Why Sustainable Agriculture Matters to Endangered Species

• The majority of threatened and endangered species habitat in the U.S. exists on private land;
• More than half of the land in America is managed by ranchers, farmers and foresters; and
  
• Two-thirds of landowners who offer to conserve and protect natural resources like wildlife habitat are turned down due to lack of funding.
  

Working with Private Landowners on Conservation Incentive Programs

Since 2006 Center for Native Ecosystems has worked with a diverse set of stakeholders - ranchers, farmers, agriculture groups, hunting/fishing groups and conservationists to improve funding and implementation of programs that assist private landowners in conserving habitat for endangered wildlife on their land. This includes our work on conservation in the Farm Bill (currently being debated in U.S. Congress), the Endangered Species Recovery Act (currently in the House Ways & Means Committee), and a Summit on Improving Conservation Incentives, which we held last October. Please see below for more on these cutting-edge efforts.

Center for Native Ecosystems and the 2007 Farm Bill

Even though the Farm Bill includes the single-largest source of conservation funding in the U.S., many conservationists are unaware of the importance of the Farm Bill to conservation. Conservation measures in the Farm Bill include technical and financial assistance to ranchers and farmers to protect and restore natural resources like clean air and water, wetland and grassland ecosystems, and habitat for threatened and endangered species. The 2007 Farm Bill is currently being renewed by the U.S. Congress. A disagreement about the number of acceptable amendments to the Farm Bill is currently holding up debate of the Farm Bill in the Senate. Our best guess on the earliest day for a Farm Bill  signing is early spring 2008.

One of the most exciting policy reforms that Center for Native Ecosystems has been advocating for in the 2007 Farm Bill renewal is the Crapo Amendment, which would include riparian areas in the Wetlands Reserve Program. Riparian areas are one of the most threatened ecosystems across the West and home to such endangered species as the Preble's meadow jumping mouse, southwestern willow flycatcher, endangered Colorado River fish and cutthroat trout. Currently Senator Salazar is considering co-sponsoring this important amendment.

The House version of the 2007 Farm Bill was passed in July 2007 and included a 35% increase in funding for conservation. With our agriculture/conservation allies, we are requesting that the Senate fund conservation incentives in the 2007 Farm Bill at $5 billion over the next five years. This would begin addressing the enormous backlog of applications and ensure such important programs to Colorado as the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, Grasslands Reserve Program and Wetland Reserve Program will remain open to new enrollment over the next five years.

Endangered Species Recovery Act (H.R. 1422 and S. 700)

Center for Native Ecosystems has been working with diverse of agriculture, conservation and sportsmen groups to develop and get passed in the 2007 Congress the Endangered Species Recovery Act (ESRA), which would provide nearly $2 billion in tax credits to landowners who protect and restore habitat for the country's most endangered  plants and animals. Earlier this year in an editorial, "Not quite as endangered now," the Denver Post endorsed ESRA, saying it has much potential for uniting groups that have long fought over endangered species issues. For more on ESRA, including the list of co-sponsors, go to Thomas.gov and type in H.R. 1422 for the House version and S. 700 for the Senate version of the bill.

2006 Summit on Improving Conservation Incentive Programs

In late 2006 Center for Native Ecosystems co-hosted the  Summit on Improving Conservation Incentive Programs with Rocky Mountain Farmers Union and American Farmland Trust.  We invited diverse stakeholders such as Colorado ranchers, farmers, agriculture, conservation and hunting/angling groups, elected officials and government agencies to give us their feedback on and experiences with conservation incentive programs and ways they can be improved. From that summit we developed a policy report and began advocating with our diverse allies for increased funding for and policy improvements to Farm Bill conservation incentive programs. See our executive summary, Improving Conservation Incentive Programs for more on recommendations and Summit outcomes.

What You Can Do

Colorado's Senator Salazar holds important positions on the U.S. Senate Finance and Agriculture committees. E-mail or call Sen. Salazar and ask him to make conservation a priority in the 2007 Farm Bill and beyond.