Chairman Peterson Vows Conservation Priorities Will Be Protected
June 7 , 2007
Special Edition
Chairman Peterson Vows Conservation Priorities Will Be Protected
Addressing the sportsmen’s community at a briefing held by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Collin Peterson (D-MN), thanked the sportsmen’s community for the unified effort in identifying and promoting conservation priorities, and provided encouragement that conservation programs contained in the Farm Bill would be maintained. “We are getting within striking distance of making this work -- I am becoming more optimistic we can get this done,” proclaimed Peterson. “At the end of the day it is my intention to ensure the priorities of the sportsmen’s community are included in the bill.” Peterson was referring to a document prepared by the Association of the Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, titled "Fish, Wildlife and the Farm Bill," which includes the list of priorities put forth by more than 40 hunting and fishing organizations. Tempering his remarks against the backdrop of today’s fiscal environment, Peterson said, “We don't have has much money as we would like to go around and that is causing us to make difficult decisions. The 2002 Farm Bill was written at a time when our nation was coming off of significant budget surpluses, while it is estimated that the 2007 Farm Bill will have $60 billion less in funding in the commodities title alone than the last one.” Chairman Peterson is looking to have the House bill marked up by July 4th recess and is hopeful that the bill will be on the floor by mid-July for a House vote. Showing his true colors of camouflage and blaze orange, Peterson closed by saying it was his hopes that the bill would be passed out of the House and Senate and sent to the President by September, so it would not interfere with his hunting season. His parting advice to the hunting, fishing and conservation groups was to stay united in support of the conservation priorities. "By working as one constituency you are a far greater force to help insure that the bill gets passed on time and with your priorities." “Chairman Peterson’s message to the sportsmen’s community today was on point and provided a realistic and encouraging outlook,” stated Jeff Crane, President of CSF. “With nearly $20 billion at stake for conservation, the Farm Bill is the top policy priority for sportsmen. If the sportsmen’s priorities are included in this Farm Bill, it has the potential to be the great conservation bill of the 21st Century." Also addressing the sportsmen’s organizations were House Caucus Co-Chairs, Congressmen Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Ron Kind (D-WI). Congressman Kind, who has been an ardent supporter of the conservation titles in the Farm Bill, emphasized with the group that as the bill gets ready to come to the floor of the House for a vote that the sportsmen’s community needed to have a targeted campaign and to make a big push of support to ensure passage. In addition to CSF, the briefing was also hosted by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and BASF . Both organizations have been working closely with CSF on the Farm Bill reauthorization.
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