From Ducks Unlimited

    Sodsaver Under Attack:
        South Dakota DU members’ voices needed!

                                                                                                                                                             

Contact Information:

South Dakota                                                    Senator Thune:   866-850-3855     Senator Johnson:   800-537-0025     Representative Herseth-Sandlin:    (866) 371-8747

With the Farm Bill being finalized, conservation is under attack. The assault is now on Sodsaver, a provision that would save taxpayers $120 million dollars and maintain critical duck production habitat.

The proposal being written now would exempt Montana and North Dakota from the provision and pressure is mounting in South Dakota to do the same or eliminate Sodsaver altogether! These developments are unacceptable and would leave millions of acres of native prairie unprotected, unless the governor decides to opt-in.

South Dakota Senator John Thune, Senator Tim Johnson and U.S. Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin have been strong supporters of the Sodsaver provision throughout the Farm Bill deliberations. However, they are under intense pressure from many groups to abandon their support for Sodsaver and need to hear from us ASAP!

It is critical that DU members and supporters contact their Senators and Representatives in South Dakota by 5 pm EDT today, Wednesday, April 30, and thank them for their strong support of Sodsaver and ask them to maintain their support and to not allow this exemption to stand.

When calling, please ask for the staffer handling the Farm Bill and share with them that:

• Native prairie is one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world – more than 70% of native prairie has already been lost
     
   
• The exemption or removal of Sodsaver would open up some of the most important land in the waterfowl breeding grounds to destruction – with the support of duck hunters tax dollars
         
        
• This exemption would negate gains from Sodsaver in other Duck Factory states, undermining the value of the entire provision
         
        
• Continued support for Sodsaver is needed and the special exemption allowing Governor’s to “opt in”, needs to be removed.

If emailing, please deliver this message:

 

Native Prairie is one of the most productive areas for waterfowl, and one of the most endangered. More than 70% of native prairie has been lost, and much more will follow. Under the Sodsaver provision of the Farm Bill, destroying native prairie would no longer be subsidized by the American taxpayer.

 

Thank you for support of Sodsaver throughout the Farm Bill process. Now, more than ever, we need your continued support and also ask your help in removing the exemption from the Sodsaver provision that allows Montana and North Dakota to opt-out of Sodsaver – the last of our native prairies is too important to important to squander.

 

Thank you for your support.