(Lakefield, Mn.)– U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack paid a visit to the region last (Tues.) evening.
Vilsack appeared at a Pheasants Forever function at the Horse Barn and Hunt Club near Lakefield as part of an informal forum the organization put on.
The main topic of the meeting dealt with a loss of habitat due to a reduction in the amount of land going into the Conservation Reserve Program. Vilsack says the reduction and the imapct it will have on hunting will also have impact on the region’s economy.
Many farmers have taken land out of the CRP program and put it back into production as rent and commodity prices are greater than the federal payments they received through the program.
Matt Holland, senior Field Coordinator with Pheasants Forever, says CRP plays a crucial roll in preserving wildlife habitat and the region’s pheasant population. He says federal CRP payments need to be more competitive.
