Monday, the U.S. Senate passed the 2014 Farm Bill with a decisive vote of 68-32, sending it to the president’s desk.
Many outdoor organizations are lauding the bill as a great step for sportsmen.
“This bill includes proactive and common sense conservation programs that will help deter wetland and other habitat loss, incentivize habitat conservation and keep working farmers and ranchers on their land,” said DU CEO Dale Hall. “DU is thankful to Chairwoman Stabenow and Ranking Member Cochran for never losing sight of these end goals. This farm bill is the best for conservation that we’ve seen in many years, and that is due in large part to our conservation champion, Chairwoman Stabenow.”
The 2014 Farm Bill includes the conservation and sporting community’s top priorities of re-coupling conservation compliance to crop insurance and a Sodsaver program affecting the top duck producing states of Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.
“The successes in conservation and wildlife management we have been able to achieve in America this past century have been anchored by key pieces of legislation, and none have been more valuable than the Farm Bill. Members of the Boone and Crockett Club have a long history of working on past Farm Bills, as well as this most current bill. We are pleased that this new bill targets conservation to key forest, grassland, wetland and other wildlife habitats,” said William (Bill) Demmer, president of the Club.
Along with the necessary spending cuts, the bill still provides certainty to agriculture and improves forest, wetland, grassland and wildlife programs.
“The new Farm Bill addresses key sportsmen’s priorities, including re-linking conservation compliance with the federal crop insurance program, implementing a ‘Sodsaver’ provision aimed at conserving intact prairie grasslands, continuing the Conservation Reserve Program and expanding incentives for sportsmen’s access on private lands,” said Steve Kline, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership director of government relations. “The commitment and strong advocacy by key House and Senate leaders should be applauded by sportsmen around the country.”
