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) is also hailed as an important wildlife program. WHIP was developed to assist landowners with habitat restoration and management, specifically targeting fish and wildlife. Because of funding restrictions, WHIP turns away the majority of applicants. DU and the coalition recommend increasing WHIP funding to $100 million per year.

The Grasslands Reserve Program (GRP) has been proposed as a new provision to address the dramatic loss of prairie grasslands in the heartland, which stretches from Texas to the Canadian border. The program would provide funding to ranchers wishing to sell permanent or 30-year easements against the cultivation of grasslands. The grasslands are important to waterfowl and critical to declining songbirds such as Sprague's Pipit, Baird's Sparrow and McCown's Longspur. The coalition recommends establishing a program that could support one million acres.

"The United States has lost over half of its original wetlands to development and we continue to lose our most productive wetlands at a rate of over 100,000 acres per year. That rate of loss could accelerate because of a recent Supreme Court ruling curtailing protection of isolated wetlands. We need these agriculture conservation programs to keep pace with these losses, to say nothing of starting to reverse the trend of loss over two centuries," said Dr. Wentz.

Groups represented in the testimony of Ducks Unlimited before the Committee on Agriculture: American Fisheries Society, Archery Manufacturers and Merchants Organization, Bass Anglers Sportsman's Society, Boone and Crocket Club, Buckmasters American Deer Foundation, California Waterfowl Association, Campfire Club of America, Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, Conservation Force, Dallas Safari Club, Delta Waterfowl Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Foundation for North American Wild Sheep, International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, International Foundation for the Conservation of Natural Resources, Izaak Walton League of America, Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation, The Mule Deer Foundation, National Rifle Association, National Shooting Sports Foundation, National Trappers Association, National Wild Turkey Federation, The Nature Conservancy, North American Gamebird Association, North American Waterfowl Federation, Orion-The Hunter's Institute, Pheasants Forever, Pope and Young Club, Quail Unlimited, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Safari Club International, Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute, The Ruffed Grouse Society, Trout Unlimited, Whitetails Forever, Wildlife Habitat Council, The Wildlife Society, Wildlife Legislative Fund of America, and Wildlife Management Institute.

With more than one million supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the world's leading wetland and waterfowl conservation group. Wetlands are nature's most productive ecosystems, but the United States has lost more than half of its original wetlands, and continues to lose more than 100,000 wetland acres every year.

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