|
|
- Info
Saving the land that feeds America: Conservation in the nineties
| Author: |
American Farmland Trust |
| Date: |
1991 |
| Periodical: |
Proceedings from a National Conference presented by American Farmland Trust; 1991 March 7-8; Washington, DC |
| Abstract: |
Throughout its first decade, the American Farmland Trust (AFT) has led the successful effort to put agricultural resource conservation on the national policy agenda. AFT has had a major influence in the dramatic spread of state and local farmland conservation programs and has pioneered the adaptation of land conservancy techniques to protect farmland - our "working landscape." As part of our 10th anniversary celebration, AFT organized a three-day national conference entitled "Saving the Land That Feeds America: Conservation in the Nineties" in Washington, DC, to coalesce and revitalize kindred farmland protection efforts. With 29 workshops on subjects ranging from land protection strategies to the impacts of farming on wildlife and water quality, this landmark event drew fiver 300 conservationists, environmentalists, government officials, farmers and other concerned citizens. Bringing together experts from across the country, AFT offered a forum for exchanging innovative solutions to the critical problems facing our nations precious agricultural resources. Participants confirmed the relationship between farmland, wildlife habitat, water quality, open space and forests. They reinforced the necessity to protect farmland as an integral component of our total environment. Farmland, a natural resource with multiple values, serves both as a buffer to threatened habitats and areas and as the source of our nation's food and fiber. The discussions and presentations at "Saving the Land that Feeds America" brought forward several ideas which must be addressed by future farmland protection efforts. We need sound information on which to base decisions. Comprehensive data on the quality and quantity of farmland and threats to our agricultural resources are extremely limited. In order to make the most successful arguments for farmland protection and to develop the most effective protection tools, we must increase our knowledge of the state of our agricultural resources. Local involvement is essential for the success of any program. Whether to preserve a particular farm onto successfully enact a nationwide program, the under standing and involvement of local planning officials, conservation groups and concerned citizens are crucial. Public education must be more effective. We need to deliver better information about conservation priorities and to present it in a variety of forms. Education should include school programs but cannot be limited to them. We must help all citizens understand that agricultural abundance and a healthy environment are not automatic results of farming. Public commitment to a conservation ethic and to stopping the loss of agricultural resources is a critical element of future efforts. Despite recent enthusiasm for environmental protection, the public commitment to conservation may wane. The public must be nurtured, coaxed and entertained to keep support strong. Farmland protection needs funding from secure sources. Many worthy programs to protect and preserve agricultural resources are struggling from lack of money or from inconsistent fielding. In the 1990s, we must identify and earmark public funds for ongoing efforts. We must also supplement these public funds with private monies. Local groups need technical assistance to achieve their resource protection goals. A particularly acute need is for expertise in developing legal and business strategies necessary to maintain viable farming enterprises. County and township public education and policy development efforts also need a boost from the experiences of experts from other areas, where lessons have been learned the proverbial "hard way." |
|
