Please note: of the action alert system. Action Alert: Help Stop Subsidies for Huge Livestock Operations Your letters and calls are needed before 11/25/96 to make sure EQUIP funds help small- to moderate-sized farms, as they were intended. Background: USDA is writing rules to implement the new Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The program provides cost-share payments to farmers to establish conservation practices, both for crop and livestock production. Congress said that the cost-share funds could not be used by "large" livestock operations but left it to USDA to define a large operations. USDA now lacks the backbone to set effective national limits, leaving the decision to individual states. Your hard work persuaded Congress to amend the EQIP legislation to deny subsidies to large livestock operations to construct manure management structures. Many of you also took the time to go to Farm Bill forums in your state this month. But USDA needs to hear your voice once again. USDA is playing fast and loose with the numbers! The Agency's tallied responses from hearings and public forums gives them the basis for deciding rules on various controversial parts of a particular program. In the case of EQIP, USDA claims that they have received only a handful of responses on herd size pushing for federal limits, compared to dozens on the other side. We must turn around these supposed numbers with written comments. Action Needed: Submit your written comments to: Lloyd Wright, Director Conservation & Ecosystem Assistance Division USDA/NRCS PO Box 2890 Washington, DC 20013 We also urge you to send a copy of your letter to your Senators (see the Congressional Directory for contact information) and modify your letter and send it in to your local paper as a letter to the editor. Key points to make about EQIP include:
Action Alert prepared by Kris Thorpe, Center for Rural Affairs, Walthill, Neb. email: HN1721@handsnet.org For an update, see: Comments to USDA Favor Livestock Limits -- 78% say limit the size of farms eligible for EQIP funds, according to a survey by the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture.
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