Conservation Corner: October 15, 2001

President Bush Proposes Strong Conservation Policy
by James L. Cummins

President Bush has recently called for an increased emphasis on conservation in the upcoming Farm Bill, which is the largest tool in the nation for conserving private lands. Many conservation organizations stated that this was an "unexpected boost." Such efforts would include restoring wetlands, restoring fish and wildlife habitat, reducing soil erosion and improving water.

The policy statement was a general idea of the direction the administration would like for legislation to take. Farmers and private landowners own two-thirds of the Nation's land. Although the land is in private ownership, society as a whole benefits from the conservation practices employed on the land.

President's Bush's philosophy for the conservation provisions of the Farm Bill are best said by Gale Norton, the Secretary of Interior. During an event sponsored by the Center for Private Conservation, she stated, "Private conservationists don't grab a lot of headlines and they don't receive the praise and attention that they deserve. Private landowners are often the best stewards of our land. I believe we can achieve better environmental results by working with them and capitalizing on their intimate knowledge of their land that they depend on."

I couldn't agree more. And Mississippi is a large beneficiary of the past conservation provisions of the 1996 Farm Bill. We consistently lead the Nation in the amount of acres restored through the Wetland Reserve Program. According to President's Bush's plan, "The Wetlands Reserve Program is an important tool for reducing the Nation's loss of wetlands." It can also can help save taxpayer dollars by restoring lands that are high-risk and floodprone.

Mississippi leads the Southeast in the amount of acres - almost 1 million - enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program. And with a few exceptions, Mississippians have complied with the Swampbuster requirements, which have been effective in discouraging conversion of 3.3 million acres of wetlands.

There is legislation in Congress that is similar to the President's plan. Senators Tom Harkin of Iowa and Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana, the chairman and ranking member on the Senate Agriculture Committee respectively, have plans for the conservation provisions of the next Farm Bill that is close to what the President would like to see.

Conservation and environmental groups praised the administration's new policy. "We're all very pleasantly surprised," said Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization promoting conservation in agriculture. "This could be a watershed in agriculture policy if the administration follows through with specific proposals for the new Farm Bill."

James L. Cummins is Executive Director of the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation in Stoneville, Mississippi. Known as "Wildlife Mississippi," the Foundation is a non-profit, conservation organization founded to conserve, restore and enhance fish, wildlife and plant resources throughout Mississippi.