By John Cross
The Free Press
LAKEFIELD — The 50 or so people who traveled to Brent and Lori Russow’s Horse Barn & Hunt Club near Lakefield last week certainly didn’t need a reminder of the value of the Conservation Reserve Program.
As they traveled through southwestern Minnesota to attend an informal conservation forum featuring U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack along with Rep. Collin Peterson and Rep. Tim Walz to discuss the future of the CRP program, all roads led through a snow-clogged winter wasteland nearly barren of wildlife cover.
Vilsack told the group that he views the CRP program as being an economic issue as much as it is a wildlife habitat issue.
“It’s more than just a habitat issue. It’s not just about being able to go out and get a limit,” he said. “About $180 billion is spent annually by those who hunt and fish ... spent in communities desperately in need of money.”
Vilsak said he has discussed the importance of the outdoors with President Obama. “We were able to impress on the president just how important hunting and fishing, the great outdoors is to Americans,” he said.
He also told the group that they might find an unexpected conservation ally in Michelle Obama with her “Lets Move” initiative that will target youth obesity by increasing their physical activity.
“We want to connect kids with the outdoors,” he said, adding that there could be increased funding for voluntary access programs like Walk-in areas to improve and increase hunter access to private land
The CRP program was part of the 1985 federal farm bill that has been credited with creating millions of acres of wildlife habitat as farmers were paid to plant grasses and other cover to protect their soil.
At its peak in 1998, more than 36 million acres were enrolled in CRP. About 31 million acres are presently under contract.
However, according to figures cited by PF, contracts on nearly 4.5 million acres are set to expire later this year and another 14.2 million acres from 2011 to 2013.
In Minnesota, more than 1.6 million acres are under CRP contracts. Contracts for more than 620,000 acres are scheduled to expire by 2013.
The CRP enrollment cap is presently set at 32 million acres, but there has been discussion about lowering it to 24 million acres.
Vilsak said he would favor an enrollment cap of 32 million, but that it would take some creativity. “Depending on the program, we may have to tweak things ... we have to be serious about paying for things,” he said.
Dave Nomsen, PF’s vice-president of government affairs, said several key issues need to be addressed to assure the future and success of CRP.
These include a new general sign-up period — something that hasn’t happened since 2006 — payments that are more competitive with rental rates, and rules that allow more flexibility for landowners.
The group also is lobbying the USDA to double the State Acres for wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) program for both pheasants and bobwhite quail to 1 million acres and 500,000 acres respectively.
The SAFE program allows states to cater CRP in order to specifically address key wildlife and habitat needs within a state.
In states such as South Dakota, Minnesota, and Nebraska, demand for SAFE acres has been so strong that they are at or near the initial SAFE acreage limits. In Minnesota, there were 23,100 SAFE acres available and only 325 remain.
Vilsak declined offer any specifics about the future of CRP at the forum, saying he would save those for when he delivers the keynote address Saturday, Feb. 27, at PF’s National Pheasant Fest 2010 luncheon in Des Moines, Iowa.
