Louisiana HCR 100: AGRICULTURE: Urges and requests the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service to establish a cost share program to assist landowners and producers with the purchase and application of lime for enhancement of crop and grass production

Bill Text

ENROLLED
2022 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 100
BY REPRESENTATIVE MCFARLAND
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
To urge and request the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) to establish a cost share program to assist landowners
and producers with the purchase and application of lime for enhancement of crop and
grass production.
WHEREAS, according to a study conducted by Cornell University, researchers found
that the United States is losing valuable top soil ten times faster than nature can replenish
and that poor soil health is a contributor to this loss; and
WHEREAS, the liming of soils to an optimum pH level is critical to crop and grass
production and nutrient management and is a necessary component of a conservation plan
for overall soil health; and
WHEREAS, acidic soils cause significant losses in production and biomass, which
negatively impact the ability for carbon sequestration; and
WHEREAS, the NRCS is a vital federal partner that works to improve, protect, and
conserve natural resources on private lands through a cooperative partnership with the
Louisiana Department of Agriculture office of soil and water conservation and state and
local soil and water conservation districts, forming the widely recognized Louisiana
conservation partnership; and
WHEREAS, the NRCS's assistance to landowners is essential not only to help them
conserve their soil, water, and related natural resources, including grazing lands, wetlands,
and wildlife habitat, and to maintain the highest level of environmental stewardship on all
working farmland, but to also enable the highest yield potential regardless of commodity
grown, by developing and delivering a liming cost share program that is beneficial to the
natural resources conservation effort; and
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HCR NO. 100 ENROLLED
WHEREAS, a cost share program for the purchase and application of lime will
provide valuable soil and watershed protection by increasing plant vigor and vitality, thereby
aiding in increased soil carbon and the reduction of erosion through the improvement of soil
structure and ensuring the availability of vital nutrients for cropland and grassland.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
urge and request the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources
Conservation Service to establish a cost share program to assist landowners and producers
with the purchase and application of lime for the enhancement of crop and grass production.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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