Several news outlets are reporting that negotiators reached a deal
Friday on a framework for a new Farm Bill that will allow conferees
to complete their work ironing out the details of a new Farm Bill in
the next couple weeks. Senator Tom Harkin announced that the package
will be presented to other conferees on Monday.

ONE ISSUE STILL OUTSTANDING IS A PROPOSED NEW SODSAVER PROVISION THAT
WOULD REDUCE TAXPAYER-FUNDED INCENTIVES FOR FARMERS TO PLOW UP NATIVE
PRAIRIE TO PLANT CROPS. KEEP THOSE CALLS AND FAXES COMING, THERE IS
STILL TIME TO CONTACT YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND ASK THEM TO
SUPPORT A STRONG SODSAVER PROVISION IN THE NEW FARM BILL!

For conservation, Reuters News reports that the deal includes $4
billion in new funding (less than the $5 billion NWF and other
conservation organizations have been asking for). Chris Clayton at
DTN News reports that the conservation provisions include "a $1.1
billion increase in spending over 10 years for the Conservation
Security Program that will allow USDA to enroll as much as 80 million
acres in the program within five years. The Environmental Quality
Incentives Program, or EQIP, also got a boost in spending of $2.4
billion over 10 years."

Reports are that the Senate proposal for $2.4 billion in tax
incentives would be trimmed, but we have no word yet on whether NWF-
supported tax incentives to private landowners who take actions to
protect listed species on their land is still in the bill or not.

Reuters says the deal includes $900 million in new funding for
biofuels development. DTN's Clayton says the tax provisions include a
reduction in the federal credit for corn-based ethanol, shifting some
of the incentive to promote cellulosic ethanol production.

We will provide more details as we learn them.

Over the past two weeks, conferees have agreed on most of the
provisions of 5 Titles of the Farm Bill (trade, credit, research,
forestry, and the Commodity Exchange Act), plus many specialty crop
and insurance provisions. Yet to be completed are titles covering
conservation, energy, rural development, nutrition, livestock, most
of the commodity provisions, tax provisions, disaster assistance and
miscellaneous issues.

Negotiators have not released details of the provisions that have
been agreed to, and have emphasized that all of the provisions remain
subject to change until the final bill is agreed to.

On Thursday, the Senate has passed a one-week extension of the farm
bill, extending current farm law until May 2, 2008. The House of
Representatives also passed the legislation, and the President signed
it Friday.

Duane Hovorka
National Wildlife Federation