Pickering Hosts Conservation Meeting, Leads Field Tour

Stoneville, MS - Recently, Congressman Chip Pickering of Mississippi, Co-chairman of the Congressional Sportsman's Caucus and Congressman Robin Hayes of North Carolina, the Co-Vice Chairman of the Caucus, met in Starkville with approximately 100 landowners and Mississippi's agricultural and conservation community.

The event was sponsored by the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Farm Bureau, Farm Service Agency, Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks, Mississippi Extension Service, Mississippi Poultry Association, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Quail Unlimited, Tyson, Wildlife Management Institute and W.A. Van Devender/Claw Forestry.

According to James L. Cummins, Executive Director of the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation, "These congressman, landowners and conservation groups were laying the groundwork for the next Farm Bill, primarily the conservation components. It is a vital part of federal legislation that will help ensure the future of wildlife and clean water."

The discussion was on agricultural and conservation issues, and ranged from ways to improve the Conservation (CRP) and Wetlands (WRP) reserve programs and the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) to ways on designing conservation programs so they are more landowner friendly.

During the afternoon session, a field trip was taken to look at land that has been enrolled in WRP. Another field trip was taken to look at WHIP and CRP.

According to Congressman Pickering, "It is extremely beneficial to see, first hand, the results of federal programs that impact Mississippians. Events such as this one allow members of Congress to obtain the knowledge to improve programs, which will be very important as we write the next Farm Bill."

"The Congressional Sportsman's Caucus is the largest Caucus in Congress and through the leadership of these two gentlemen, conservation will be in good hands. Their efforts could result in the most significant things to come out of Washington to benefit fish, wildlife and water since the creation of the duck stamp program in 1934," continued Cummins.