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Jury hears Trump and Cohen Discussing Hush-Money Deal on secret recording; Nature-based solutions help solve Mississippi River Delta problems; Public lands groups cheer the expansion of two CA national monuments; 'Art Against the Odds' shines a light on artists in the WI justice system.

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President Biden defends dissent but says "order must prevail" on campus, former President Trump won't commit to accepting the 2024 election results and Nebraska lawmakers circumvent a ballot measure repealing private school vouchers.

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Bidding begins soon for Wyoming's elk antlers, Southeastern states gained population in the past year, small rural energy projects are losing out to bigger proposals, and a rural arts cooperative is filling the gap for schools in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Farm Bill Conferees Hear About Ag-Conservation Connection

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Tuesday, November 19, 2013   

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Another deadline is looming for the next Farm Bill, as U.S. House and Senate conferees continue to work out details. Two of those details have caught the attention of nearly 300 agriculture, conservation, wildlife and water-quality groups, including organizations in Illinois. They've signed a letter to the conferees asking that the conservation requirement for crop insurance subsidies and the "Sodsaver" program aren't left behind.

According to Ryan Stockwell, agriculture program manager at the National Wildlife Federation, basic conservation compliance had long been required, but changes in programs have led to a loophole that needs to be closed.

"It's been effective at providing wildlife habitat and protecting water quality, minimizing soil erosion and ensuring the long-term productivity of the land, while also ensuring accountability for taxpayers," he stated.

Stockwell said the bottom line is that taxpayer money should not subsidize practices that cause taxpayer expenses later.

The "Sodsaver" component is less well-known. The idea is to protect native grasslands, which have been disappearing at a faster pace because of government incentives to plant row crops. Stockwell said nearly 400,000 acres were broken out into row crops in 2011 and 2012, and it's not always ideal farmland: it tends to be more prone to erosion and flooding.

"If they're deciding to make that conversion of that vital, fragile grassland, they're doing so purely on the market incentive and not any other additional incentive," he charged.

The conferees need to finish the Farm Bill for final votes before the end of the year. The Illinois Wildlife Federation, the Illinois Stewardship Alliance, the Nature Institute and the Hoosier Environmental Council are among the groups that signed the letter.

The letter and list of groups is at blog.nwf.org.



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