Hunter Harvest Expected to Drop If Programs Lose Funding
Funding for conservation programs is under attack as the Senate continues their work on the Farm Bill. Programs that are critical to waterfowl population success, like the Conservation Reserve Program, Wetlands Reserve Program and Grassland Reserve Program are in jeopardy.
These programs are vital to keeping more habitat on the ground and more ducks in the sky.
Without these programs, we could see a negative impact on waterfowl hunter harvests across the United States.
Without these programs there could be 2.2 million fewer ducks in the air every year.
You Can Help Guarantee Our Waterfowl Hunting Heritage
Together we can make a positive difference for our waterfowl hunting heritage. But, we all need our voices to be heard.
With two simple phone calls you can help make sure the Senate Agriculture Committee does not take a step backward on conservation.
The message is simple: Save farm bill conservation, save waterfowl habitat.
Please call your Senator today and tell them to support Farm Bill conservation! If not, waterfowl hunting as we know it might change forever.
Farm Bill Background
The Senate has decided that they will not adopt the tax package that House of Representatives passed to pay for the Farm Bill (which is required under the Pay As You Go regulations). As a result, they must find alternative funding sources for the bill, such as cutting or reducing 
programs, and creating spending offsets elsewhere in the government.
Conservation programs are currently being used as a piggybank, so that other projects and programs can be given increases. Billions of dollars are being taken from conservation to pay for these other programs.
The result is conservation programs will take a step back from which they can not recover and waterfowl populations will suffer.
The Senate Finance Committee, which monitors and controls the budget, has passed a tax-credit package that would allow landowners with conservation land to receive tax-credits in place of the cash payments they would normally receive.
This offset unfortunately does not cover the needs of conservation programs, and the money is already being allocated to other projects as well, further shrinking the money pool.
The Farm Bill is being debated now. Every waterfowl hunter in the United States needs to contact their Senators and make sure they know that conservation is important enough to warrant full funding.
More Farm Bill Resources