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Plow Sha C1+1e Note: In the case of extreme heat or rain, the starting time and order of sessions may be adjusted. For more information please call the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy office at 919 -542 -5704 or e -mail at < dbixby@albc-usa.org > . Reforming the Farm Bill? press release from the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture The National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture applauds the introduction of the innovative Conservation Security Act in the U.S. Senate in May by Tom Harkin (D -Iowa) and Gordon Smith (R- Oregon), and in the House by John Thune (R -SD) and Marcy Kaptur (D -OH). The Conser- vation Security Act, if passed, will estab- lish significant new incentives for farmers and ranchers to adopt and maintain prac- tices that improve the environmental per- formance of working farms and ranches. Support for stewardship incentives in Con- gress marks an important shift in U.S. ag- ricultural conservation efforts, emphasiz- ing the environmental benefits sustainable management of land under active produc- tion can provide. As the bill states, it would complement existing conservation programs, and would help achieve a better balance between Federal payments sup- porting conservation on land used for agri- cultural production and Federal payments for the purpose of retiring agricultural land from production. Benefits provided by good stewardship of active farmland in- clude clean air and water, improved soils, Page 14 restored habitat, and other public goods. The Conservation Security Act establishes three tiers of incentives, with the highest rewards for practices that provide the highest degree of stewardship. At the top tier, farmers and ranchers would integrate a' variety of practices into a plan that addresses the resources of the entire farm. "Good farm stewardship practices benefit everyone -- improving the wa- ter we drink, the air we breathe, the quality of the food we eat, and the health of our nation's ecosystems. The policy isn't just for farmers. It's for everyone," said Kathy Lawrence, Executive Director of the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture. "We are particularly pleased that the bill contains provisions for outreach to limited resource and socially disadvan- taged farmers and ranchers not only by government agencies, but by commu- nity -based organizations as well," said Lawrence. "This important provision will help ensure that those farmers and ranchers who stand to benefit the most from this bill will have access to the resources it provides. " The National Campaign for Sustain- able Agriculture sees the Conservation Security Act as one of several reforms needed to address the failings of the 1996 Farm Bill that have weakened the economic position of family farms and ranches, and cost taxpayers tens of bil- lions of dollars in emergency pay- ments. "The Conservation Security 47