January 2012 Gardeners NAL and Conservation Report – Fiscal Cliff

The GCA has been interested in conservation issues right from the start. The interesting history of the GCA tells us the first beginnings of the Conservation and NAL committees almost 100 years ago. Some Conservation issues that we follow in the GCA include the environment, clean water, agriculture, climate change, and clean energy.

Today, Martha Phillips our GCA Vice Chair, keeps all of GCA updated about Legislative issues with her legislative update; a link to the current report will be contained in our minutes. And you can always find it by going on the website and searching for Committees, NAL and current information.

If you would like to subscribe, you can contact Connie Yates: cyates@gcaamerica.org.

As we all know, the fiscal cliff nail biter was staved off with a last minute agreement, last week, but the cliff is still looming out there someplace, and the issues will not go away. Featured in the last minute measure is an extension of a renewable electricity production tax credit for wind, geothermal and some biomass projects, which gives credit for each kilowatt-hour of energy they produce, with a tax credit expanded to cover wind projects. It also extends biodiesel tax credits.

A new EPA Administrator, named to replace Lisa Jackson, must focus on “legal challenges as regulators prepare to release final rules limiting carbon dioxide emissions from power plants under the Clean Air Act. The agency may also face legal challenges from environmental groups who want it to propose air pollution standards for oil and gas drilling.” Says Tim Profeta of Duke University.

The Farm Bill, debated and passed last summer in the Senate but stalled when house leadership refused to bring it up for a vote, was also extended for nine months. However, while it buys time for Congress to overhaul legislation that has existed in one form or another since 1933, many environmentalists feel that the extension that was passed gives short shrift to green programs while continuing the direct payment program for Big AG.

Incentives for healthy food, and organics, plus items that protect our water and soil have been left off the current legislation. So what can we do? We need to become knowledgeable by reading our vice chair reports on the GCA website, and reading articles on websites such as Eco watch. We need to contact our legislators, and keep up the pressure so that the poorly written nine month extension does not become a 5 year bill.

What follows is a short synopsis of  Monday’s Talk of the Nation on NPR, which featured Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Chuck Grassly, R Iowa and call ins from farmers about the 9 month extension of the Farm Bill.

Tom Vilsack who is the Secretary of Agriculture, explained that the Bill contains various Titles which include not just farming but energy, trade, jobs and research-Farmers face the uncertainty of the sequester with discussions in the new congress. The extension renews subsidies for grain cotton and soybeans while removing help for organics and specialty crops such as fruit and vegetables. Southern producers benefit but organic and specialty producers do not. He places the blame for the Bill not passing squarely on the House as they sat on it and didn’t put it up for a Vote after the Senate passed it. Conservation assistance to meet or exceed regulatory responsibility is continued but protection of smaller areas (ie grasslands) is not funded. He also mentioned CSA’s and food hubs, and says since Debbie Stabenow is Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committe she will support a 5 year bill to rebuild rural economy.

Chuck Grassly, who is a Republican Senator from Iowa said that the bill passed by the Senate would have done away with unneeded direct payments to farmers. The 2013 Crop Year Program will be the same as past years- the Senate Bill had cut it back.

The Farmers who called in all expressed frustration with the uncertainty of having the can kicked down the road again!

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