NASF sent Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Stabenow and Ranking Member Cochran a letter this week thanking them for their commitment to forestry and conservation issues in Senate version of the 2012 Farm Bill (S 954). The letter highlighted the important role of State Foresters in delivering programs that benefit more than two-thirds of America's forests [read more]
NASF joined more than 530 farm, conservation, energy and rural organizations this week to urge House Speaker John Boehner to bring the five-year farm bill back to the House floor when Congress returns after its Fourth of July break. "It is vital for the House to try once again to bring together a broad coalition [read more]
Earlier this week, the Senate voted to approve passage of the Farm Bill (S. 954). The bill includes a number of notable forestry-related provisions including: Clarifies authority for the USDA Forest Service to facilitate a national coordinated response to wildland fire by providing states access to resources and mobilization infrastructure (i.e. fixes the wildland fire [read more]
This week the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry and the House Committee on Agriculture both voted to approve and send their versions of a 5-year Farm Bill to their respective floors. Debate on the Farm Bill in the House is expected sometime in June following the Memorial Day recess. The Senate is expected to [read more]
This week NASF joined the Forests in the Farm Bill coalition representing forest owners, conservationists, hunters, anglers, forest product manufacturers, and natural resource professionals in a letter urging congressional leaders to pass a comprehensive five-year Farm Bill. The Coalition outlined priorities addressed in the Farm Bill including: Strong provisions for forests in Conservation Programs; Strengthened [read more]
NASF and a wide-sweeping coalition of 235 organizations sent a letter to Congressional leadership this week urging the passage of a new five-year farm bill to be signed into law by the end of the legislative session. The coalition is comprised of organizations representing the farming, livestock, specialty crop, feed, rural development, nutrition, health, conservation, [read more]
Last Thursday, September 20, House Speaker John Boehner announced that there will not be a vote in the House on an extension or reauthorization of the Farm Bill before the elections. The House has adjourned until in November 13 to allow members to return home to campaign. Speaker Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid [read more]
On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a drought relief package (HR 6233) in response to the dry conditions plaguing many U.S. states. Congress has an impending deadline of September 30, to extend or reauthorize the 2008 Farm Bill. HR 6233 cuts roughly 20 percent in mandatory funding from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program [read more]
This morning, the House Agriculture Committee voted (35-11) to approve its version of the Farm Bill. The bill includes the forestry-related provisions included in the draft put out late last week. The Committee did not make any changes to the Conservation Title found in the draft, but two additional amendments to the Forestry Title were [read more]
Yesterday afternoon, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas and Ranking Member Collin Peterson released a discussion draft of the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act . The bill is expected to be voted out of the full committee mark-up scheduled for Wednesday, July 11th. The bill includes many similar provisions found in the recently [read more]
