The Conservation Security Program, a provision of the 2002 Farm Bill that is important to farmers and others who are concerned about sound stewardship of the land is in jeopardy – even before implementation has begun. There are two areas of concern.

First, the proposed rules for the program have not yet come out for the 30-day public comment period, even though they were supposed to be issued in February 2003.  If they are released this fall, farmers may not have the time to review them and make comments.  If they are released during the winter months, there may not be time enough for the program to be made available to farmers in 2004.

The second concern revolves around agricultural appropriations for the implementation of the Conservation Security Program.  The House has zeroed out the appropriation.  The Senate has fully funded implementation in their bill.  A conference committee will work to reconcile the difference, deciding on the level of funding made available to the USDA to administer the program.  Without implementation dollars, this capped entitlement program worth approximately $3.7 billion will not be made available to farmers. 

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, through its social statement Sufficient, Sustainable, Livelihood for All calls for “sustainable agricultural practices that protect and restore the regenerative capacities of the land . . .”

The Conservation Security Program will move us toward that goal by “providing payments for producers who practice good stewardship on their agricultural lands and incentives for those who want to do more.” *
 

* Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Bill 2002 Conservation Security Program Fact Sheet. September 2002.  http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp/