The U.S. Department of Agriculture is currently considering the very troubling option of allowing land that is enrolled in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts to be removed from those contracts and plowed under - destroying all the gains to fish and wildlife habitat paid for through U.S. taxpayer dollars. This decision would encourage contract holders to break this commitment without having to pay that money back.

The CRP is the largest and most successful of all U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation programs. It has done a tremendous amount of good for our environment, fish and wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities that we as sportsmen/-women enjoy. Responsible for helping restore 2 million acres of wetlands, protect 170,000 miles of streams, produce 13.5 million pheasants, and support 2.2 million ducks per year, land enrolled in CRP contracts should remain in the program for the full length of the contract so the maximum benefit for conservation can be achieved.

Please write Secretary Schafer and your Members of Congress today to say you oppose allowing early-outs for CRP contracts and how important this vital conservation program is to fish and wildlife habitat and to hunting and fishing.

Please write Secretary Ed Schafer and your members of Congress today to say you oppose allowing early-outs for CRP contracts.

Send a letter to the following decision maker(s):
Secretary Ed Schafer
Your Congressperson
Your Senators

Below is the sample letter:

Subject: Oppose Early-Outs for CRP Contracts

Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],

As an American who enjoys the outdoors and values fish and wildlife, I am concerned about the current decision being considered to allow early termination of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts and without penalty. To do so would nullify the long-term investment made to the environmental benefits and productive fish and wildlife habitat provided by CRP and paid for by U.S. taxpayers. I ask that you maintain the great value that CRP has to conservation, local economies, and sportsmen/-women and not grant the current request to allow an early-out of CRP contracts without reimbursement of the taxpayer dollars invested in their land.

Through CRP, farmers and ranchers are making a real difference in the protection and enhancement of their land by helping:

- Restore 2 million acres of wetlands and adjacent habitat buffers;
- Restore over 8 million acres of valuable grassland and forest habitats;
- Reduce soil erosion by more than 40 percent;
- Protect 170,000 miles of sreams;
- Sequester 48 million tons of carbon dioxide to help fight global warming;
- Produce 13.5 million pheasants each year; and
- Support 2.2 million ducks per year in the Prairie Pothole region.

CRP also promotes underlying economic benefits as well. In 2006 alone, over 87 million Americans enjoyed recreational activities related to fish and wildlife. As a result, sportsmen/-women and others injected $120.1 billion into rural economies throughout the country. Releasing millions of acres from CRP would severely reduce the amount of quality fish and wildlife habitat and thereby the economic stimulation it provides - negatively impacting revenues and the thousands of jobs that follow; particularly in rural communities.

Altering the existing CRP priorities on millions of acres of enrolled land would dramatically reverse many of the gains realized to date in protecting our environment, improving water quality, enhancing fish and wildlife habitat, and providing hunting and fishingopportunities. Please do not allow this to occur.

Thank you.

Sincerely,