Press Release- April 18, 2000 (Kaptur)

$167 Million Headed To Northwest Ohio for Farmland Preservation and Conservation

CONSERVATION PROGRAM FOR OHIO IS KAPTUR PRIORITY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TOLEDO, OHIO -- Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur today praised the approval of the Ohio Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), a partnership between the US Department of Agriculture and the State of Ohio to help protect 67,000 acres of farmland in Northwest Ohio. Under the initiative, $167 million in federal dollars will be matched with $34 million in state dollars to encourage the preservation of farmland for the future and the protection of Lake Erie and 5,000 miles of Ohio streams by reducing soil erosion and runoff pollution in northwest Ohio watersheds.

"This is a wonderful voluntary initiative that encourages producers to enroll their land in Conservation Reserve contracts lasting between 10 and 15 years," said Kaptur. Farmers receive annual rental payments, incentive payments for certain activities, and cost-share assistance to establish conservation practices. "If we want farmland to be productive in the future, then we must take steps to protect it now."

According to the USDA, farmers will be able to enroll eligible lands with the Farm Service Agency of USDA. Cropland in the Western Lake Erie Watershed Area that has been planted in two of the last five years is eligible for the program. If the land is already enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), it cannot be enrolled in CREP until the commitment in CRP has ended.

"Our ecosystem is fragile," said Kaptur. "If we want to insure an abundant food supply for the future, we need to take steps to preserve our production system. The CREP program is a vital step in this direction."

Congresswoman Kaptur is the chief Democratic member of the Agricultural Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees funding for USDA programs. For more information visit: http://www.house.gov/htbin/leave_site?ln_url=http://www.usda.gov/special/ohcrep.htm  or  http://www.house.gov/htbin/leave_site?ln_url=http://www.fsa.usda.gov  on the worldwide web.

Contact: Steve Katich - 419-259-7500