"NO SURPRISES" POLICY WOULD PROTECT FARMERS AND RANCHERS

    WASHINGTON, D.C., Aug. 4, 1997 -- Farm and ranch landowners
would have more of an incentive to protect wildlife habitat under
the "no surprises" regulation proposed by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service.  National Cattlemen's Beef Association
President Max Deets, Beloit, Kan., commented on the rule in a
recent letter to the agency.  The rule would protect landowners
who enter into a habitat conservation plan from additional
regulation under the Endangered Species Act.
    
     "This policy is an important step in providing incentives to
private landowners to participate in the development of long-term
conservation plans by helping assure economic and regulatory
certainty," Deets said.  "Economic and regulatory certainty is
especially important to beef cattle producers because of the cash-
intensive nature of their businesses.  Uncertainty about
permissible land uses results in declining land values, causing
lenders to shy away from operating and long-term loan offers,
secured using land as collateral."
    
     The USFWS informally implemented the so-called "no
surprises" policy in 1994.  The rule provides regulatory
assurances to landowners who enter habitat conservation
agreements that no additional land-use restrictions or financial
composition will be required with respect to species adequately
covered by the agreement.
    
     The agency is now proposing to codify the policy as a rule.
Deets said NCBA supports codifying the policy to provide
additional certainty to landowners who voluntarily implement
practices to protect wildlife habitat on private property.
    
     Initiated in 1898, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association
is the marketing organization and trade association for America's
one million cattle farmers and ranchers.  With offices in Denver,
Chicago and Washington D.C., NCBA is a consumer-focused, producer-
directed organization representing the largest segment of the
nation's food and fiber industry.
    
                           -- NCBA --