1990 Farm Bill Forum 



Proceedings 



The Conservation Rcscnc Program will again 

 be rcN-iewcd in 1990 and the question foremost 

 in our minds is what will be done with the land 

 under CRP a/ter the conditions of the contract 

 are fulfilled. We would like to see the land 

 returned to commercial use with no restrictions. 

 If pa)Tnent is to be made to a CRP participant 

 for extending his lease, then the no hajnng or 

 grazing position of the law must remain intact. 



Recently two bills have been introduced in the 

 Senate to amend the Federal Noxious Weed Act 

 of 1974, Senate Bill 1 159 and 1200. Both of these 

 bills refer to control of noxious weeds on 

 federal lands and adjacent lands under state or 

 private ownership. Funds will be appropriated 

 by Congress to fund these programs with 

 additional funds coming from state and private 

 landowners. 



There has been very little weed control on both 

 Bureau of Land Management and Forest Ser\ice 

 lands in many instances. In fact, over 4 million 

 acres of knapweed can be found in western 

 Montana alone. Although the programs suggest 

 a large appropriation, these programs are 

 absolutely necessary if we are to return the 

 lands to productiN-ity. It will give the individual 

 adjoining federal lands an opportunity to cost 

 share in the eradication of noxious weeds. This 

 legislation will probably be tied to the 1990 

 Farm Bill. 



There will be other issues that surface before 

 the 1990 Farm Bill is written. The Montana 

 Stockgrowers and their national affiliate, the 

 National Cattlemen's Association, will follow 

 all titles and will take part in developing any 

 programs that affect our industry. In fact, items 

 such as restricted use of p>estiddes, further 

 encroachment on ranchers to protect wildlife 

 habitat, additional efforts to improve and 

 monitor water quality and recreational access to 

 lands involved in the farm program will all 

 merit close scrutiny by MSGA. 



Montana Woolgrowers 

 Association 

 Bob Gilbert 



Secretary /Treasurer 



I represent the 2,608 members of the Montana 

 Woolgrowers Association who raise wool and 

 lambs in Montana. Our association is the oldest 

 livestock association in the state, ha\-ing had 

 our first meeting in January of 1883, some six 

 years before Montana became a state. 



We appreciate you taking the time to hold these 

 field hearings on the subject of the 1990 Farm 

 Bill and our testimony today is with regard to 

 the Wool Act, which is a part of the overall farm 

 bill. 



Since the first passage of this piece of landmark 

 legislation some 35 years ago, 1954, the act has 

 served the growers of wool and lamb extremely 

 well. It has given Montana sheep producers the 

 ability to compete with foreign imports of raw 

 wool. That has been accomplished due to the 

 unique funding provisions within the Wool Act. 



According to the report on the Wool Act filed in 

 1954 and from testimony at Wool Act hearings, 

 "The National Wool Act of 1954" provides a 

 permanent appropriation to the Commodity 

 Credit Corporation under which the corpora- 

 tion is reimbursed each fiscal year an amount to 

 cover program costs that cannot exceed 70 

 percent of the wool duties collected under tariff 

 agreements. This was a key to passage. What 

 we had was foreign tariffs on imported wool 

 paying for the program. Bottom line on this 

 program is that it is a money-making program 

 for the U.S. Treasury because the law pro\ides 

 for up to 70 percent of the tariffs collected to be 

 used. Only 35-40 percent has been used. 



So while this program has not cost the taxpayer 

 — in fact, enriched the taxpayers' funds which 

 are appropriated by Congress — the program 

 has kept some 115,000 people in the United 

 States raising wool and lamb. The alternative is 

 to rely on imports, and you are all farr\iliar with 

 the balance of trade deficit. 



The Wool Act also provides for deductions 

 from the incentive checks. Deductions that are 



Montaoi ChiptBf, Son and Witsr ContirviUon Society 



25 



Auguttza, 1888 



