Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, while I appreciate and share the gentleman's desire to preserve forests in danger of conversion--that's very important to me. I chair the Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry, but I don't believe that this is the best way to do it. I respectfully oppose the amendment.

The Forest Legacy Program has been successful, to date, due to its unique structure, partnering with States to preserve forested land threatened by development. Since its creation in the 1990 farm bill, the Forest Legacy Program has more than been successful in fulfilling that purpose. The program has protected more than 2.2 million acres in 43 States and has leveraged $739 million of non-Federal funding over the last 20 years.

By opening the program to nongovernmental programs, we're doing nothing to promote the program's purpose. Demand is quite high for the program. For the last 3 years, USDA has only been able to fund roughly a quarter of the funding requests under this program. Additionally, this change only has the effect of making the program more similar to other conservation programs.

In the 2008 farm bill, we created the Community Forest Program with the purpose of allowing groups such as land trusts and Indian tribes the authority to manage forest easements. This was done in part to allow nongovernment groups to participate in protecting local forests.

While I'm certain the gentleman from California has the best of intentions, I don't agree we have a problem with this program that justifies opening it for alteration; and, therefore, I will oppose the amendment.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I just note that my good friend from New York--and I appreciate his passion on this--but the organizations you named already have opportunities under the Community Forest Program.

And we have two rather unique programs, one that already, well, as of the last farm bill that was done in 2008, provides the opportunity for nongovernmental groups to be able to participate.

I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, let me restate again, I recognize there's two different programs. There is one program that was created in 2008 that nongovernmental programs can participate in.

There's not capacity within the Forest Legacy Program, Mr. Chairman, to add nongovernmental programs in. It is specifically designed for partnering with States to preserve forest lands that are threatened by development.

And just as a reminder, over the last 3 years, USDA's only been able to fund roughly a quarter of those funding requests at this point, and by extending this would not serve a purpose.

I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

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