Send an Email - Help Reward Farmers for Conservation

[EC]

Environmental Defense
take action for the environment...online

Last year, 200,000 farmers applied to conservation programs
to
protect wildlife and improve water quality. Three out of
four
were rejected because there was not enough funding. Funding
for
these programs has already been cut by more than $3
billion,
and Congress is seeking to cut popular conservation
programs
even further.

America's farmers are stewards of our natural resources,
managing half the nation's land. Tell Congress we should
reward,
not reject, farmers when they offer to help the
environment.

Take Action:
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/farmbill3/inng672p5bdbtk?

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What's at Stake:
Many farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners are anxious
to
take steps to improve our environment. However, current
funding
doesn't support farmers' efforts to be good stewards of
their
land. Instead, government subsidies encourage them to plow
up
grasslands to grow row crops that guzzle water and spew
chemicals.

Last year, more than 200,000 farmers offered to preserve
open
space and wildlife habitat, reduce pesticide use and
improve the
quality of our water and air. But three out of four who
sought
conservation incentives were turned away. Because row-crop
subsidies soak up nearly 60% of all farm spending, farmers
face
a $3 billion backlog when they seek conservation
assistance.

Our Broken Farm Subsidy System:
80 years ago subsidies were created to help small farmers.
Today, they do little to help most American farmers,
despite the
annual $20 billion in government spending. Most of that
money
flows to the largest producers of feed grains, rice and
cotton.

Take Action! Congress is poised to cut conservation funding
to
help balance the federal budget. Send an email to your
senators
and representative, urging them to reward America's farmers
for
environmental stewardship.

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Take Action:
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/farmbill3/inng672p5bdbtk?