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**Official Written Testimony of**

**Charles "Jamie" Jamison**

**Member, Corn Board**

**National Corn Growers Association**

**122 C Street, NW Suite 510**

**Washington, DC 20001**

**202-628-7001**

**To the House Subcommittee on**

**Conservation, Credit, Energy and Research**

**Regarding**

**USDA Farm Bill Conservation Programs**

**April 19, 2007**

Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the
opportunity to testify today on priorities for the conservation title of
the next farm bill. I am Jamie Jamison from Dickerson, Maryland and a
member of the Corn Board for the National Corn Growers Association. I
grow corn, wheat and soybeans on my farm which is located about 35 miles
outside of Washington, DC in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is a national organization
founded in 1957 and represents more than 32,000 members in 48 states, 47
affiliated state organizations and more than 300,000 corn farmers who
contribute to state check-off programs for the purpose of creating new
opportunities and markets for corn growers. 

America's corn producers continue to make a significant and important
contribution to our nation's economy. The relatively stable production
over the past ten years, made possible by innovation in production
practices and technological advances, has helped ensure ample supplies
of corn for livestock, an expanding ethanol industry, new biobased
products and a host of other uses in the corn industry. Moreover,
investments by the American taxpayer in our nation's agricultural
programs have helped to produce a more stable financial environment for
production agriculture and a brighter future for our rural communities.
In our view, reliable, abundant, affordable and safe supplies of grain
for the food on our tables to the fuel in our cars are generating
benefits many times over for our national economy.

In 2006, Corn production eclipsed 10 billion bushels for the fourth
consecutive year, and NCGA believes that number will top 15 billion
bushels by 2015. Last year, corn growers produced the second-highest
bushel per acre average in history at 149.1 bushels per acre. However,
it's not just about growing more corn; it's about how we grow it and how
we use it.

Corn growers are mindful that the need for a long-term, dependable food
and energy supply and necessity for long-term profitability in farming
must be balanced with environmental stewardship. We are making important
environmental gains through the use of farm bill conservation programs
-- reduced soil erosion, improved water quality and increased wildlife
habitat. To continue this trend, we call for an even greater emphasis on
working lands conservation programs.

For example, NCGA commissioned research of recent National Resources
Inventory (NRI) data, concentrating on sites with a history of corn
production. The goal of this research is to determine the level and
types of conservation and production practices that growers have
implemented to conserve soil and limit erosion. Initial exploration of
NRI data show increases in farm bill conservation title investments to
conservation tillage, in areas where appropriate, may hold the potential
for the single largest gains in further reducing erosion from corn
lands.

**[Conservation and the 2007 Farm Bill]{.underline}**

While each of the conservation programs utilized by corn growers could
benefit from more funding to increase efficiencies, enrollment
opportunities and environmental gains, any increase in funding should
not come at the expense of the farm safety net (Title I programs). In
general, we recommend that the farm safety net be enhanced with
conservation programs but not replaced by conservation programs.

Many of our members have expressed concern with how the current programs
are being implemented. Inconsistent application of conservation laws,
programs and standards can have the unintentional effect of helping one
farmer while hurting another, thus diluting environmental benefits.

In that regard, we encourage the committee to be mindful of the NRCS
delivery system and its limitations. Every farm bill since 1985 has
fundamentally changed programs or added big new programs, pushing the
NRCS system beyond its limits and doing a disservice to producers. While
we commend Congress for providing a strong emphasis on conservation in
the recent farm bills, especially on working lands, the 2002 farm bill
was the most significant in this regard in terms of complexity. After
several years of working through the "kinks," we now have a good set of
programs. Instead of extensive additions or complications, we encourage
the Subcommittee to simplify and streamline the existing programs to
allow better access and utilization by producers.

To ensure conservation programs are achieving their goals, we support
science-based efforts to measure the real results of the conservation
practices we've implemented. The ability to develop understandable and
relevant performance measures and communicate them to the public will
help shape future public and congressional support for farm programs.

***Technical Assistance***

The demand for technical assistance continues to increase. Yet, funding
for technical assistance has been relatively flat over the years. In
general, we recommend the next farm bill provide adequate funding for
NRCS field staff and USDA Service Center Agencies directed to help
address on-farm conservation challenges. We encourage the Subcommittee
to look at a long-term view of budgeting for technical assistance that
balances national priorities with local needs.

***Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)***

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program is very popular and
delivers effective conservation program dollars to assist landowners who
face natural resource challenges on their land. Above all, EQIP should
preserve the full flexibility needed to adjust the program over time to
focus on evolving issues and allow improvements to program features
based on national, state and local needs.

Corn growers support:

-   Continuing to direct 60 percent of EQIP funds to livestock-related
    conservation practices.

-   Environmentally sound use of manure and the use of incentive
    payments to producers who ensure animal effluent is managed
    responsibly through Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans (CNMPs).

-   Continued funding to livestock and poultry facilities without bias
    to size or location.

-   Use of EQIP funds for air quality and odor control mechanisms.

-   Use of EQIP funds to provide producers with financial assistance to
    adopt Best Management Practices (BMPs) to address TMDL concerns,
    further assisting farmers with their stewardship activities.

NCGA does **[not]{.underline}** support EQIP as a funding source for
endangered species protection, especially when other, more effective and
well-funded financial assistance programs within the U.S. Department of
Agriculture address at-risk species habitat recovery, including the
Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program.

***Conservation Security Program (CSP)***

As is the case with many farm bill titles (conservation, research, rural
development, energy, etc.), programs that are authorized but never
funded are of no help. Likewise, programs that are deprived during the
appropriations process never reach their full potential.

The Conservation Security Program continues to be a work in progress.
Since its enactment, numerous legislative actions on the CSP statue have
resulted in funding changes creating a range of implementation
challenges. As a result, a number of corn growers have expressed
frustration with the continuous changes in the application process,
describing it as a moving target.

Corn growers support:

-   Environmental incentive payments for implementation of conservation
    practices.

-   Significant improvements to the application; selection and
    implementation process so that the program's provisions are fairly
    applied to all eligible growers.

-   Oversight mechanisms to manage how states interpret and disseminate
    information about the program.

-   Funding stability in order to fully appreciate the intended impact
    of the program.

-   The adoption of additional practices with corresponding incentive
    payments.

***Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)***

The Conservation Reserve Program is one of the most important and widely
used conservation programs for corn growers. NCGA supports the full
utilization of CRP at its maximum authorized level.

Corn growers support:

-   Full utilization of the CRP. However, as market forces indicate
    diversion from CRP, we encourage fragile acres remain in the program
    and best management practices be implemented on land returning to
    production.

-   Environmentally sensitive or fragile lands should be the program's
    priority, with the focus on targeted enrollment and reenrollment of
    field borders and filter and buffer strips, and other areas needed
    for conservation compliance.

-   Maintaining an equitable balance among soil erosion, water quality
    and wildlife benefits. Yet, the program should have flexibility to
    address local concerns.

-   Further development of state-based Conservation Reserve Enhancement
    Programs (CREP) as they bring together a broad group of interests to
    address specific, local concerns.

-   Payment of adequate and fair rental rates, ensuring that rental rate
    payments for whole field enrollments do not exceed county average
    rental rates for similar land capability classes.

-   Reduced rental payments to participants in those years CRP lands are
    harvested for commercial use such as energy production.

***Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP)***

Moving beyond the "no net loss" of agricultural wetlands to have an
overall increase in wetland acres each year is a direct result of the
work farmers and ranchers have done to create, maintain or enhance
wetlands. According to USDA, the greatest gain in wetland acres has
occurred in the Corn Belt and Delta States. WRP can help continue to
create, improve and protect millions of wetland acres. Corn growers
support the maintenance of quality farmland [and]{.underline} quality
wetlands.

In summation, we believe the conservation title should adhere to the
following criteria:

-   Adequate funding

-   Environmentally sound based on sound-science

-   Implemented nationally at the watershed level

-   Performance driven

-   Simplified and streamlined to encourage more participation

-   Target programs and funding to achieve greatest environmental
    savings

Mr. Chairman and members of this Subcommittee, thank you again for this
opportunity to testify. We are eager to work with you in the months
ahead to advance a farm bill that will ensure United States agriculture
is stronger than ever. I would be happy to respond to any questions.