Anna Eshoo: “as a cosponsor of the Working Lands Stewardship Act, I rise in strong support of the Boehlert-Kind-Gilchrest-Dingell…”

“as a cosponsor of the Working Lands Stewardship Act, I rise in strong support of the Boehlert-Kind-Gilchrest-Dingell amendment to H.R. 2646. Like the Working Lands Stewardship Act, this amendment will substantially increase resources for farm conservation. American farmers are the most productive in the world and are responsible for the largest export sector in our economy. Yet our farmers are also sensitive to the environment on which they depend for their livelihoods. The competition for federal farm conservation programs proves this fact. Three of every four applications for conservation programs are turned down because of a lack of funding. Clearly, American farmers want to be good stewards of the environment and want greater funding for conservation programs. This amendment provides these resources. The amendment will also provide more equity to farmers who do not grow traditional commodity products, such as corn, soybeans, and wheat. In my district, farmers grow specialty crops, such as brussels sprouts, which are eligible for commodity assistance. Through this amendment, more of these farmers will be eligible for federal assistance under conservation programs. This investment will not only benefit our farmers, it will benefit our environment, protect wildlife habitats and wetlands, and promote organic and environmentally friendly farming techniques. I urge my colleagues to vote for the Boehlert-Kind-Gilchrest-Dingell amendment.”