Collin Peterson: “Mr. Chairman, I call Members' attention to something that we just discovered this afternoon. Those of us that have been…”

“Mr. Chairman, I call Members' attention to something that we just discovered this afternoon. Those of us that have been working on the Conservation Reserve Program, members of the Sportsmen's Caucus, the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Pete Geren, the gentleman from Oklahoma, Mr. Brewster, and others are concerned about some language. I wanted to enter into a colloquy with the distinguished chairman. Mr. Chairman, what we are concerned about is some report language that appeared in the bill that affects the conservation part of this bill, but it was not under that part of the report language. It was under the part that had to do with the farm service agencies. What it does is, it requires that they take a look at the criteria for the Conservation Reserve Program in a specific way. The USDA is right at this time promulgating rules to extend this program. What this report language does is, it provides specific instructions to USDA as to how to proceed. What I am most concerned about is that it says in this report language that the committee directs that all acres are to be rebid and evaluated using the same criteria that was used during the 13th sign-up, a sign-up that was held last fall. My district in northwestern Minnesota has the ninth most conservation reserve acres in the United States. Last year under the 13th sign-up, only 700 acres in my district qualified.”