IV 

107TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 520

Expressing the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Agriculture should 

reexamine the authorities governing the Conservation Reserve Program 

and adjust the program to the maximum extent practicable to assist 

agricultural producers adversely affected by severe drought conditions. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 14, 2002

Mr. GRAVES submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred 

to the Committee on Agriculture 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Agriculture should reexamine the authorities governing the 

Conservation Reserve Program and adjust the program 

to the maximum extent practicable to assist agricultural 

producers adversely affected by severe drought conditions.

Whereas the Conservation Reserve Program is the largest environmental program administered by the Department of 

Agriculture; 

Whereas the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the 

Department of Agriculture has estimated that the Conservation Reserve Program saves several tons of soil per 

year, improves water quality through estimated riparian 
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buffers, and has restored upland bird populations 

throughout the principal farm States; 

Whereas, during 2002, many States with substantial Conservation Reserve Program acres received adequate rainfall during the spring months, but, during the optimum 

summer growing months for grazing and hay pastures, 

drought drastically reduced pasture production in these 

States; 

Whereas these extreme weather conditions during the spring 

and summer of 2002 devastated the economic viability of 

thousands of farmers and ranchers in the United States, 

particularly livestock producers; 

Whereas, despite experiencing severe drought conditions, 

many of these farmers and ranchers did not qualify for 

drought relief under the current Conservation Reserve 

Program rules due to the large amounts of rain their 

farms and ranches received during the early spring; 

Whereas the Conservation Reserve Program is a valuable forage resource, and the Secretary of Agriculture has substantial authority to administer the Conservation Reserve 

Program with flexibility to address drought conditions; 

and 

Whereas lands enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program 

continue to provide significant forage resources that 

should be used to assist producers in emergency drought 

conditions: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that the Sec3 retary of Agriculture should—
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1 (1) reevaluate the conditions under which the 

2 Conservation Reserve Program is designated to per3 mit haying and grazing, taking into consideration 

4 rainfall, temperature, crop production, partial county 

5 designations, State criteria for disaster relief, and 

6 such other relevant factors; and 

7 (2) review and promulgate new rules and regu8 lations regarding the appropriate use and availability 

9 of haying and grazing on Conservation Reserve Pro10 gram lands to better reflect the needs of farmers 

11 and ranchers in times of disaster.

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