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—/��6� � `�=` <br /> U0943 �. <br /> 0 <br /> . o ' <br /> •. <br /> i \ - <br /> _- <br /> Assscktrale, II of Csaanntms <br /> Offices • 440 First Street,Nu1 \Wash|nJtmn.C/CZ0OOl • 7elephonczu2/3y3-m/*^O <br /> March 25, 1982 <br /> Mr. Raymond E. Lett <br /> Executive Assistant to the Secretary <br /> U.S. Departmentof Agriculture <br /> Washington, D. C. 20250 <br /> Dear Mr. Lett: <br /> As the chairman of the Land Use and Growth Management Steering Committee of <br /> the National Association of Counties, I have the responsibility of keeping <br /> abreast of progress being made to preserve farmlands. <br /> NACo and its member counties were very pleased when Congress enacted, and <br /> President Reagan signed into law, last December the Farmland Protection Policy <br /> Act as a title of the 1981 farm bill. We supported this legislation, believing <br /> that the federal establishment simply must render more assistance to, and pay <br /> greater reator attentiun to the wishes of, state and local governments when it comes <br /> to planning federal projects that can unnecessarily consume prime famOand. <br /> We must become better partners in our system of federalism. <br /> As you are certainly aware, this Act requires the USDA to develop criteria, by <br /> which federal projects may be planned and evaluated so as to avoid needless <br /> conversion of prime farmland, within 6 months of its effective date. Although <br /> it has been nearly 3 months since the Act was passed, I am reliably informed <br /> that USDA has taken few, if any, affirmative steps to develop these criteria. <br /> Because less than 100 days remain until the statutory deadline for the promulgation <br /> of the farmland criteria, I respectfully ask on behalf of NACo that USDA begin <br /> the process of developing them as soon as possible. And I would ask further <br /> that you keep me informed of your progress so that I might report it to my <br /> fellow, concerned county officials. <br /> Mr. Lett, I certainly understand that, with current federal budgeting problems, <br /> not to mention the effect of economic hard times on farmers, USDA has its hands <br /> full. But, it would be a shame to allow what appears to be a golden opportunity -- <br /> the recent adoption of the Farmland Protection Policy Act -- to slip through our <br />