Minge offers Conservation Security bill

By GUY PRIEL

Journal Staff Writer

WASHINGTON -- Helping farmers make an investment in the environment while receiving a little pocket change was the goal of a new piece of legislation introduced Thursday by U.S. Congressman David Minge, DFL-Minn.

The bill, known as the Conservation Security Act, was co-signed by 24 members of Congress, and co-authored by Sen. Tom Harkin, DFL-Iowa. It is an outgrowth of discussions he has had throughout Minnesota.

"I have been working on this for the past seven months," Minge said Friday during a telephone conference call. "Farmers in Minnesota, and throughout the Midwest have been asking for something like this for years."

The bill will benefit not only farmers, but also the environment and tax payers by bolstering on-farm income, sustaining environmental resources, and improving accountability of farm program expenditures, Minge said.

"This bill will allow farmers to implement conservation plans without suffering the loss of income," he said.

Under the act, land owners and operators would enter into Conservation Security contracts and plans. This will help them receive payments based on the type of conservation practices they participate in, Minge said.

The practices can range from soil and residue management, contour farming, and cover cropping to comprehensive plans that take into account all the resource concerns of the agricultural operation, he said.

"To the extent that conservation practices affect farm income, farmers would be compensated for loss of yield and for environmental benefits," he said. "This would move us away from the singular focus on yield in current agriculture policy. Now is the time for us to make conservation a cornerstone of the next farm bill."

Funding that is based on yield is not compatible with conservation practices, because it makes farmers push to use as much land as possible to remain competitive, Minge said.

"The amount of payments received by the farmers will depend on the level of environmental benefits," he said. "This varies by farm, because terracing and other practices have an affect on yields."

By participating in these programs, there will be less topsoil lost to erosion, less pesticides in water, and fewer air-quality issues, he said.

"This is a win-win situation that has gained the support of conservation agencies," he said. "In order to provide a large amount of money, it will have to be part of a larger farm bill."

The program is strictly voluntary. Payments are determined based on a three-tiered system of progressive conservation practices, plans and payment levels.

The bill will also allow those participating in other conservation programs to continue that participation, he said.

Participants may also receive payments based on established practices and for adoption of innovative practices and systems, pilot testing, new technologies, and new conservation techniques, Minge said.

There are payment limitations written into the bill that will only allow an individual farmer to receive up to $50,000, depending on the level of participation. The amount received will be based on existing county rental rates, he said.

"This will be a historic effort to help the farm economy while increasing land stewardship and resource conservation," he said. "Even people is urban areas understand the importance of this package."

Other sponsors of the bill are Democrats James Oberstar and Collin Peterson of Minnesota; Republican Gil Gutknecht of Minnesota; Democrat Earl Pomeroy of North Dakota; democrat Leonard Boswell of Iowa; Democrat Ron Kind of Wisconsin; Republican John Thune of South Dakota; and 17 others.