03/16/07 Conservation and the new Farm Bill

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns held more than 50 forums, listened to or read four thousand comments and has a Farm Bill proposal he says is based on farmer and rancher needs. Idaho NRCS state conservationist Rich Sims says the one billion dollar per year Environmental Quality Incentives Program would get a 30 percent funding increase under Johanns' proposal. SIMS "Because in our state we get right around between 13 and 15 million dollars for the Environmental program and we still have a huge demand for those funds so that's going to help us out quite a bit." Sims likes Johanns' plan to consolidate EQIP, Wildlife Habitat Incentives, Ground and Surface Water Conservation with two regional cost share programs. SIMS "To pull those programs all together under one set of rules would increase our efficiencies as we work with producers to do a better job with paper work, of course administration, but more importantly to have one common set of rules and get the farmers out there with the same information so everybody is on the same page." Sims also says Johanns is proposing significant changes in the Conservation Security Program and is asking for an increase in Wetland Reserve Program acreage. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott