Number: 1995-02
WHEREAS, the Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act (Farm Bill) is scheduled for reauthorization in 1995; and
WHEREAS, the 1995 Farm Bill will have an enormous impact on the quality of our Nation’s soil and water resources, abundance and quality of fish and wildlife habitat, and health and safety of food products; and
WHEREAS, the 1995 Farm Bill should recognize that America’s farmers are among the world’s most productive and agricultural policy has brought great environmental impacts; and
WHEREAS, responsible stewardship of our Nation’s farmlands should be the priority of the 1995 Farm Bill; and
WHEREAS, the 1995 Farm Bill should encourage sound farming practices and ensure healthy farms and healthy foods; and
WHEREAS, the 1995 Farm Bill should encourage responsible use of pesticides and fertilizers, protect the Nation’s drinking water, curtail polluted agricultural run-off, improve food safety, and conserve wildlife and endangered species habitats;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation in its Annual Meeting assembled March 18-20, 1995 in Washington, D.C., supports a 1995 Farm Bill consisting of four primary policy objectives:
- Retain and improve existing Farm Bill conservation provisions and titles, including the Conservation Reserve Program and Wetlands Reserve Program, Swampbuster and Sodbuster;
- Advance environmentally sound farming by strengthening broad-based conservation and stewardship incentive programs to replace existing subsidy payments;
- Provide special incentives to family farmers and those now excluded from farm programs to enhance the use of environmentally sound farming practices;
- Continue to support a water quality incentive program whereby participating farmers adopt site-specific management plans to protect water quality; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation urges Congress and the Administration to include these four conservation policy objectives in the reauthorized 1995 Farm Bill.