Date: 1987-11-09
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass HR. 2752. as amended. a bill to encourage farm owners and operators to use their program crop acreage for the purpose of creating game and wildlife habitat. feeding areas. and sanctuaries. H.R. 2752 was introduced by our colleague. Mr. MVARLENEE. on June 23. 1987. The bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program to encourage producers of wheat. feed grains. upland cotton. and rice to devote some or all of their cropland to wildlife purposes. Under this program. a farm owner or operator would provide written notice to the Secretary that he or she desires to convert a portion of their program crop acreage to game or wildlife habitat. feeding areas. or sanctuaries. Lands so converted would first be counted toward satisfaction of any acreage reduction program in effect that year for the particular crop affected. If the acreage setaside for wildlife exceeds the acreage reduction requirements. then it can also be counted toward any paid diversion program in effect. Finally. once the amount of cropland Idled to satisfy these acreage limitation programs has been satisfied. HR. 2752 would permit additional acres idled for wildlife to be considered as having been planted to the appropriate program crop. In this way. H.R. 2752 would not penalize farmers for converting added acres to wildlife habitat by preserving the farms program crop base acreage. It is the base acreage which is used to determine how many acres of cropland on the farm will be eligible for program benefits in succeeding crop years. H.R. 2752 would also permit farm owners or operators to resume program crop production on lands previously converted to wildlife use. by simply providing the Secretary with written notice at least 120 days in advance. In 1987. nearly 53 million acres of program crop acreage has been idled by acreage programs and paid diversion. Although these lands must be devoted to conservation purposes as a pa t of these acreage limitation programs. their benefit to wildlife has been limited in the past. In fact. in Instances where these lands are setaside and then mowed or otherwise disturbed annually. damage to wildlife can occur. H.R. 2752 would permit farmers to use their ilded cropland for a broader range of conservation purposes than they can at present. Under provisions of the Flood Secunty Act of 1985. the Secretary of Agriculture already has the authority to devote lands that are taken out of crop production to wildlife food plots or wildlife habitat In accordance with standards set in consultation with wildlife agencies. However. this authority has not been utilized. H.R. 2752 -would direct the Secretary to establish such a program. In addition. M.R. 2752 would permit farm owners and operators the added alternative of converting program crop acreage to wildlife purposes. without penalty. even if this land would not have to be idled according to program requirements. In developing the program authorized by H.R. 2752. the Secretary is encouraged to exercise broad flexibility in identifying the types of forage or feed crops that may be established on these lands. However. the Secretary shall ensure that such crops are not harvested for commercial use or grazed by domestic farm animals. In drafting regulations to implement this program. the Secretary has been directed to consult with officials of appropriate State and Federal fish and wildlife agencies. Similar consultation with State wildlife agency officials is to occur at the local level to ensure that farmers have the benefit of professional wildlife advice in implementing the program. In addition. the Secretary is strongly encouraged to promote the use of multiyear setaside contracts for program acreage devoted to wildlife habitat. feeding areas. or sanctuaries under H.R. 2752. Authority for multiyear setasides was given to the Secretary in accordance with section 1010 of the Food Security Act of 1985. Under this provision of the law. such areas are to be devoted to vegetative cover capable of maintaining itself through the contract period. Multiyear setasides which provide vegetative cover for several years afford considerably more benefit to wildlife than areas that are annually mowed or otherwise disturbed. The program authorized by H.R. 2752 is intended to allow program crop acreage that might otherwise be idled or planted to program crops to be converted to use for the benefit of wildlife. It is not intended to increase farm program costs nor the total amount of farm program payments to which the owner or operator of a farm would otherwise be entitled. Mr. Speaker. I join my colleague.