Conservation Reserve Program was the topic at Bush-National Wild Turkey Federation summit

Posted: 8/19/04

Conservation Reserve Program was the topic at Bush-National Wild Turkey Federation summit

Special to the Sportsweek Outdoors section

Coon Rapids hunter and outdoors enthusiast Tom Glines, regional field supervisor for the National Wild Turkey Federation, recently met with President George W. Bush during an event to announce conservation initiatives in the southeastern portion of Minnesota.

Glines heard about the President's plans to strengthen conservation provisions in the 2002 Farm Bill.

A call to expand the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) by the President was met with approval by Glines and another 100 farmers and conservationists assembled at a Le Seuer farm.

"Congress and the Administration have made great strides with the Conservation Reserve Program," Glines said. "They are committed to making land practices that benefit wildlife an important part of landownersÇ plans."

The CRP's portfolio of technical assistance and cost-share incentives encourages landowners to set aside marginal acres to ensure the land stays healthy and productive.

"The best thing from the Farm Bill was the Conservation Title," said President Bush. "It encouraged people to put aside lands for the right reasons, to protect the soil, protect the water, provide habitat for wildlife."

Currently, there are 35 million acres of farmland enrolled in the CRP. However, contracts covering two-thirds of these acres will expire in 2007.

The President's call for Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman to offer early re-enrollment and contract extensions will secure land conservation benefits for the future.

The President also announced a general sign up of an additional 800,000 acres under CRP.

Another measure calls for expanding the program to enroll 250,000 grassland acres that border farmlands.

A third initiative announced by the President would expand CRP to cover wetlands outside of the 100-year flood plain such as prairie potholes and playa lakes. Ý

"I'm also making available resources needed to help farmers protect 250,000 acres of such wetlands," the President said. "This is part of an initiative that I outlined last Earth Day, which was to restore, improve and protect at least 3 million wetland acres over the next five years."

Efforts to convert more cropland to native grasses and trees and conserve wetlands is good news for the NWTF's nearly 525,000 members and the nationÇs 2.6 million wild turkey hunters.Ý

These habitat improvements will provide critical elements for wild turkey survival such as food, cover, and habitat for nesting and rearing broods.

"Stronger conservation provisions in the Farm Bill are critical to restoring and maintaining wildlife habitat. We applaud Congress and the Administration for their success and urge them to fight against any future reductions in funding for these critical programs," said Rob Keck, CEO of the NWTF.

"We feel the ongoing dialogue we've had with the Bush Administration and Congress is important. It has allowed us to work together on behalf of all sportsmen to make good things happen for conservation."

In addition to attending the Aug. 4 meeting, Keck had previously attended meetings with other conservation leaders at President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Tex., last April and at the White House in December 2003.

At these meetings, a variety of issues were discussed including implementing the Healthy Forest Restoration Act to benefit human and wildlife interests, creating incentives to encourage private land management and working to move wetland conservation from "no net loss" to a "net gain" of wetlands.

NWTF leaders attending the meeting with President Bush in Le Sueur, Minn. included Keck, CEO; Robert Dettmer, M.D., board chairman; Bill Torhorst, vice president; Tom Berenz, secretary; David Mahlke, Minnesota state chapter president; and Glines, regional field supervisor.

The National Wild Turkey Federation was founded in 1973 when there were an estimated 1.3 million wild turkeys and 1.5 million turkey hunters. Thanks to the work of wildlife agencies and the NWTF's many volunteers and partners, today there are 6.4 million wild turkeys and approximately 2.6 million turkey hunters.

Since 1985, more than $186 million NWTF and cooperator dollars have been spent on over 27,000 projects benefiting wild turkeys throughout North America.

The NWTF is a nonprofit organization with nearly 525,000 members in 50 states and 12 foreign countries. It supports scientific wildlife management on public, private and corporate lands as well as wild turkey hunting as a traditional North American sport.

For more information on the National Wild Turkey Federation, call (803) 637-3106, check out the www.nwtf.org web site or e-mail questions to nwtf@nwtf.net..

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