Date: Wed, 02/29/2012 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE New Agriculture, Conservation Coalition Urges Passage of Farm BillGroups call FB conservation programs ‘critical to the health of West’ (Washington, D.C.) – A new coalition of conservation and agriculture groups called on Congress to pass the Farm Bill this year to ensure full funding for conservation title programs, saying they are critical to the health of Western economies and landscapes. The newly formed Western Agricultural and Conservation Coalition includes the California Farm Bureau Federation, Trout Unlimited, Wyoming Stock Growers Association, The Nature Conservancy, Arizona Public Lands Council, Environmental Defense Fund, Family Farm Alliance, Public Lands Council and the Irrigation Association. The coalition will advocate for balanced management of resources in the West, educate about the common interests of agriculture and conservation, and engage decision-makers to further a shared vision of a rural West that is economically and environmentally sustainable. As a first step, the groups called on Congress to pass the Farm Bill this year in order to ensure full funding for the conservation title programs. The Senate Agriculture Committee held a conservation hearing this week, an action which the coalition agreed was an important step in the right direction. The groups will submit detailed policy proposals to the Committee in coming days. ”Successful conservation depends on collaboration,” said Chris Wood, president and CEO of Trout Unlimited. “In the West, many of our conservation projects wouldn't happen without two things: agricultural producer partners and Farm Bill support. We urge Congress to act quickly to ensure a Farm Bill that continues to provide vital tools for private land stewardship." The Farm Bill is one of the nation’s most successful and powerful drivers of on-farm conservation and innovation. More than ever, for producers to reduce risks and remain competitive, they have to make sure they’re operating as efficiently as possible. But for many farmers and ranchers, investing in new irrigation upgrades—not to mention stream habitat improvements—is often cost-prohibitive. That’s where the Farm Bill’s highly effective Title II conservation programs—EQIP, AWEP, CCPI and others—play a key role. For more than 75 years, they’ve helped fund infrastructure modernization and conservation projects that benefit ag operations while protecting stream health and wildlife habitat. While the current Farm Bill debate is the priority of the coalition, members of the Western Agriculture and Conservation Coalition look forward to potentially expanding the coalition’s focus to include other areas of importance to western agriculture production and conservation efforts. “Livestock producers look forward to the opportunity to show the inextricable connection between their ability to stay in business, and the health of the economies and natural resources of the West,” said John Falen, PLC president and rancher from Nevada. “Through wise resource use over generations, and through clear private property rights, ranchers have proven themselves diligent stewards of the land.” # # # For further information, contact: Jeff Eisenberg, Coalition Staff, 571-355-3073 Trout Unlimited, Russ Schnitzer, 307-438-1365 Other media contacts: Family Farm Alliance, Dan Keppen, 541-892-6244 The Nature Conservancy, Sean McMahon, 515-244-5044 Arizona Public Lands Council, Dave Cook, 928-701-3021 Environmental Defense Fund, Dan Grossman, 303-447-7213 Wyoming Stock Growers, Jim Magagna, 307-638-3942 California Farm Bureau, Elisa Noble, 916-561-5618 Public Lands Council, Dustin Van Liew, 202-879-9126 Irrigation Association, John Farner, 703-536-7080