Farm Bill Heavyweights to Discuss Policy at National Pheasant Fest 2008

U.S. Senate and House Ag Chairmen, U.S. Ag Secretary taking part in Pheasants Forever's Farm Bill Forum

Pheasants Forever's (PF) second-ever Farm Bill Forum will take place at National Pheasant Fest 2008.

Pheasants Forever's (PF) second-ever Farm Bill Forum will take place at National Pheasant Fest 2008.

Anthony Hauck (651)209-4972 - January 10 -

Pheasants Forever's (PF) second-ever Farm Bill Forum will take place at National Pheasant Fest 2008. At 10:30 AM on Saturday, January 19th, U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA), U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN), and U.S. Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner will participate in a panel discussion about the 2007 Federal Farm Bill. The Farm Bill Forum, presented by the law firm Gray Plant Mooty, will be held in seminar rooms 10 & 11 on the upper ballroom level of Saint Paul’s RiverCentre, the site of National Pheasant Fest 2008 presented by Cabela's.

Joining Harkin, Peterson and Conner will be Dave Nomsen, PF Vice President of Government Affairs. The panel will be discussing Farm Bill topics ranging from the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), wetlands, public hunting access, ethanol and biofuels, as well as soil rental rates. With both the House and the Senate having passed respective versions of the Farm Bill, the Forum should provide a glimpse of what's to come in the coming months as the Farm Bill potentially nears authorization.

Each participant will make brief opening remarks, after which the panel will take additional questions from the press in attendance. The Forum is scheduled to last one hour and will be moderated by Bob St.Pierre, PF Director of Marketing & Public Relations. Members of the media are invited to attend Pheasants Forever's Farm Bill Forum at National Pheasant Fest 2008. There will be limited seating reserved for the press in the front rows. Please be sure to arrive early.

"The conservation investments in this Farm Bill are as important to hunting, fishing and outdoor enthusiasts as they are to farmers," said Chairman Harkin, an avid pheasant hunter. "Each dollar put into conservation will go a long way toward ensuring our land and wildlife will be around long into the future. These dollars were hard to come by under a tough budget, so as the Farm Bill moves forward I will be working hard to hold what we have and hope we can put even more into the conservation title."

Senator Tom Harkin has served on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry since his election to the Senate in 1984. Harkin has a long record of support for agricultural conservation programs that deliver cleaner water, reduce soil erosion, and promote habitat for wildlife. Harkin is a sportsman who has seen the effects of conservation programs like the Conservation Reserve Program on wildlife populations in Iowa fields firsthand, often in late October. As chair of the Agriculture Committee from 2001-2002, he successfully pushed for a substantial increase in conservation program funding, raising the commitment to conservation from about $11.2 billion in the 1996 farm bill to a projected $23 billion in the 2002 farm bill, allowing an increase of 2.8 million Conservation Reserve Program acres. Senator Harkin authored the Conservation Security Program, which pays farmers for the production of environmental goods through better conservation practices, including improving habitat on land currently in production.

"For the past 25 years, Pheasants Forever has worked tirelessly with landowners, stakeholders and policy makers to protect, preserve and improve wildlife habitat in Minnesota and nationwide. As we have put together a historic Farm Bill over the past year, Pheasants Forever has brought expertise and ideas to the table that will help us ensure that the 2008 Farm Bill includes significant new investments in conservation programs," Chairman Peterson said.

In his ten years in the Minnesota State Legislature, Congressman Peterson helped establish programs such as the Chickadee Check-off, which continues to gather donations for wildlife programs that protect the lives of threatened and endangered species. Since being elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1990, Mr. Peterson has been a leading supporter of conservation programs in Congress. As a lifelong outdoorsman, he has consistently worked to protect, promote and enhance wildlife habitat and other natural resources and will continue to do so in his new role as Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture. In August 2006, Peterson received Pheasants Forever's first Conservation Legacy Award for his long time leadership in support of the Conservation Reserve Program.

Chuck Conner was sworn in as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture on May 2, 2005, by Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns. He was named the Acting Secretary of Agriculture on September 20, 2007 when Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns resigned to run for a Nebraska U.S. Senate seat. Mr. Conner's love for agriculture goes back to his childhood, growing up on his family's farm in Benton County, Indiana. There, he worked with his father and brother raising corn, soybeans, and cattle. Mr. Conner's brother, Mike, still operates the family farm. Since coming to the Department, Mr. Conner has worked tirelessly to develop and promote the Administration's farm policy. Along with former Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns, Mr. Conner led Farm Bill listening sessions around the country, hearing first-hand from farmers and other stakeholders about their likes and dislikes with the current farm bill. He also led the Department's review of over 4,000 comments which were used to develop a sound policy direction for the future of American agriculture. Mr. Conner continues to lead the Administration's efforts for farm policy reform.

National Pheasant Fest 2008 Adult admission tickets are $10 per person, per day. Admission tickets for youth ages 6-16 are $5 and children under the age of 5 are free. Attendees may also purchase a three-day weekend pass at the door for $30. This daily pass includes a year's membership to Pheasants Forever and a PF hat. National Pheasant Fest opens at 1 PM on Friday, closing at 9 PM. Saturday hours are 9 AM to 6 PM, while Sunday hours are 10 AM to 5 PM.

National Pheasant Fest 2008 presented by Cabela's will combine a national consumer show, habitat seminar series, and family event complete with puppies, tractors, shotguns, and art. In fact, the Fest promises to be the country's largest event for upland hunters, sport dog owners, and wildlife habitat conservationists. For more information about National Pheasant Fest 2008 presented by Cabela's, please contact Pheasants Forever toll free at (877)773-2070 or log onto www.NationalPheasantFest.org.

Anthony Hauck (651)209-4972

Pheasants Forever is a non-profit conservation organization dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasants, quail and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness and education. Such efforts benefit landowners and wildlife alike.