Conservation Reserve Program Worries Taken To Ag Secretary

Wed., May 7, 1997

From Staff And Wire Reports Sta

Northwest senators gave up Tuesday on legislative maneuvers to extend a federal program important to the area’s wheat farmers.

Instead, Sens. Slade Gorton and Patty Murray of Washington, Larry Craig and Dirk Kempthorne of Idaho, and Gordon Smith and Ron Wyden of Oregon made a direct appeal to the head of the Agriculture Department.

Facing a veto threat, the senators decided to shelve legislation that would have provided a one-year extension of the Conservation Reserve Program for some farmers.

They asked Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman to change rules to allow farmers with fall-planted crops - such as the winter wheat that is vital to the Northwest farming economy - to prepare for planting.

That way, farmers who are left out of the program could plant a crop this fall. Those who remain in wouldn’t be penalized for the work they have done on environmentally sensitive land.

At issue is the federal program that pays farmers to plant grass or other cover rather than produce crops on land that is subject to water or wind erosion. Normally, once cultivation work begins, the payment is cut off.

But a decision on which farmers will be allowed to re-enroll in the 10-year program isn’t due until June, and Northwest farmers say that’s too late for them to begin the work on their fields if they are dropped.

The letter also was signed by Sens. Dick Lugar, R-Ind., the chairman of the Agriculture Committee, and Tom Harkin of Iowa, the top Democrat. It asks that growers of fall-planted crops begin preparing their ground now for cultivation with no loss of payments in the coming year, even if they are dropped from the program.

Last week, the House passed the bill that would have allowed farmers who are trying to re-enroll in the program to continue drawing payments on idle land for another year, even if they aren’t accepted for the full 10 years.

Rep. Bob Smith, R-Ore., chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, said any action by USDA would be too little, too late. But the senators’ move appeared to end any chance to grant one-year extensions through legislation, he said.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = From staff and wire reports Staff writer Jim Camden contributed to this report.

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