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TO BUSINESS, AND STATE EDITORS:
American Farmland Trust Urges Congress To Provide Full Funding For
Farm Conservation, Protection, Beginning Farmer And Other Programs
Authorized By The 2014 Farm Bill
WASHINGTON, April 11, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- American
Farmland Trust is asking the U.S. Senate and House Agriculture
Appropriations subcommittees to provide full funding for farmland
conservation protection and beginning farmer programs authorized in
the 2014 federal Farm Bill.
"The recently enacted 2014 Farm Bill already cut food, conservation
and agriculture programs by $23 billion contributing proportionately
more than their share to deficit reduction," said Andrew McElwaine,
President and CEO of AFT. "We are asking Congress to support full
funding of conservation and agriculture programs as set in the Farm
Bill and we oppose efforts to make further cuts to these much-needed
programs which can leverage private investment as high as a four to
one taxpayer return for conservation."
"Strong funding for farmland conservation programs such as the
Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, the Regional Conservation
Partnership Program and conservation technical assistance will provide
significant natural resource benefits by protecting farmland and
improving the quality of our water and air," said McElwaine. "It is
also critical Congress provide opportunities for future growth in
agriculture by adequately funding programs like the Beginning Farmer
and Rancher Development Program and the Farmers Market and Local Food
Promotion Program.
"These programs provide funding for state and local farmland
protection, installation of on-farm best conservation practices, help
bring new farmers into agriculture to deal with the critical issue of
an aging farm population and support innovative ways to grow local
markets for farm products," said McElwaine.
"Members of Congress have already agreed to funding levels in the Farm
Bill, now they need to carry through on that commitment and actually
appropriate the funds needed to help farmers," said McElwaine.
AFT's request has been submitted to members of the Senate
Appropriations Committee Agriculture Subcommittee including Chair Mark
Pryor and ranking member Roy Blunt and members of the House
Appropriations Committee Agriculture Subcommittee including Chair
Robert Aderholt and ranking member Sam Farr.
A copy of the House letter is available online at:
http://www.farmbillfacts.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/House-Agriculture-Appropriations.pdf
A copy of the Senate letter is available online at:
http://www.farmbillfacts.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Senate-Agriculture-Appropriations.pdf
The American Farmland Trust is the nation's leading conservation
organization dedicated to protecting farmland, promoting sound farming
practices and keeping farmers on the land.
AFT will host the Farmland, Food and Livable Communities national
conference in Lexington, Kentucky on October 20-22. Visit
www.farmland.org for more information.
For more information on the policies and programs of the American
Farmland Trust, visit www.farmland.org, follow us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/AmericanFarmland or Twitter www.twitter.com/farmland.
CONTACT: Andrew McElwaine, President & CEO, American Farmland Trust
Phone: 202-378-1212 or Jeremy Peters, Director of Federal Policy,
American Farmland Trust Phone: 202-378-1219
SOURCE American Farmland Trust
-0- 04/11/2014
/Web Site: http://www.farmland.org
CO: American Farmland Trust
ST: District of Columbia
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