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Alabama woman works to help returning citizens rebuild their lives; Marist polls: Harris leads Trump in Michigan, Wisconsin; they're tied in Pennsylvania; UAW contract negotiations at VW focus on healthcare, safety, wages; NC dentists warn of crisis due to low Medicaid reimbursement rates.

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The Teamsters choose not to endorse a presidential candidate, county officials in Texas fight back against state moves to limit voter registration efforts, and the FBI investigate suspicious packages sent to elections offices in at least 17 states.

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A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Time Now for Texas Voices on Ranch and Farm Conservation

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Friday, January 16, 2015   

AUSTIN, Texas - It's an opportunity that only comes along once every five years, so as the public comment period on the Conservation Stewardship Program nears an end, ranchers and farmers across Texas and the nation are being urged to make their voices heard.

The program offers payments for actively managing, maintaining and expanding conservation activities, but Traci Bruckner, senior policy associate for conservation and agriculture at the Center for Rural Affairs, said among the concerns with the CSP Interim Final Rule is that it places a higher emphasis on the adoption of new practices "rather than supporting the farmers and ranchers who have been implementing conservation as a very central part of their farming operation.

"So, we're saying that they should level the playing field there," she said. "Reward farmers and ranchers equally for the environmental outcomes, regardless of when they adopt those."

Additional concerns are being raised that the CSP rule doesn't do enough to support beginning and small-acreage farmers. Bruckner said she believes it should be amended to close the loopholes that allow the largest operations to exceed payment limits.

"We're saying there should be 'actively engagement rules' applied to this," she said, "and that they should actually limit the payment limit to what the statute says, which is $40,000 per year and $200,000 over five years."

The deadline to comment about the rule to the Natural Resources Conservation Service is Tuesday. Background and a place to comment are online at nrcs.usda.gov. More CFRA analysis is at cfra.org.


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