Across the Nation
North Dakota: This fall alone, 850,000 acres are expected to come out of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in North Dakota. The latest sign-up for CRP re-enrolled only 190,000 acres, meaning a net loss of 650,000 total acres of CRP for the state.
What’s that Acronym? |
Protecting millions of acres of topsoil from erosion and helping to improve the condition of bodies of water, the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) provides landowners with rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource conserving vegetative covers on eligible farmland.Learn more from our Farm Bill Helpline. 402.687.2100 |
The state Game and Fish Department is hoping to replace some of that lost habitat with different conservation programs. State officials are grappling with how to replace about $1 million in lost revenue from deer license sales resulting from a decrease in land in CRP. This year, about 44,000 fewer deer-gun licenses will be sold than a year ago.
Wildlife populations in North Dakota exploded in the 2½ decades after the CRP launched in the mid-1980s. The number of those acres has been dropping as higher commodity prices prompted farmers to put land back into crops.
Midwest: The Christian Science Monitor reported that, “The number of extreme rainstorms – deluges that dump 3 inches or more in a day – doubled in the US Midwest over the last half-century, causing billions of dollars in flood damage.”
The report shares results of a study showing the upper Midwest was hit harder than the southern part of the region. Severe rainstorms increased by 203 percent in Wisconsin and 180 percent in Michigan. Compare that to 40 percent in Ohio and 32 percent in Iowa.
Stephen Saunders, president of the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization and author of the study, was quoted as saying, “The increase in extreme storms, because of the linkage to flooding, probably represents the Midwest’s greatest vulnerability to climate change.”
Nation: We’re pleased to share a new resource for your farm or ranch. Designed for beginning and established farmers, it’s called Farm Aid’s Farmer Resource Network.
The best part is an online search tool that connects you to over 500 listings of resources, grassroots groups, government agencies, and businesses with services you might need. Help with farm profitability and sustainability, expanding food markets, and local organizing efforts is included too.
Profitability and sustainability tips are highlighted in the network’s Resource Spotlight Bulletin. We’re proud to be part of this new network. We hope you find it useful.