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Washington Watch, 03/26/08

Farm Bill Update

House and Senate Budget Resolutions Passed

Public Witness Day

Farm Bill Update

Earlier this week, Congress enacted a 30-day extension of the current farm bill (S 2745), and President Bush signed that measure on March 14. Lawmakers are hoping to finish up negotiations on the $280 billion five-year farm policy reauthorization (HR 2419) before mid-April, when the extension will expire.

The extension is the second Congress has enacted since it started rewriting farm law more than a year ago. The House passed its version of a five-year bill last July, and the Senate finished up work on its version in December. Both chambers agreed to a three-month extension (PL 110-161) at the end of last year that expires March 15.

The Farm Bill is significant because it includes funding for a host of land conservation programs. Both House and Senate passed bills includes funding for the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP), the Grasslands Reserve Program (GRP), and the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP). The Senate version also authorizes a new Community Forest Protection grant program.

However, conference negotiations have been stymied by a stalemate between the White House and Congress over how to pay for about $10 billion in new spending over the bill's $280 billion baseline. Lawmakers must offset that new spending with cuts to other programs or tax revenue.

The president insists he will not sign a bill that includes new taxes. He has also pushed for significant restructuring of agricultural subsidies, a hard sell among lawmakers who represent big farming districts.

Top negotiators from the Senate and House Agriculture committees continue to meet to hash out final funding levels and policy changes during the Congressional recess that ends March 31. At the time of this posting, a blueprint that both sides could agree to had still not been found.

For more specifics on programs included in the House Bill, see Washington Watch 11/12/2007.

For more specifics on programs included in the Senate Bill, see Washington Watch 12/27/2007.

House and Senate Budget Resolutions Passed

The President's FY09 budget represented some of the most serious cuts in environmental programs in recent history. The total levels recommended by the President for environmental programs were $28.9 billion. This is $2.1 billion below FY08, a 6.8 percent overall cut. Programs of particular interest that received some of the most drastic cuts in the President's budget this year are the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and the Forest Legacy Program.

Together with a group of national, regional and local environmental and conservation organizations, The Trust for Public Land worked with Congress on efforts to raise these budget levels in both the House and Senate Budget Resolutions significantly over the President's budget levels for overall environmental funding with specific mention of the LWCF.

The next step in the process is for the House and Senate Budget Committees to iron out their differences to finalize the budget resolution, which then must be approved by the full House and Senate. After that, Appropriations Committee will divvy up overall domestic discretionary funding. TPL remains committed to working with Congress to see these funds continue to edge back up to levels that will begin to meet the demands for critical conservation programs throughout the country.

Public Witness Day

On March 12 and 13, the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee chaired by Rep. Norman Dicks of Washington, with Rep. Todd Tiahrt of Kansas as Ranking Member, held Public Witness Day. During these days, the subcommittee invites the public to submit written testimony for the record in support of important projects, programs, and initiatives in the upcoming FY 2009 Interior Appropriations Bill. On March 12, the subcommittee heard spoken testimony from the public concerning Native American issues. On March 13, the subcommittee heard spoken testimony from a number of environmental and conservation organizations. A final day of spoken testimony will occur on April 4. Alan Front, Senior Vice President of The Trust for Public Land is scheduled to present his testimony on that day.

One of the many presenters of testimony on March 13, was Joe Kessler, President of the Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park. Mr. Kessler's testimony was in support of an appropriation of $4.5 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for the National Park Service to acquire the 100-acre first phase of the 207-acre Estate Maho Bay property on St. John. The property includes frontage on Maho Bay and will provide the first link between the northern and southern sections of the national park. When the project is completed, the expected $9 million in federal funds will be matched than more than $9 million in non-federal and private funds.

The Trust for Public Land is working with many of it partner organizations and local supporters to submit testimony to the congressional Interior Appropriations subcommittees. Testimony to the House subcommittee was due on March 13. Approximately 25 partner and local organizations submitted testimony to the House in support of TPL projects around the country. Attached at the bottom of the page are letters submitted on behalf of TPL projects.

Testimony to the Senate subcommittee, chaired by Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, with Sen. Wayne Allard of Colorado as Ranking Member, is due on April 25.

For more information about the federal programs, visit TPL's Federal Program page.

Public Testimony