State ASC Officials
Discuss RECP Plans
Development of the 1974
Rural Environmental
Conservation Program
(RECP) in Pennsylvania
will get underway im
mediately, according to John
M. Phillips, Chairman of the
Pennsylvania Agricultural
Stabilization and Con
servation Committee (ASC).
Pennsylvania ASCS officials
have just returned from
Washington, D. C. where
they met with Washington l
officials to leam details of
this new conservation cost
sharing program.
Attending the Washington
meeting from Pennsylvania
were ASC State com
Major Land Uses Inventoried
About 80 percent of the crops, more than one-fourth distribution of land among
more than 2 billion acres of is permanent grassland major agricultural and
land in the United States is pasture, and one-third is forestry uses. Acreages of
used for crops, pasture, and forest land. The rest is both cropland and per
forestry, according to a distributed among urban and manent grassland declined
report released by the U. S. transportation uses (less slightly, prior to 1973’s
Department of Agriculture’s than 3 percent); cropland increase. However,
(USDA) Economic Research recreational, wildlife, and total production, thanks to
Service. otiier extensive special uses rising yields, increased
The report, based on data
from the 1969 Census, USDA
agencies, and other sources,
shows that one-fifth of the
total area is devoted to
mitteemen: John M.
Phillips, North East; Noah
W. Wenger, Stevens, and
Calude R. Hetherlngton,
Zion Grove. Representing
the State ASCS office in
Harrisburg were: Kenneth
H. Boyer, State Executive
Director, and Richard A.
Pennay, Program Specialist.
Officials of other Federal
and State agencies also
attended the 2-day session.
At the meeting they were
told it is essential each State
develop an RECP that “will
strengthen conservation and
environmental protection
measures on American
farms, and encourage the
(spercent); and unclassified
areas including Alaskan
tundra (13 percent).
In recent decades, there
has been little change in the
development, management,
and protection of non
industrial private forest
lands.” Discussion leader for
the conference was Ray
Hunter, director of the ASCS
Environmental Quality and
Land Use Division.
In outlining the goals of
RECP, Hunter told the State
officials, “The goals are to
improve the quality of life,
for all people, by improving
the environment, providing
the maximum public benefit
with the funds available, and
by conserving the land and
related natural resources.
This-is to assure a continuing
ability to produce food and
fiber necessary for the
maintenance of a strong,
healthy people and economy,
while providing for wildlife,
and other environmental
enhancement.”
According to Kenneth H.
Boyer, State ASCS
significantly. Forest land
area has held almost stable
nationally, as losses to
agricultural, urban, and.
other uses in some regions
have been largely offset by
reversion of open land to
forest in other regions.
Special uses of land,
particularly urban and
recreational uses, continue
to expand at the expense of
agricultural and forestry
uses. However, the special
uses represent a small and
slowly increasing share. Use
for urban expansion, high
ways, roads, airports, and
reservoirs, for example,
requires an additional 1.2
million acres of land a year.
Three-fifths of the land,
and nearly all the more
valuable acreage, is
privately owned.
411 W. ROSEVILLE RD.,
LANCASTER
PH. 393-3921
VI
It wasn’t easy to get this far.
But where should you
go from here?
Twenty years ago it didn't seem possible that you'd achieve as
much as you have. But now that you've gotten this far, it's time
for new plans. You can't standstill. Yet there was never a greater
need for sound judgement, especially where credit is concerned.
That's why you should turn first to Farm Credit Service. Every
office is staffed with Farm Credit men who appreciate that your
financial needs are special. They know there are no routine
answers for your very individual problems. They work with you
to provide the money and assistance that will help you farm
better. Your loan is tailored to fit your unique needs.
Talk with your Farm Credit man. He knows what it took for you to
get this far. . .and what it will take to continue moving ahead.
Noah W. Wenger, Stevens, second
from left, was among the Penn
sylvania ACS committeemen in
Washington recently to go over
details of the new Rural En-
Executive Director, “RECP
incorporates features from
the old Rural Environmental
Assistance Program
(REAP), in addition to the
new, expanded scope of the
,1974 RECP. This year’s
program includes cost
sharing through annual or
long-term agreements, and
an extra emphasis on
treeplanting for timber
production, called forestry
incentives. Details of these
programs will be made
available to landowners by
county personnel in the very
near future”, he said.-
The program is ad
ministered by the
Agricultural Stabilization
and Conservation Service
through its farmer-elected
committee system. The Soil
Conservation Service (SCS),
Forest Service and the State
Forestry Agency will
provide technical assistance,
planning, and policy
recommendations. The
Extension Service will
provide educational support.
Edward H. Hanson,
CREDIT
AG WAY BUILDING,
LEBANON
PH. 273-4506
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Feb. 2,1974—29
vironmental Conservation Program.
Also in the photo are, left to right,
John M. Phillips, North East, Wenger,
Kenneth H. Boyer, Harrisburg, Eddie
Hews, Washington, and Claude R.
Heatherington, Zion Grove.
Director of USDA’s Office of
Field Operations, discussed
the Department’s new “one
stop service” concept now
being developed for fanners
and other rural residents.
This new concept is aimed at
combining, under one roof,
the services of four USDA
agencies ASCS, Farmers
Home Administration
(FHA), the Soil Con
servation Service (SCS), and
the Federal Crop Insurance
Corporation (FCIC). Ad
ministrative committees in
each State are currently
HAROLD H. GREIDER
BUSINESS CONSULTANT
326 Willow Street Pike Willow Street, Pa.
TAX PREPARATION
Individual, Farms, Small Business
- Bookkeeping Systems
- Data Processing Services
Please Call For An Appointment
Phone 717-464-2951
developing plans for this one
stop service.
The Washington meeting
was one of four similar
meetings held across the
country in order to bring
program details to those who
will administer them at the
State level.
“Dates after which
requests for cost-sharing
assistance can be accepted
will be announced soon after
the completion of develop
ment meetings by the State
and County ASC Com
mittees.