W: www.fsa.usda.gov

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13, 2006 – U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of the Interior today are jointly publishing conference proceedings from The Conservation Reserve Program: Planting for the Future.

The event, held during June 2004 in Ft. Collins, CO, underscores the 10-year working relationship between the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

The online book, published from the joint FSA/USGS conference, features discussion summaries based upon topical discussions in which a variety of stakeholders – researchers, farmers and representatives from universities, government agencies and other organizations – took part. Participants discussed how to most efficiently implement the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). The event placed special emphasis on the role of science in measuring CRP’s accomplishments.

The online book, published from the joint FSA/USGS Conference proceedings, features 28 articles. The topics of which range from CRP stakeholder perspectives and analyses of past accomplishments and future opportunities to CRP’s impact upon communities and the programs’ effect on wildlife, water quality, and soil retention. The book also includes reports from senior CRP program administrators, scientists and numerous other stakeholders in the program.

"Investing in scientific research helps to explain CRP’s benefits to the environment and our natural resources," said FSA Administrator Teresa Lasseter. "The technical knowledge from this conference provides decision-makers with an important tool to ensure the effective use of CRP to improve water quality and wildlife habitat."

"Our long-term partnership studying conservation issues has shown that economically viable agriculture and natural resources protection can be complementary," said Dr. P. Patrick Leahy, acting director of the USGS.

"Through our scientific research, we continue to help USDA enhance environmental quality in the nation’s agricultural and rural communities."

Ongoing developments between FSA and USGS include a monitoring, assessment and analysis system that incorporates science into program delivery. Analysis from USGS identifies CRP’s benefits for grassland birds while assessing CRP haying and grazing impacts on wildlife. The cooperative effort between the two agencies serves to:

• Improve private land conservation practices; • Develop measures of conservation performance; • Provide a means to set program goals and measure progress; and • Provide timely analysis of critical resource concerns.

The Conservation Reserve Program-Planting for the Future: Proceedings of a National Conference, Fort Collins, Colorado, June 6-9, 2004, is a 248-page book available on both the FSA http://www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/crpconf04/21490.pdf and USGS

http://www.fort.usgs.gov/products/publications/21490/21490.pdf     Web sites.

FSA’s news releases and media advisories are available via the Web at FSA’s home page, http://www.fsa.usda.gov.