Fresh Produce Discussion Blog: Nov 12, 2010

Friday, November 12, 2010

Fw: USDA Announces Unprecedented Enrollment in Voluntary Effort toRestore the Nation's Wetlands

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

From: USDA Office of Communications <oc.news@usda.gov>

Date: Fri, 12 Nov 2010 11:01:30 -0600

To: Tom Karst<TKarst@vancepublishing.com>

Subject: USDA Announces Unprecedented Enrollment in Voluntary Effort to Restore the Nation's Wetlands

Release No. 0603.10

Contact:
USDA Office of Communications
(202) 720-4623

USDA Announces Unprecedented Enrollment in Voluntary Effort to Restore the Nation's Wetlands

Record enrollment in Wetlands Reserve Program benefiting farm operators, migratory birds, and recreational activities

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12. 2010—Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the nation's farmers, ranchers and Indian Tribes enrolled over 272,000 acres in the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) in fiscal year (FY) 2010. The FY 2010 enrollment is the highest single-year enrollment in the program's history and is a 52 percent increase over FY 2009 when 179,000 acres were enrolled. There are now more than 2.3 million acres enrolled in WRP nationwide.

"Through this historic enrollment in this proven conservation program, landowners and conservation partners are affirming their commitment to restoring and protecting the nation's wetland resources," said Vilsack. "Wetlands are essential to a healthy environment, and conservation-minded landowners are improving water quality, providing habitat for wildlife, mitigating floods and improving the overall environment for all Americans."

WRP, the federal government's largest wetlands restoration program, provides technical and financial assistance to private landowners and Indian Tribes to restore, protect and enhance wetlands that have been degraded or converted for agricultural uses. More than 80 percent of restorable wetlands are in private ownership. Participation in WRP is voluntary.

Estimated to have covered more than 220 million acres during colonial times, wetlands in the lower 48 states are now less than half that amount. Wetland losses in some states are more than 90 percent. More than 40 percent of federally listed species and over 50 percent of migratory birds require wetland habitats during some portion of their life cycle.

Through this program, marginal farm or ranchland is restored to its natural state. Potential flood damage to farms and ranches is reduced and vital wetland ecosystems are restored and protected.

How WRP is helping farmers

Two Louisiana neighbors in East Carroll Parish were looking for ways to improve their farms operations—both financially and environmentally when they decided to enter their marginal farmland into WRP. The program payments gave them the financial security to invest more funds into their operations for animal health and land improvements. This voluntary restoration effort will continue to improve water quality and enhance habitat for migratory birds in the Mississippi River Basin for years to come.
One California landowner in Colusa County signed up for WRP when farming on his flood-prone land was no longer profitable to his operation. WRP provided easement and wetland restoration payments for the marginal farmland that he greatly needed to sustain a profitable operation. This project provided an opportunity for the landowner to reduce his financial burden, while providing much needed space for waterfowl and other wildlife species; reducing negative impacts from flooding; and increasing opportunities for recreational activities.
In Bedford County, VA, WRP is helping one farm family address water quality concerns, which will ultimately improve animal health, and enhance wildlife habitat on their livestock operation. A total of 11 acres were enrolled into the WRP, including two vulnerable streams that ran across the property. With technical and financial assistance from WRP, fencing will be installed to prevent cattle access to the wetland area, thus reducing sediments and nutrient runoff into the stream; and native hardwood trees will be planted to enhance habitat for birds and other wildlife.

WRP is administered by USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). In fiscal year 2010, NRCS restored 129,000 acres of wetlands on lands enrolled in WRP. NRCS offers WRP enrollment to private landowners and Indian Tribes on a continuous sign-up basis. The agency provides financial and technical assistance to eligible landowners and invests in wetland protection and restoration activities. For more information, landowners can contact their local NRCS Service Center or visit http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/wrp/.

This year represents the 75th year of NRCS helping people help the land. Since its inception in 1935, the NRCS conservation delivery system has advanced a unique partnership with state and local governments and private landowners delivering a conservation based on specific, local conservation needs, while accommodating state and national interests.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).

