Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 -- Continued

Floor Speech

FARM, NUTRITION, AND BIOENERGY ACT OF 2007--Continued -- (Senate - December 13, 2007)

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Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I rise to discuss the amendment that Senator HARKIN and I offered to make some modifications to the bioenergy crop transition program in the committee bill. First, however, I want to thank the Republican manager of the bill, Senator CHAMBLISS, and his staff for working with me and my staff, and with Senator HARKIN and his staff to address this issue.

As I said the other evening, we are importing $1 billion worth of oil a day from other countries. Bioenergy crops provide a real opportunity to spend that money here at home and help our farmers and rural communities in the process.

The bill that was reported by the Agriculture Committee proposed a program to help make this a reality by making payments to farmers to transition to these new energy crops. This was a good idea, but Senator HARKIN and I were concerned that the program would lead to unintended consequences. We have now reached agreement on a managers' amendment that goes a very long way toward addressing our concerns.

The agreement that we have reached improves the program in ways that will protect the environment and make it a more cost-effective program.

The program will now include eligibility criteria for bioenergy crops to ensure that crops that are invasive species or could become invasive species are not eligible for the program.

The program will now ensure that only lands that have already been farmed are eligible and that we are not promoting the conversion of native grasslands or forests to production of bioenergy crops.

The program will now have a formal application and selection process so that we can be sure that the limited amount of funds available is spent in the most productive way.

In deciding how these transition assistance payments are made, the Secretary of Agriculture will now have to consider the likelihood that the proposed establishment of the crop will, in fact, be viable in the proposed location.

The Secretary will also need to consider the impact that the proposed bioenergy crop, and the process of turning it into fuel or energy, will have on wildlife, air, soil, and water quality and availability.

And the Secretary will have to consider the potential for economic benefits to farmers and ranchers and impacts on their communities.

We have also added planning grants to help farmers and ranchers make the decision to grow these new bioenergy crops and to assemble enough acreage that can support the development of bioenergy facilities to use them.

Finally, we have added an additional requirement that participants in the program agree to implement a plan to protect land, water, soil and wildlife.

I think these are real improvements in the bill. I again want to thank Senator CHAMBLISS and his staff for working with us to make this program that truly will help move us toward a new energy future that will benefit our farmers, our rural communities, and the environment.

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