News for Immediate Release
February 6, 2007
Contact: Geoff Mullins, 202-654-4609, gmullins@trcp.org
Unions Continue Push to Grow Conservation in Farm Bill
AFL-CIO unions call on Congress to get final Farm Bill in line with recommendations of leading fish, wildlife and agriculture policy specialists
WASHINGTON — As a conference committee readies to put the finishing touches on a final Farm Bill, the AFL-CIO and other prominent labor unions are urging congressional leaders to support strong overall funding levels for the bill's Conservation Title and a bold new initiative to promote expanded access for sportsmen.
The AFL-CIO, a voluntary federation of 55 national and international labor unions, urges Congress to forge final legislation that aligns with recommendations put forth last year by a coalition of hunting, fishing and conservation organizations in a report entitled Growing Conservation in the Farm Bill.
That report was published by the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership's Agriculture and Wildlife Working Group, co-chaired by representatives of Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever and the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, and including many other hunting, fishing, and conservation organizations, such as The Nature Conservancy, National Wildlife Federation and Quail Unlimited.
Pointing out that the Farm Bill Conservation Title represents our nation's single largest investment in fish and wildlife stewardship on private lands and is of huge importance to their millions of members who hunt and fish, the unions call for strong conservation funding in general and the specific inclusion of a new program known as "Open Fields."
Open Fields would provide $20 million annually to help states expand established programs to promote public sportsmen's access on private lands or develop new programs where they do not currently exist. Open Fields also would require those who enroll their lands in the program to employ best management practices for fish and wildlife, adding considerable environmental benefits across the American landscape.
"At a time when U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service statistics show that the numbers of Americans who hunt and fish continue to decline," the unions write, "this legislation would serve to abate this trend and the members of our unions strongly support it."
Joining the AFL-CIO on the joint letter are the Sheet Metal Workers International Association, the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters, the United Steelworkers of America, and the Utility Workers Union of America. "Lack of access is a common obstacle among our union members who hunt and fish. Open Fields is a win-win solution, opening new land for sportsmen while, in turn, providing an economic boost to local, rural communities," said Michael Sullivan, President of the Sheet Metal Workers International Association.
The unions' letter marks the most recent push in an ongoing effort to shape agricultural policy to benefit the millions of union members who hunt and fish. "While our unions have not traditionally engaged directly in the formation of the Farm Bill, we have a keen interest in advocating for our members' interests not only in the workplace, but also in the fields, forests and waters where so many of them spend their hard-earned time," they write.
Inspired by the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, the TRCP is a coalition of organizations and grassroots partners working together to preserve the traditions of hunting and fishing.
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