Members of the Florida delegation are backing the “Conservation Reserve Program Amendments Act.”
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is championing the proposal “to establish a subprogram under the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to conserve citrus agricultural land” and which “seeks to address one aspect of our nation’s food security by preventing the permanent loss of Florida agricultural lands to development and helping to protect critical wildlife corridors throughout the state” in the U.S. Senate.
U.S. Rep. Scott Franklin, R-Fla., introduced the bill in the U.S. House with U.S. Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla., as the main co-sponsor. U.S. Reps. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., and Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., are also co-sponsoring th bill.
“Florida’s agricultural industries play a vital role in feeding our nation and supporting our economy. Unfortunately, due to impacts from hurricanes, citrus greening, and unfair trade pressures, Florida’s citrus growers are increasingly left with little choice but to sell their land to developers. This legislation will help protect Florida’s agricultural lands and wildlife corridors, ensuring that Florida’s citrus growers can continue to provide for our state and nation,” said Rubio.
“Amending the Conservation Reserve Program to include Florida citrus groves will give our farmers needed time to rehabilitate their crops and continue our state’s proud tradition of providing domestically sourced orange juice. While Florida taxpayers pay into the CRP, our state has been chronically underrepresented when it comes to funding. After last year’s severe hurricane season, now is the perfect opportunity to level the playing field,” said Franklin/
“As we work to address the challenges facing our Florida citrus industry and support our growers and farmers, we must also prioritize the protection of the land on which these crops are grown. The subprogram this bill proposes for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) will provide citrus growers with a valuable option to conserve their land while we continue to develop new treatments for citrus greening and recover from the damage caused by hurricanes. The subprogram will also help prevent the permanent loss of Florida’s agricultural lands to development and protect critical wildlife corridors. This is a timely and important bill to help Central Florida growers recover and thrive,” said Soto.
The Florida Farm Bureau is backing the legislation.
“For decades citrus has been Florida’s flagship agricultural commodity. With disease, development pressure and adverse weather causing yearly declines in citrus production and loss of grove lands, the environmental benefits provided by these lands are being lost as well. Florida Farm Bureau supports the Conservation Reserve Program Amendments Act of 2023 and applauds Congressman Franklin, Congressman Soto and Senator Rubio for their efforts to include these groves in the Conservation Reserve Program, thus preserving the water recharge and wildlife habitat that these groves provide, in addition to enhancing their economic viability,” the Florida Farm Bureau said in its endorsement of the proposal.
“Specifically, this bill would authorize a subprogram for the CRP to conserve lands on which citrus has been grown over the last ten years. The program would prioritize easements for lands impacted by citrus greening that are at risk of development or are thoroughfares for species listed under the Endangered Species Act and would require enrollees to remediate fallow groves that spread the citrus greening disease Huanglongbing (HLB). This legislation would ensure that citrus growers have the option to preserve their land while promising treatments for citrus greening are being produced, and new saplings are grown,” Rubio’s office noted.
Rubio’s bill was sent to the U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee. Franklin’s bill was sent to the U.S. House Agriculture Committee.
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