PARTNERSHIP NEEDED FOR LAND CONSERVATION

AMES, Iowa (December 6, 1999) – Greater partnership between the public and private sector is needed so that even more cattle producers can implement voluntary conservation programs and continue to protect open space and the environment for future generations, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) said here today. 

This strong partnership will lead to more research and technical assistance that will provide the basis for proactive, voluntary conservation programs to continue to grow, NCBA said.

NCBA Vice President Lynn Cornwell, a cattle producer from Glasgow, Mont., made the comments at the USDA National Summit on Private Land Conservation.

"Agriculture, and cattle production in particular, is completely dependent upon the land," Cornwell said.  "Through proper management and technical assistance, cattlemen have seen great success in conservation."

Cornwell pointed out that despite this, technical assistance for conservation has been reduced as environmental regulations and the cost of certain conservation practices continues to increase.  USDA can provide valuable resources to help cattle producers ensure that conservation practices are maintained, he said.

Besides increased research and technical assistance, NCBA encourages federal policy that will enhance conservation, including:

• elimination of the death tax, which leads to land fragmentation and destruction of wildlife habitat,

• greater coordination between federal agencies such as USDA, the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service so that conservation efforts put in place by one department do not conflict with the policies of another,

• increased trust between government and the private sector to encourage conservation, including guarantees that private business information supplied by landowners will be kept private,

• the use of sound science prior to any regulatory changes that affect conservation, and

• full funding for all USDA conservation programs.

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Initiated in 1898, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association is the trade association of America’s cattle farmers and ranchers, and the marketing organization for the largest segment of the nation’s food and fiber industry. NCBA is producer-directed but consumer-focused, with offices in Denver, Chicago and Washington D.C.