The clock is ticking on a development that could remove approximately half a million acres from the Conservation Reserve Program in eastern Colorado during 2009.
The program, heralded both as a boon to wildlife and a boost to farmers troubled by nearly a decade of drought, could lose from 700,000 to 1 million acres over the following two years.
“It’s one of those things that benefits everyone,” said John Stulp, Colorado’s agriculture commissioner. “It’s important to do something before this land gets broken back out.”
Stulp is pushing a proposal to Tom Vilsack, agriculture secretary in the Obama administration, that would establish a bridge to keep most CRP enrollments current until more permanent action can be taken.
“We’d like to keep this going until they get their feet wet in Washington. We want to get the Department of Agriculture to keep this going as they have in the past,” Stulp said of a letter being drafted for approval by Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter.
Stulp’s concern is to keep the land in its present state pending the onset of spring plowing, which would destroy grassland and weed cover that in some cases has been in place for more than two decades.
Under CRP farmers are paid a stipend, averaging around $30 per acre, to keep land out of cultivation. The original premise was to maintain marginal farmland as a refuge for wildlife. Throughout much of the Midwest, these lands have become a cornerstone for a revival of pheasant production, as well as for vital waterfowl nesting.
Organizations such as Ducks Unlimited and Pheasants Forever have been particularly active in pushing for CRP extensions. Federal statistics show that nearly 420,000 acres in North Dakota were converted to cropland during 2007, a severe blow to waterfowl breeding.
While Colorado’s potential losses are statewide, major concern centers on the southeast counties of Baca, Prowers and Kiowa, where farmers were first to fill quotas when the program began.
“This was the heart of the dust bowl in the 1930s and again in the 1950s,” Stulp said of a region that has been impacted by extremely dry weather during the current decade. CRP grasslands are touted as a hedge against a recurrence of such extreme conditions.
“For the most part, farmers have some of the best wildlife habitat and CRP is a good example of that,” Stulp said. “We’re trying to protect the resource and part of that is having a good wildlife experience.”
Stulp has proposed a plan that would allow farmers a sort of shopping cart alternative to the type of program they might choose. Stulp mentioned some form of limited grazing, a sticking point with wildlife proponents fearful the cover will be abused by livestock given free reign and left on a plot too long. The commissioner also hinted at an arrangement that might be friendly to public access. Under the conventional contract, access is at the behest of the landowner.
As Stulp suggested, the key is to reestablish the contracts before farmers move toward cultivation. Given the opportunity, most might be inclined to renew, considering that wheat prices are low and start-up costs high in an uncertain economy.
“It’s a valuable resource. It would be terrible to see it go away,” said James Hume, who operates a wildlife-friendly farm near Walsh.
While Stulp and the Ritter administration are nudging Washington toward a contract extension, a word to our congressional delegation also might be in order. The more voices, the better.
Charlie Meyers: 303-954-1609 or cmeyers@denverpost.com