This message was sent from USDA Office of Communications to tkarst@thepacker.com. It was sent from: OC News, USDA Office of Communications 1400 Independence Ave, SW, Washington, DC 20250-1300. You can modify/update your subscription via the link below.

Manage your subscription

Fw: NEWS RELEASE: Will Family Farmers Be the Collateral Damage As theSenate Votes on Food Safety (in the Lame-Duck Session)?

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

From: "Mark A. Kastel - The Cornucopia Institute" <kastel@cornucopia.org>

Date: Thu, 11 Nov 2010 12:18:59 -0600

To: Organic Integrity Project<kastel@cornucopia.org>

ReplyTo: "kastel@cornucopia.org" <kastel@cornucopia.org>

Subject: NEWS RELEASE: Will Family Farmers Be the Collateral Damage As the Senate Votes on Food Safety (in the Lame-Duck Session)?

November 11, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Mark Kastel, 608-625-2042

Margie MacDonald, 406-252-9672

Judith McGeary, 512-484-8821

Coalition Pushes for Amendment to

Controversial Senate Food Safety Bill

Over 125 national, state, and grassroots organizations are notifying members of the United States Senate that an amendment proposed by Sen. Jon Tester (MT) and Sen. Kay Hagan (NC), is critical to ensuring that the food safety bill being considered by the Senate does not injure the livelihoods of family-scale farmers and undercut consumers' opportunity to find fresh, local farm produce and locally artisan food products, like jams and jellies.

"Consumers are voting in rapidly increasing numbers to opt-out of the industrial food system by patronizing farmers markets, CSAs, food cooperatives and other portals for local, sustainable and organic food in their communities," said Mark A. Kastel, senior farm policy analyst for the Wisconsin-based Cornucopia Institute.

Organic and locally marketed food are the fastest growing segments in the industry.

"Food safety is a priority we all share, but one size does not fit all when it comes to imposing federal regulations on small local food businesses, including farmers market vendors," said Gus Wahner, a vegetable farmer in Eastern Washington and spokesperson for the Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC). "In an effort to reform problems in the long industrial food supply chain, Congress threatens to wipe out thousands of small producers and businesses that are emerging as vibrant economic engines in rural communities and inner cities."

WORC is a grassroots community organization in 7 western states.

The Food Safety Modernization Act, S. 510, is expected to be debated and voted on by the Senate when Congress re-convenes for the lame duck session.

"The current version of S. 510 will impose extensive new federal rules on small businesses that are already effectively regulated by state and local standards," said Judith McGeary, a farmer and founder of the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance based in Texas. "Because many small, local businesses cannot absorb the costs associated with another layer of regulation, S. 510 threatens to deny consumers the opportunity to buy fresh, healthy local products."

The letter to U.S. Senators, which is now signed by 122 consumer, farm and ranch groups, farmers markets, and cooperative markets, points out that the bill will unnecessarily burden and handicap small-scale, local food producers. It notes that the "well-publicized incidents of contamination in recent years – including the recent egg recall – occurred in industrialized food supply chains that span national and even international boundaries. The food safety problems in this system can and should be addressed without harming the local food systems that provide an alternative for consumers," the letter states, urging Senators to support the Tester-Hagan Amendment.

The amendment applies a multi-prong test to limit applicability of complicated new federal rules. For small processors the screens include geography, scale and the demonstration of local or state food safety oversight. In the case of fresh produce, when small farms market directly to end users within a limited geographic range, they will not be subject to federal farming regulations.

- 30 -

MORE:

For more information, contact Mark Kastel, 608-625-2042, Margie MacDonald at 406-252-9672 (mmacdonald@worc.org) or Judith McGeary at 512-484-8821 (Judith@FarmAndRanchFreedom.org).

Mark A. Kastel

The Cornucopia Institute

kastel@cornucopia.org

608-625-2042 Voice

866-861-2214 Fax