Protecting our Children and Our Future

Remarks by Bruce I. Knight, Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Earth Day Celebration Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation

Halifax County, VA
April 22, 2005
As Prepared

Thank you, Ward, for your introduction, and for all you’ve done to preserve and restore the natural environment here in Southside, Virginia. The Natural Resources Conservation Service is proud to partner with you.

Today’s Celebration

It’s great to be here at the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation. There’s no more fitting place to observe Earth Day.

The Foundation has a long-standing commitment to stewardship of wetlands and enhancing habitat for wildlife. NRCS has signed a Wetland Reserve Program permanent easement on 95 acres of Foundation land, including 35-40 acres of riparian area.

This year’s Earth Day theme “Protect Our Children and Our Future” makes it especially appropriate to be celebrating here. Ward, I know you personally have a strong interest in sharing the beauty and the value of nature with young people, through Return to Nature. And you’ve already reached out to more than 120,000 boys and girls to share the importance of conservation.

That’s one of the reasons I wanted to bring my daughter Katherine with me today—and I’m sorry she couldn’t come. I knew she’d love seeing this beautiful stretch of land along the Staunton River. And I know she would have enjoyed helping install the wood duck boxes and bat house.

Earth Day 35th Anniversary

Today is the 35th anniversary of Earth Day. It’s a good time to reflect on what America’s farmers, ranchers, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, conservation districts and other partners have been doing as stewards of the Earth, looking ahead to the next generation.
Remember that every step we take today to safeguard the land, the air and the water preserves and enhances our Nation’s resources for those who will follow—America’s sons and daughters.
Profitability and environmental quality are indeed compatible goals.

Other Anniversaries

This month we’re also celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Natural Resources Conservation Service. We’ve been a partner in conservation since 1935—helping people help the land.

Our focus is conservation on working lands—scientifically based, locally led, voluntary conservation. We help farmers and ranchers provide the environmental benefits that all Americans have come to value.

Together, we’ve made significant gains:

• Soil erosion on cropland and pasture declined by 1.2 billion tons—40 percent—from 1982-1997. That’s a benefit in excess of $2 billion!

• We’ve moved from net losses of nearly 600,000 acres of wetlands each year from 1954-1974 to a net increase from 1997-2003 of 263,000 acres of wetlands.

• Under the Wetlands Reserve Program, we’ve restored more than 1.6 million acres of wetlands since 1991.

• With the help of NRCS programs, farmers and ranchers have planted millions of acres of trees and shrubs—including nearly 250,000 acres last year alone.

Today on Earth Day, we’re also applauding thousands of volunteers who help NRCS and America’s farmers and ranchers do the job of conservation. These volunteers are part of the NRCS Earth Team and celebrate 20 years of service.

Begun in 1985, this national cadre of volunteers has grown from 327 to more than 40,000 today. In 2004, NRCS Earth Team members donated nearly one million hours in service assisting NRCS employees in almost every capacity. They leverage our ability to work with farmers and ranchers to get conservation on the ground.

Over the past 20 years, nearly 360,000 Earth Team members have donated over 11 million hours of service to NRCS. Their gifts of time are valued at nearly $185 million.

I know we have several NRCS Earth Team members here today. And perhaps some future team members.

If you have an interest in conservation—in preserving and protecting private lands for public benefit, in serving the conservation needs of your community—we could use you on our team.
Please contact your local NRCS office—and we’ll sign you up!

Earth Day 2004

Last year’s Earth Day was one of my proudest moments with NRCS. The Secretary of Agriculture announced that the United States had achieved no net loss of wetlands due to agriculture. The NRCS National Resources Inventory identified this progress.

This is a tribute to efforts by landowners, partners and NRCS. Together, we are making a difference in the environment that benefits us all.

But we need to go further.

And on Earth Day 2004, President Bush made an historic commitment to move beyond no net loss to true gains. He promised that we would improve, protect and restore 3 million acres of wetlands over the next five years. He pledged the government’s support for providing habitat for millions of birds and fish.

As the President said last year, “The old policy of wetlands was to limit the loss of wetlands. Today I’m going to announce a new policy and a new goal for our country: Instead of just limiting our losses, we will expand the wetlands of America. We can achieve this goal. It is a realistic goal. We can set streams back on their natural courses, allowing wetlands to return. We can provide incentives to our farmers and ranchers to stop cultivating areas that were once wetlands and make them wetlands again.”

Earth Day 2005

Today, I want to share with you that our nation has made substantial progress in fulfilling the promise the President made last year. In just the past 12 months, more than 832,000 acres of wetlands have been restored, created, protected and improved. And we project that more than 1.6 million additional acres will be restored, improved or protected from now through 2006.

That equals 80 percent of the President’s goal.

I’m particularly pleased to tell you that during the past year 371,826 acres of wetlands have been restored, enhanced or protected through USDA programs. NRCS and the Farm Service Agency share responsibility for conservation programs for private land management and environmental stewardship.

Through the Wetlands Reserve Program, NRCS has enrolled more than 266,000 acres since last Earth Day. In Virginia, since WRP began in 1994,we have enrolled more than 1,300 acres under 35 contracts for almost $1.9 million.

In the past year, NRCS Conservation Technical Assistance has enabled farmers and ranchers nationwide to restore, enhance or protect an additional 50,000 acres.

