News for Immediate Release
May 15, 2007
Contact: Tim Zink, 202-654-4625, tzink@trcp.org
Unions Take Unprecedented Farm Bill Stance, Ask Congress to Grow Conservation, Access Programs
Union sportsmen urge support for conservation programs, inclusion of “Open Fields” provision in Farm Bill WASHINGTON – More than 3 million hunters and anglers in unions affiliated with the AFL-CIO today called on members of Congress to adequately fund key Farm Bill conservation programs and to include a measure that would allow states to establish or expand private land hunting and fishing access programs. In a joint letter signed by 17 unions (full text of Senate version follows), the unions urge Congress to follow the Farm Bill policy recommendations of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership’s Agriculture and Wildlife Working Group (AWWG). The AWWG recommendations are contained in a comprehensive report, entitled Growing Conservation in the Farm Bill, that already has been submitted to Congress. In their letter, the unions contend: “These recommendations show how the United States can make conservation a new priority when Congress reauthorizes the Farm Bill in 2007. The conservation of our natural resources is very important to our union members who hunt, fish and recreate in the outdoors, and they fully support the recommendations in this report.” The heart of the report’s recommendations are calls for robust funding for several key programs, including the Conservation Reserve Program, Wetlands Reserve Program, Grassland Reserve Program and Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program. The group also recommends improving the effectiveness and efficiency of these programs, and calls for the inclusion of an Open Fields provision in the Farm Bill, to be modeled on legislation championed by Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota that was originally introduced in the 109th Congress and quickly generated more than 50 co-sponsors. An updated version of the Open Fields Bill is expected to be introduced in Congress in the very near future. In its current form, Open Fields would provide $20 million in federal funding for states to establish and expand private land “walk-in” access programs for hunters and anglers. Such programs already exist in 20 states and have been extremely successful, opening up 26 million acres to sportsmen. They provide voluntary incentives to private landowners who open their property for public use, primarily for hunting. Remarkably cost-effective, these programs directly address declines in hunter and angler numbers felt across the U.S. in the last decade. “With the loss of places to hunt and fish leading the list of reasons that active sportsmen become former sportsmen, we see Open Fields as a way to improve the quality of life for many of our members,” said Kinsey Robinson, International President of the United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers. “Open Fields also will be an economic stimulator for local economies nationwide. To gauge how much sportsmen’s dollars matter to rural life, just drive through America’s Heartland and note all the hotels and restaurants with banners welcoming hunters.” Recognizing that improving sportsmen’s access to farms and ranches is only worthwhile if those farms and ranches have high quality fish and wildlife habitat, the unions urge Congress to sustain and grow programs like CRP that have made it possible for millions of landowners to make millions of acres of private land more fish and wildlife friendly. “The unions’ entry into the public debate on how to grow conservation in the Farm Bill marks a significant event in our community’s evolution,” said George Cooper, President and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, which earlier this year announced the launch of a new, union-dedicated program within the TRCP – the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA). “We are adding the voices of millions of American union-sportsmen to the process of shaping a piece of legislation that is of highest importance to all hunters and anglers. It must be recognized that this Farm Bill is being crafted in a very challenging budget climate, and unless we impress upon our leaders how much these conservation programs matter to us, they could face serious cuts. By weighing in on the importance of conservation and access, these unions are helping us ensure that members of Congress know just how critical the Conservation Title of the Farm Bill is to the nation’s sportsmen-conservationists.” 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. If for any reason you would like to stop receiving materials from the TRCP, simply reply to this message with ‘REMOVE’ in the subject line. May 15, 2007 The Honorable Tom Harkin, Chairman
The Honorable Saxby Chambliss, Ranking Minority Member
Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee
328A Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Chairman Harkin and Ranking Minority Member Chambliss: As urban sprawl and energy development threaten access to quality places to hunt and fish and public lands become overcrowded, our hardworking, union sportsmen and sportswomen depend on programs that protect and enhance private land, while opening it to hunting and fishing. Therefore, we write to you on behalf of our 3.2 million members that hunt and fish to urge you to consider key programs, such as the Open Fields Bill, Conservation Reserve Program, Wetlands Reserve Program, Grassland Reserve Program and the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, as you develop Farm Bill policy this year. The Agriculture and Wildlife Working Group (AWWG) of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) recently released consensus recommendations from the hunting, fishing and conservation community in a report entitled Growing Conservation in the Farm Bill. These recommendations show how the United States can make conservation a new priority when Congress reauthorizes the Farm Bill in 2007. The conservation of our natural resources is very important to our union members who hunt, fish and recreate in the outdoors, and they fully support the recommendations in this report. One of the most important recommendations from the report concerns legislation commonly called the Open Fields Bill that would provide $20 million per year in Commodity Credit Corporation-issued grants to states to enhance existing access programs or to develop new programs in states without access programs. The members of our unions strongly support this legislation. TRCP and its partner organizations including Pheasants Forever, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Ducks Unlimited and dozens of others have been advocating for Open Fields for several years and our Unions support their lead on this. TRCP and AWWG support the following recommendations on Open Fields and on improving sportsmen’s access through the Farm Bill: - Include Open Fields language and authorization in the 2007 Farm Bill.
- Use program funds to improve wildlife management and recreational opportunities on land enrolled voluntarily in Farm Bill conservation programs.
- Provide landowner assurances that reduce liability and risk through the voluntary state-managed access programs.
- Grant a higher enrollment priority to conservation program applications that include a public access component.
If the full set of recommendations related to conservation and access contained within the AWWG’s report are included in the new Farm Bill, all Americans will benefit. Agricultural producers and forest owners will receive economic assistance for land stewardship and conservation incentives. Taxpayers will receive greater personal benefits, such as cleaner water and an improved environment. Sportsmen will benefit from enhanced fish and wildlife habitat and increased access to huntable and fishable lands and waters. Union outdoorsmen have experienced the dramatic effects of the Farm Bill conservation programs on fish and wildlife resources and know that these conservation programs are a win-win-win for sportsmen, landowners and fish and wildlife. While our Unions have not traditionally engaged directly in the formation of the Farm Bill, we are well aware that the Conservation Title of the Farm Bill is the single largest federal investment in conservation on private land, which covers more than half the landscape in the lower 48 states. We have a keen interest in advocating for our members’ interests not only in the workplace but also in the fields, forests and waters so many of them spend their hard earned time in. That is why we are speaking up on this Farm Bill and urging you to adopt the recommendations of the TRCP AWWG contained in the Growing Conservation in the Farm Bill report. Thank you for your consideration in this matter. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the TRCP’s recommendations or the Growing Conservation in the Farm Bill report, please contact Tom Franklin, TRCP’s Senior Vice President, at 202-654-4617 or tfranklin@trcp.org. A copy of the report is attached. Sincerely, American Federation of Labor & Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)
Building Construction Trades Department (BCTD)
United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters (UA)
United Steelworkers of America (USW)
Sheet Metal Workers International Association (SMWIA)
International Union of Painters and Allied Trade (IUPAT)
United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers & Allied Workers (Roofers)
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)
International Union of Bricklayers & Allied Craft Workers (BAC)
International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental & Reinforcing Iron Workers (Ironworkers)
International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship builders, Blacksmiths, forgers & Helpers (Boilermakers)
International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC)
International Association of Heat, Frost Insulators & Asbestos Workers (Heat/Frost Insulators)
Transport Workers Union (TWU)
International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF)
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW)
United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) |