USDA Public Forum on Ag and the Environment in Sacramento, CA
August 1, 1994
On Thursday, August 11, 1994, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture is hosting a public forum on "Agriculture and the
Environment" in Sacramento, California. The USDA is
soliciting comments from grassroots interests on what they
consider the most important natural resource management
issues in their region and what actions they think should be
taken; organizations and individuals are invited to offer
their views. (See below for details.)
The forum will include a series of 30 minute panels made up
of farmers, environmentalists, academics and consumers, who
have been invited to offer their views on critical issues
related to agriculture and private forest land in the region
and what federal policymakers and program administrators
should do to solve these problems.
Each speaker will have five minutes to adress the following
questions:
1. What do you consider the major natural resources
management problems (in terms of agriculture) in your area?
2. What are the causes of these problems?
3. What should national policymakers do in either the Farm
Bill or administratively to solve these problems?
4. What should USDA do to help contribute to solutions?
Open-microphone periods in both the morning and afternoon
sessions are planned to give other interested groups and
individuals the opportunity to express their views. A panel
of USDA leaders from Washington DC will attend to respond to
the presentations and comments.
The Sacramento forum is the last of eight public forums held
across the country this summer by the USDA's Soil
Conservation Service on behalf of a farm bill task force on
environment and conservation. The Soil and Water
Conservation Society (SWCS), an international nonprofit
organization, has worked with the Soil Conservation Service
to organize these forums.
In you are unable to atttend the forum but want to send your
views to USDA, write "Listening Project, Soil and Water
Conservation Society, 7515 Northeast Ankeny Road, Ankeny, IA
50021-9764. All comments will be forwarded to USDA officials
in Washington, DC.
Sacramento "Agriculture and the Environment" Forum:
Best Western Harbor Inn, 1250 Halyard Drive, West Sacramento.
The forum begins at 9:00 am and will continue until 5:00 pm.
An informal registration begins at 8:15 am. There is no cost
to attend the forum,
Contact: Soil and Water Conservation Society, phone (800) THE
SOIL, extension 14 or 22.
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