Further, two Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program projects in Nebraska and Minnesota will lead to wetlands improvements on more than 10,000 acres. We’re looking to expand this program soon, with an additional $4 million, to address wetland restoration, creation and enhancement on about 5,000 acres.

The Conservation Reserve Program, administered by the Farm Service Agency, offers multiple options for restoring and protecting wetlands. Permanent cover established under CRP during the past year protects nearly 47,000 more acres of environmentally sensitive land.

FSA also administers the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, which creates unique State and Federal partnerships. Through CREP, landowners receive incentive payments for installing specific conservation practices.

Gains in wetlands over the past year represent cooperative conservation efforts by landowners, conservation groups, States and Federal agencies. Working together on wetlands, as the President promised last year, we are moving in the right direction—to protect our children and our future.

Wetland Benefits

It’s clear that wetlands offer many benefits. They:

• Are biologically diverse and dynamic ecosystems that support a wide variety of wildlife, plants, and fish;

• Provide habitat for many of the nation’s endangered and threatened species;

• Help protect water quality by filtering out pollutants;

• Provide natural flood control by absorbing excess water;

• Buffer coastal areas from erosion; and

• Offer aesthetic and recreational opportunities.

The President’s goal challenges us all. Re-establishing 3 million acres of wetlands will require hard work on the part of everyone who values these natural resources.

The NRCS Natural Resources Inventory will be tracking the progress that farmers and ranchers are making on private lands. The Fish and Wildlife Service will catalogue improvements on public lands.

Cooperative Conservation

Building and improving wetlands calls for cooperation. Last August, President Bush signed an Executive Order on Cooperative Conservation, asking Federal agencies to work in partnership with the American people to protect this Nation’s environment.

Some of the best conservation and environmental improvements result when landowners and communities work together. We support this culture of responsibility and respect private landowners by being good neighbors and good environmental partners.

Last week, the White House announced that it will host a Cooperative Conservation Conference, August 29-31 in St. Louis. The goal is to facilitate the exchange of information and advice on ways we can work together—at all levels of government—in concert with communities and landowners to enhance and protect the environment.

NRCS will be part of that conference—as will other USDA agencies—and other departments including Interior, Defense, Commerce and EPA. Most importantly, our customers will be part of this conference.

This is the first cooperative conservation conference in about 40 years. Only three similar national conferences have been held--

President Teddy Roosevelt held the first.

President John Kennedy held the second.

And Lady Bird Johnson, President Lyndon Johnson’s wife, hosted the third.

We are looking forward to this conference as a special opportunity to foster relationships and forge alliances that will enable us to move forward in voluntary conservation activities.

Additional Environmental Initiatives Under President Bush

When it comes to conservation, under President Bush’s leadership, we are focusing on results.
We’re looking for demonstrable improvements—cleaner air and water and healthier soil.

Specific Presidential environmental initiatives include:

• An 18-percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions (from 2002) by 2012 to meet challenge of global climate change.

• Healthy Forests Initiative—restoring the health and vitality of forests and rangelands, reducing threat of catastrophic wildfires and benefiting communities and wildlife habitats.

• Tax incentives—$4.1 billion through 2009 to spur the use of clean, renewable energy, and energy-efficient technologies, including biofuels.

• Clear Skies Initiative—aggressively reducing air pollution from electricity generators and improving air quality throughout the country.

• Great Lakes Legacy Program—unprecedented $45 million in 2005—almost 5 times as much as 2004—to enable EPA and community partners to begin remediating contaminated sediments at six sites.

2002 Farm Bill

The conservation title of the 2002 farm bill promised a massive investment of $17.1 billion in additional funding to restore, protect and preserve working lands. Under this Administration, funding has nearly doubled for conservation programs.

Environmental stewardship is a key commitment—right in line with the pledge of Earth Day 2005 to “Protect Our Children and Our Future.”

The farm bill rounds out the conservation portfolio with a new program—the Conservation Security Program. CSP represents a new concept—rewarding the best and motivating the rest.

Again, the emphasis is on working lands—producing food and fiber while protecting the environment. It is a program that recognizes outstanding conservationists and encourages and enables them to do more.

CSP is available in 2005 to producers in 220 watersheds across the country. Over the next eight years or so, every farmer and rancher in every watershed will have the opportunity to participate in this program.

2007 Farm Bill

We’re still implementing the programs established by the 2002 Farm Bill. We have a lot of conservation to get on the ground this year and in 2006 and 2007.

But it’s not too soon to start thinking about the 2007 farm bill.

That bill will likely continue—and expand—the emphasis on conservation on working lands. Ongoing, effective, integrated stewardship—as envisioned in CSP—will remain a key concept.
There will be continued strong efforts to balance production and environmental concerns.

Conclusion

I’d like to challenge each of us to do more to protect and conserve the rich land we live in—wherever we are and whatever our circumstances. As President Bush said last year, “If you want to be a responsible citizen, do something about the quality of life in the community in which you live.”

NRCS is committed to strengthening and improving the quality of life— particularly on our Nation’s private working lands. We promise to work with the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation—and landowners across the country—on Earth Day—and every day— to advance conservation and safeguard natural resources to “Protect Our Children and Our Future.”