The Farmland Fix Posted on July 21st
SOARING FOOD prices are threatening to unravel one of the nation’s most far-reaching conservation programs. The Conservation Reserve Program started in the mid-1980s as way to create a floor for commodity prices. Now that there’s a shortage of key crops such as corn and soy, critics question why the Agriculture Department pays farmers $1.8 billion a year to do nothing with 34 million acres. Agriculture Secretary Edward T. Schafer, who is reportedly evaluating the program, should consider opening up some of the land to farming while continuing to protect the most environmentally sensitive acres. Mr. Schafer is reportedly delaying a decision until a federal court in Seattle decides whether to block the release of some conservation land for low-impact cattle grazing and hay growing. At a hearing last week, U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour ordered the federal government to compromise with an environmental group that brought suit and extended a temporary restraining order until tomorrow.
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