# National Wildlife Federation Sues Feds/CRP



## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

For a comprehensive article about the new lawsuit by the Federation against the FSA, go to:

http://www.waterfowler.com/inportal/ind ... -5-1-1-1-1

Many wildlife organizations are joining the suit over fedral handling of CRP grazing and mowing. What started out as a conservation program for retireing fragil lands from cultivation has turned into a hay reserve for forage users. The double dip.


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## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

Dick thanks for posting this article, but I want to point out one thing that came to my attention during deer season from some landowners currently enrolled.

These farmers have real fears of judges setting new rules in place that are different than the current contracts they have, or may have if they re-up the current acres. All of them expressed an interest in turning the acres back to crop land because of this.

Couple the fear with a higher rate of return from cash rent and we face a huge hurdle in retaining a significant amount of acres in this program. Now I am not saying the lawsuit does not have some merit. However I would rather see more acres stay in the program even with it being hayed than to have it in cropland. I really wonder if this aspect was even considered by those pushing this suit.

The CRP program has been the single most important thing in the reemerges of pheasants east of the Missouri River along with the return of ducks to the sky's when water returned in the 90's. If we lose this habitat to a judges ruling, like we did the Wetland protection we as sportsman lose.

What is not in place and needs to be is a grassland management program that is not set by a calender date, but can be implemented based upon the region of the country and the types of grasses and weeds that are in the fields.

One could look at our own G&F dept as a quality example of grassland management. One also as you and I have talked about can look at the Fed managed lands to see the mistakes and inflexibility they exhibit.

My reason for saying this is that grassland management in ND will be different than what is needed in TX. We do not want a judge setting management for ND based upon TX data, nor would it be good the other way around.


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

> These farmers have real fears of judges setting new rules in place that are different than the current contracts they have, or may have if they re-up the current acres.


Ron what specificly are those fears set by what judges? The regs for re-enrollment will be in the contract before it is offered and signed. Right now land owners are looking at a rising trend for cash rent, pushed by beans and corn. They are thinking they can pull more money on cash rent. Some can, many can't. This is still *North* Dakota (as in frost Aug 22). Many landowners and renters forget that when they are thinking row crop heaven.


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## tsodak (Sep 7, 2002)

There are a lot of landownersout there who feel as Ron puts forward, but there are also a very great many who have no interest in seeing CRP turned into a hay reserve, and will re-enroll at most any cost.

People must understand again what tghe goals of the program are. Soil Conservation and wildlife benefits, alomg with decreasing commodity production. Changes have been made that directly contradict that.

Tom


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## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

Dick the fear is that a judge will make changes to the requirements of use,care etc.. Do not get me wrong I do think that there are some real issues with the current program. My fear is that we are looking at this from a ducks and deer and upland use. We forget that other non game birds and insects are are also using the habitat. What will or can happen if another group decides to seek a change of use through the courts to restrict use of the land even for recreation or even weed control.

More times than not this type of suit hurts more than it helps. We also need to consider that Dashle is gone in SD and as leader. What will this mean to the rules set forth from now forward?


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

OK, now I see what you meant. And not only did Daschle get the boot, but Stenholm from Texas too. DeLay gerrymandered the districts there. Both the ranking Dems on the senate and house ag committee are gone. The two Dems had 50 years of ag stewardship, now down the tube. Big consequences for ag and conservation.


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## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

This is a comment by Richard Roy who is a biologist with the USFWS. This is his opinion and not that of the Dept.

He is also opposed to the lawsuit for a variety of reasons but none more important than what is happening to the lands across this nation.

I have his permission to post this up

Dec 3rd 2004 Richard Roy Taken from WFC website.

There are a bunch of plants that are allelopathic or suspected of being so. Perennial pepperweed comes to mind and peas are too!

One of the REAL issues facing wildlife, fish and their habitats are exotic/invasive species. Unfortunately, the enviros are spending their time worrying about cutting trees and hunters are worrying about fall flights, non-residents, bag limits, to shoot or to not shoot hens, AHM, etc, etc. It wont make ANY difference once the habitats are overrun by exotic species and ecosystems crash.

There are places (grasslands/shrub-steppe) in this country where multiple exotic species have so disrupted soil dynamics that there is serious doubt that these systems will support any vegetation, let alone recover!! The soil is just blowing away.

My self, my plant ecologists/range conservationist and a invasive plant scientist are working on a seed mix for my Refuge to start addressing invasive exotic plants from an "ecological perspective". The idea is based off of "filling niches" that would otherwise be occupied by invasives. Invasives get their start on disturbed sites or on sites where a 'void' is left for the invasive to fill. This "void" would typically have been filled by a native forb species. But for some reason has been "lost" from the site by some management action (overgrazing, too frequent fire, farming, frequent herbicide treatment, construction, etc, etc, etc).

You cannot address this issue solely with chemical application. We have been spraying chemicals in this country non-stop for 50+ years and the weeds are spreading!!! I am NOT anti-chemical, its ONE of the tools in the tool box.


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