Action Alert regarding the Conservation Security Act

TO: Organic Partners of the National Campaign

Following is an Action Alert regarding the Conservation Security Act.

This bill would provide incentive payments to organic farmers for
environmental production methods they are already practicing.

In fact, while the bill doesn't mention organic (for strategic reasons), it
is the closest thing in any federal program to rewarding farmers for being
organic, with significant payments ($20,000 - $50,000 per year over a
contract life of 5 or 10 years).

We need your Help TODAY!

1. Urge Co-sponsorship of this Bill by your House member and Senators
2. Have Your organization endorse the Bill

If you would like a copy of the bill or have questions, please call or email
Chris Campany at the National Campaign (845-744-8448;
chris@sustainableagriculture.net)

THE NATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

IMMEDIATE ACTIONS NEEDED TO SUPPORT THE CONSERVATION SECURITY ACT

Action needed by May 14th!
Please forward this e-mail widely!

The Conservation Security Act would reward producers for good stewardship in
appreciation of the many non-market environmental and social benefits that
these practices provide society. Through the Conservation Security Act,
very substantial federal farm bill dollars would be available to farmers and
ranchers of all manner of crops and livestock to support conservation farm
practices and environmental protection on land that is in active production.
If passed by Congress, it would represent both a dramatic re-orientation of
farm programs and a major ramping up of conservation assistance. This bill
was first introduced in 1999 and again last year. Congressional sponsors
plan to reintroduce a new, revised version of the Conservation Security Act
on May 15th!

Stewardship incentives, an idea which is embodied in the Conservation
Security Act, is one of the key farm bill initiatives for the National
Campaign and it has been endorsed by many leading farm and environmental
organizations. Your help is urgently needed to help build a groundswell of
support within Congress.

A brief description of the provisions of the Conservation Security Act is
included at the end of this alert.

1. Urge Co-Sponsorship By Your House Member And Senators!
Please call your congressional delegation (2 Senators and 1 House Member)
and urge them to co-sponsor the Conservation Security Act. The Capitol
Switchboard number is 202-224-3121. Ask for your Senator or Representative
by name and they will connect you. Ask to speak with the legislative aid who
handles agriculture. If you get voice mail, leave a short message and/or ask
to be called back. Simply tell them you support the Conservation Security
Act, that you understand the bill will be introduced on May 15th, and ask
them to become co-sponsors. Senators who would like to be a co-sponsor
should be directed to contact Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) or Senator Gordon
Smith (R-OR). House (Representatives) members who would like to be a
co-sponsor should be directed to contact Representative John Thune (R-SD).

You can help us keep track of how things are going by sending the National
Campaign a very brief e-mail to action501@sustainableagriculture.net to let
us know you have called your House member and Senators.

2. Have Your Organization Endorse The Bill!
If you are part of an organization that supports the Conservation Security
Act and have the authority to do so, indicate your organization's
endorsement of the bill by:
· calling the National Campaign at 845-744-8448 · e-mailing us
at action501@sustainableagriculture.net, or
· faxing us at 845-744-8477.

Your endorsement can simply consist of the name of the organization, your
position with that organization, and the words "CSA endorsement."

Of even greater impact is a brief letter of support on your organization's
letterhead addressed to Senators Tom Harkin and Gordon Smith, US Senate,
Washington, DC 20510. Fax us a copy of this letter at 845-744-8477 and we
will make certain that the Senators receive your correspondence. This letter
can be very simple. The following is sample language.
"Our organization, (name of your organization here), endorses the
Conservation Security Act. The (your thoughts) provisions are particularly
relevant to our constituency. Thank you for your support of this important
legislation.

Sincerely, name name of organization Be sure to provide contact info."

Time is of the essence! While we can continue to add co-sponsors over the
next couple of months, we need to have as big a showing as possible at the
kick-off event on the 15th.

Attached is a one page summary of the bill. For more information go to
www.mnproject.org <http://www.mnproject.org/> or
www.sustainableagriculture.net <http://www.sustainableagriculture.net/> .

Conservation Security Act 2001

Summary: The Conservation Security Act (CSA) of 2001 provides financial
assistance to help farmers and ranchers find viable solutions to
agricultural, environmental, and economic concerns. The CSA helps
agriculture respond to site-specific environmental challenges on a voluntary
basis with a flexible program designed to address these challenges in a
cost-effective and results-oriented fashion. The CSA rewards producers for
good stewardship in appreciation of the many non-market environmental and
social benefits that these practices provide society.

Conservation Purposes: The Conservation Security Program (CSP) created by
the CSA addresses the full range of conservation concerns related to
agriculture, including:

-- conservation of soil, water, energy, and other related resources
-- soil, water, and air quality protection and improvement
-- on-farm conservation and regeneration of plant germplasm
-- wetland and wildlife habitat restoration, conservation, and enhancement
-- greenhouse gas emissions reduction and carbon sequestration
-- and other similar conservation goals

Participation: Participation in the program stipulates that land practices
must achieve resource and environmental benefits, but does not require the
removal of land from production. In addition, practices do not need to be
newly introduced to the farm/ranch; producers can be rewarded for good
stewardship practices implemented prior to enrollment in the CSP.
Participants are responsible for developing conservation security plans that
identify targeted resources, practices, and implementation schedules.
Participants are granted maximum flexibility for choosing land management
practices suitable for individual farms. In certain instances, the plan may
include an on-farm research or demonstration component.

Tiers: Participants have the choice of enrolling in one of three tiers:

-- Tier I participants address priority resource concerns on all or part of
their farms/ranches. Practices may include soil and residue management,
nutrient management, pest management, irrigation management, grazing
management, wildlife habitat management, contour farming, strip cropping,
and related practices.

-- Tier II participants address priority resource concerns on the whole
farm/ranch and meet applicable resource management system criteria. Tier II
practices entail adoption of land use adjustment practices such as
resource-conserving crop rotations, rotational grazing, conservation buffer
practices, restoration of wildlife habitats, prairies, and/or wetlands, and
related practices.

-- Tier III participants satisfy the requirements of tiers I and II, while
integrating land use practices into a whole-farm, total-resource approach
that fosters long-term sustainability of the resource base.

Payment and Eligibility: Payments are based on the natural resource and
environmental benefits expected from plan implementation, the number and
timing of management practices established, income forgone due to land use
adjustments, costs related to on-farm research, and several other factors.
Bonuses are also offered to beginning farmers and for joint participation by
operators within a small watershed. Payments may not exceed $20,000,
$35,000, and $50,000 for Tier I, II, and III contracts, respectively.
Payment contracts are for 5 years for Tier I and from 5 to 10 years for Tier
II and III.

Funding: The program is funded out of the Commodity Credit Corporation and
all eligible producers will receive contract payments for the requisite
number of years. CCC funding is also provided for technical assistance,
education and outreach, and monitoring and evaluation.
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Liana Hoodes
National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture
P.O. Box 396
Pine Bush, New York 12566
Phone: 845-744-8448
Fax: 845-744-8477
email: liana@sustainableagriculture.net
www.SustainableAgriculture.net <http://www.sustainableagriculture.net/>
If you would like to join our (free) Action Alert Network, please email us
your name, address, phone, fax, and email.
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