Number: 1984-21
WHEREAS, the quality of wildlife habitat in areas devoted to intensive agriculture has been seriously depleted by land use decisions favoring food and fiber production; and
WHEREAS, such land use is accelerating soil erosion, reducing natural soil fertility, complicating efforts to improve the quality of public waters, depressing fish and wildlife populations; and
WHEREAS, the majority of U.S. citizens demand a healthy environment and would support use of their tax funds in bringing about a long-term ecologically balanced farm program which would be economically sound for farmers, protect the soil resource, improve water quality, provide visually pleasing landscapes and perpetuate fish and wildlife; and
WHEREAS, fish and wildlife habitat management practices serve dual roles of controlling soil erosion, promoting water conservation and generally enhancing environmental quality;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, in annual meeting assembled March 15-18, 1984, in Atlanta, Georgia, urges the President, the Secretary of Agriculture, and members of Congress to develop provisions in the 1985 Farm Bill to establish minimum criteria for soil and water protection including fish and wildlife habitat in the intensively farmed regions of the United States; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the new farm bill include provisions that reduce agricultural overproduction through land retirement programs and provide strong incentives for landowners to better protect their land and soil resources. These incentives should include, but not be limited to:
- Provisions for enforceable multiple-year set-aside agreements and/or land retirement programs, and that adequate funding be provided to establish cover on these set-aside and retired acres;
- Levels of cost-sharing for approved soil and water conservation and wildlife habitat practices that will encourage landowner participation;
- Reduced loan rates to landowners when their land meets minimum soil conservation and wildlife habitat criteria;
- Reduction or elimination of crop support payments, commodity loans, and storage payments for crops produced on lands that fail to meet minimum soil conservation and wildlife habitat criteria; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Congress establish Federal tax incentives and deductions that benefit landowners who meet minimum soil and water conservation measures, and penalize those landowners who convert non-crop areas, such as wetlands, forestlands, riparian areas, and grasslands to croplands.