Bill Barrett: “I am greatly disturbed by the administration's USDA reorganization plan to release farm ground enrolled in the…”

“I am greatly disturbed by the administration's USDA reorganization plan to release farm ground enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program, or CRP. This program is vital to helping farmers maintain the stewardship of the land, by saving 690 million tons of soil from erosion each year. The CRP holds more than 36 million acres of highly erodible land. My district itself contains nearly 1 million of those acres. Unleashing this ground into production would be devastating to the environment, because it is susceptible to erosion. It would also devastate the market system because 10 million idle wheat acres, and 4 million idle corn acres would be unleashed onto the market place. Mr. Speaker, I have cosponsored Mr. Bereuter's bill H.R. 3894. The bill extends the CRP for 10 years. I urge my colleagues to lend their support to continuing the CRP.”