By Denise Ross

The drama over the new Farm Bill isn’t over despite Congress passing - and re-passing - the bill this summer.

Now it appears that Congress is set to scale back funding levels laid out in the bill for conservation programs - think CRP, EQIP and the like.

My most recent newspaper column touches on an expansive list of complaints from the Environmental Working Group and re-enforced by South Dakota’s own conservationist/sportsman Tony Dean - whose media savvy quite frankly pulled a recent conference call with national ag reporters back from the brink of “Yeah, so?”

This from the column:

“Within weeks of the Farm Bill’s passage, the Senate appropriations committee sent to the Senate floor a spending bill (S.3289) that would slash conservation measures,” the EWG said in a press release.

AND …

“Most taxpayers don’t share in the benefits of the Farm Bill, but they sure are picking up the costs for cleaning up areas like the dead zone in the Gulf (of Mexico),” Dean said. “Conservation in the Farm Bill is one thing the average taxpayer gets back — good water quality, reasonably good wildlife habitat, good hunting and fishing.” 

To read more about ag-caused pollution and what Dean thinks about corn, click CLICK HERE below.

Congress not done with new Farm Bill

By Denise Ross

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