WASHINGTON, D.C.--Congressman Frank Lucas joined 324 members of the House of Representatives today in passing legislation that helps farmers who face difficult planting decisions as a result of uncertainty surrounding sign up for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).

"H.R. 1342 is a one time legislative remedy to a problem we have seen coming for many months," Lucas said. "The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has not made decisions on new CRP contract bids in time for fall-planted crop farmers to get their seed in, put fertilizer down, administer pesticides, or obtain bank loans, if they find out they're not receiving new contracts.

"This bill allows farmers, whose CRP contracts are expiring in September, and who without CRP, would choose to produce a fall-planted crop, to enter into a one-year contract while the USDA continues to evaluate their CRP bid," Lucas continued.

If a farmer's land is accepted into the new CRP program, the one-year contract automatically converts to a standard ten-year contract. If the land is rejected, it would come out of CRP after the one-year contract's end.

"This legislation is friendly to the farmer, the environment, and the taxpayer," Lucas said. "I hope to see the U.S. Senate take action on this right away"

Under CRP, which was reauthorized in the 1996 Farm Bill, landowners enter into contracts with the USDA to place highly erodible and other environmentally sensitive cropland in long-term conservation practices for 10-15 years. In exchange, landowners receive annual rental payments for the land and cost-share assistance for establishing those practices. Of 32.9 million acres currently enrolled nationwide, some 22 million acres are expiring September 30.