[PCA] NEWS: Ag Secretary Urged to Reject Early Released of Land in Conservation Reserve Program

[Olivia Kwong]

http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews+articleid_2382687~title_Ag-Secretary-Urged-to.html

Ag Secretary Urged to Reject Early Release of Land in Conservation
Reserve Program
By: iStockAnalyst   Wednesday, July 09, 2008 11:49 AM
15 Groups say move would be 'devastating blow' to nation's soil,
water, wildlife habitat, increase global warming

WASHINGTON, July 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Fifteen conservation
groups today sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer
strongly urging him to reject pressure from Congress and producer
groups 'to allow the penalty-free early release of land enrolled in
the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).' USDA has been urged to
release up to 24 million acres from CRP - roughly three-fourths of the
land currently enrolled in the program - and put it back into
production. This move would result in a loss of billions of dollars of
taxpayer investment in conservation on these lands.

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