WASHINGTON, D.C.—August 3, 2012— The following is a statement from National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) President Gene Schmidt regarding the House passage of a drought assistance bill:
“As our nation deals with the worst drought we’ve seen in more than 50 years, it’s critical that producers and landowners have the tools they need to continue caring for the land and providing food, feed and fiber for the world. We recognize that the House needed to take action to provide much-needed assistance during this difficult time; however, this is only a short-term solution that does not provide producers and landowners with the assurances they need to plan for the future.
“Additionally, we realize that realistically this short-term assistance will not be provided to producers overnight. Conservation districts and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service have the tools and resources available right now to help producers and landowners implement conservation practices on the ground to help mitigate the impacts of extreme weather events. We encourage producers to reach out to their local conservation district offices to find out what resources are available today. Locally-led, long-term conservation planning and practice implementation is our best defense in helping to preserve our nation’s natural resource base no matter what weather lies ahead.
“NACD continues to call on Congress to pass a new, five-year Farm Bill when it returns rejuvenated from the August recess. As stewards of the land and producers of the food and fiber we rely on every day, our nation’s producers deserve to have a long-term framework providing them with the ability to effectively and efficiently manage natural resources for the years ahead.”