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H.R. 144(1. The Site-Specific Agricultural Resource 

 Manajiemeiit Act of 1993 



H.R. 1440 provides thai under the auspices of the Soil Conservation 

 Service (SCS). farmers may develop and implement integrated 

 resource management plans that coordinate all conservation and 

 environmental program requirements on agricultural lands. 



The premise of the hill - that farmers are being required to meet 

 conllicting conservation plans - is simply not true. Most farm plans 

 address different resources. Even if farmers are faced with 

 conflicting plans, farmers are not helpless. Farmers can choose to 

 withdraw from programs that require plans, since most conservation 

 plans are \oluntary. 



Among its most serious flaws is that fact that H.R. 1440 grants broad 

 immunity to farmers from all conservation and environmental 

 requirements if producers implement integrated resource 

 management plans. Why is this granting farmers a shield from all 

 environmental and conservation requirements a bad idea? 



• There is no need for a shield. If integrated resource 

 management plans are intended to meet existing environmental 

 criteria, the shield is unnecessary and farmers have nothing to 

 fear from enforcement of environmental laws. 



• Integrated resource management plans are intended to address 

 protection for resources, such as soil, water and habitat. 

 Resources do not easily translate into laws. For example, a plan 

 that protects habitat might encompass local, state and federal 

 laws, the range of which might be unknown to any one agency. To 

 provide liability protection from all of these undermines the 

 authority of each level of government to provide environmental 

 and public health protection to its citizens. 



• H.R. 1440 does not require plans to change, even if 

 environmental laws and requirements are modified. Thus, a 

 farmer clearly out of compliance with future environmental laws, 

 such as an amended Clean Water Act. or present laws now being 

 implemented, such as the Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization 

 .Amendments of 1990. will be exempted from them, as long as he 

 or she is implementing a comprehensive farm management plan. 



