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PAG LIN
1 1 SENATE RESOLUTION NO.
1 2 BY BANKS
1 3 A Senate Resolution to urge and petition the federal government
1 4 to reexamine the requirements of the conservation reserve
1 5 program administered by the United States Department of
1 6 Agriculture in order to ensure that suitable land under the
1 7 program is eligible for suitable uses relating to the grazing
1 8 by livestock.
1 9 WHEREAS, agricultural production represents the
1 10 cornerstone of this nation's economy, by providing
1 11 abundant supplies of food and fiber to this nation's
1 12 population, and providing billions of dollars in
1 13 annual exports to world markets; and
1 14 WHEREAS, the state of Iowa is one of the largest
1 15 agricultural producing states in the nation and, as
1 16 part of the upper midwest region, includes the most
1 17 fertile soils in the world, and represents one of the
1 18 world's leading areas in the production of grain and
1 19 livestock; and
1 20 WHEREAS, there is a great number of soil
1 21 classifications, including orders, suborders, great
1 22 groups, and subgroups which contain wide differences
1 23 in characteristics, including the order mollisols and
1 24 its subclassifications developed under prairie
1 25 vegetation, found in Iowa and other midwestern states;
1 26 and
1 27 WHEREAS, the production of livestock by this
1 28 nation's farmers and ranchers represents a vital part
1 29 of agricultural production in this state and in the
1 30 nation, and provides a number of value-added food and
2 1 other products essential to the welfare and prosperity
2 2 of the country; and
2 3 WHEREAS, the conservation reserve program provided
2 4 under Title XII of the federal Food Security Act of
2 5 1985, Pub. L. No. 99-198, authorizes the United States
2 6 Secretary of Agriculture to enter into contracts and
2 7 make payments to eligible owners of eligible crop land
2 8 to set aside the land in order to conserve and improve
2 9 the soil and water resources of farms and ranches by
2 10 converting crop land to land with permanent vegetation
2 11 cover; and
2 12 WHEREAS, farmers and ranchers in this nation,
2 13 including Iowa, have conscientiously entered into
2 14 contracts with the United States Secretary of
2 15 Agriculture to set aside erodible land under the
2 16 program; and
2 17 WHEREAS, the growing need in Iowa, as in many other
2 18 states, to encourage persons to enter into family farm
2 19 agriculture and especially raising livestock combined
2 20 with the expansion of cattle herds in this state which
2 21 utilize pasture land, increasingly places pressure
2 22 upon livestock producers who require rich pasture
2 23 land, and land for the disposal of manure produced by
2 24 livestock operations; and
2 25 WHEREAS, the degree to which land is subject to
2 26 soil erosion depends upon the characteristics of the
2 27 land's soil classification as well as the use of the
2 28 land including well managed livestock production which
2 29 need not threaten soil or water resources; and
2 30 WHEREAS, current restrictions prohibiting the
3 1 grazing of livestock on land subject to contract under
3 2 the conservation reserve program or the use of such
3 3 land for manure disposal limits the economic
3 4 opportunity of livestock producers, including
3 5 beginning producers, decreases the availability of
3 6 fertile land used for benign purposes such as
3 7 livestock production, and distorts market forces which
3 8 discourages the production of livestock in regions
3 9 with rich soils best suited to grazing; NOW THEREFORE,
3 10 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That the Congress of
3 11 the United States; the President of the United States;
3 12 and the Secretary of Agriculture, United States
3 13 Department of Agriculture, reexamine the requirements
3 14 of the conservation reserve program administered by
3 15 the United States Department of Agriculture in order
3 16 to ensure that suitable land under the program is
3 17 eligible for grazing by livestock; and
3 18 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Secretary of
3 19 Agriculture, United States Department of Agriculture,
3 20 establish a forum in which interested persons,
3 21 including state legislative members serving on
3 22 committees on agriculture, may discuss issues
3 23 regarding the conservation reserve program and the
3 24 need to allow suitable uses under the program with
3 25 federal officials; and
3 26 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this
3 27 resolution be sent by the Secretary of the Senate to
3 28 the President of the Senate of the United States; the
3 29 Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United
3 30 States; the Chairman of the United States Senate
4 1 Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; the
4 2 Chairman of the United States House of Representatives
4 3 Committee on Agriculture; members of Iowa's
4 4 congressional delegation; the President of the United
4 5 States; and the Secretary of Agriculture, United
4 6 States Department of Agriculture.
4 7 LSB 2639SS 76
4 8 da/jj/8
Text: SR00015 Text: SR00017 Text: SR00000 - SR00099 Text: SR Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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