WASHINGTON D.C. Twenty-four agriculture groups have joined together to urge the U.S. Congress to exclude energy based taxes from the federal budget. In a letter dated July 8, the 24 national groups said that if a broad-based tax, such as a BTU tax is approved, “an agriculture exemption from a transportation fuels tax is vital.” The group urged rejection of an increase in barge (inland waterways) taxes. They also asked that any fuel com pliance reform actions needed to designate on-farm and off-farm WORKAHOLICS Nothing works harder than a Kubota B or L-Series tractor. Kubota tractors are powerful, ranging from 10 to 49 PTO HR From home use to commercial applications, the 87100 HSTI6 HP tractor is just right for all kinds of jobs. This tractor comes with hydrostatic trans mission - that means there is no gear shift. And, the 87100 4WD compact tractor is powered by a Kubota liquid-cooled diesel engine. The Kubota L 2350 compact diesel tractor was designed to combine versatility with operating economy, pure and simple. With 8 forward speeds, the Kubota L23so's powerful 20.5 PTO HP diesel engine delivers ample power for most farming tasks. So, if you're looking for e£ hard worker, look no further than a Kubota B or L-Series tractor. Kubota Tractor Corporation ■ | _ _ ■ _ markets a full line of tractors I I through a nationwide network of J J J I Jk over 1,000 dealers Groups Urge use fuels “not come at the expense of farmers and ranchers,” but that the reforms be easily adminis tered, as outlined in the Senate version of the budget bill. “Consideration of these posi tions does not spate farmers and ranchers from all negative aspects of budget reconciliation,” said the letter. “Both the House and Senate packages reduce agriculture’s direct income by over $3 billion. This is a IS percent cut in fiscal 1994 alone, even though agricul ture spending has declined 9 per cent each year since 1985.” “Neither version of the budget Congress To Dump Tax bill represents the sort of long term progressive policy we feel is vital for the future of our nation’s farmers and ranchers, but the Senate version is far less painful in terms of income loss,” said Barba ra Webb, National Farmers Union’s assistant director of gov ernment relations. ‘The 24 groups signing this let ter represent a broad spectrum of American agriculture, crossing commodity and geographical lines,” said Webb, who assembled the coalition. The House adopted the Presi dent’s BTU tax in its budget bill, See these Kubota B and L-Series Tractors at a Kubota dealer near you PENNSYLVANIA Mifflmburn llt MIFFLINBURG Albums F .p U CANNS-BILCO sn ™, Hr 215-820-0222 SUPPLY, INC. 717-966-3114 Allenwood Naw Barlmville ALLENWOOD ERB & HENRY RENTAL EQUIPMENT, INC. & SUPPLY 215-367-2169 717-538-2595 Reading Avondale NICARRY THOMAS POWER EQUIPMENT, INC. EQUIP., INC. 215-926-2441 215-268-2181 Bloomsburg TRACTOR PARTS CO. 717-784-0250 Chambersburg STOUFFER BROS., INC. 717-263-6424 Cochranville STOLTZFUS FARM SERVICE, INC. 215-593-2407 Elizabethtown MESSICK FARM EQUIP. INC. 717-367-1319 Jersey Shore THOMAS L. DUNLAP 717-398-1391 Honeedale MARSHALL MACHINERY, INC. 717-729-7117 Lebanon 8 Lancaster KELLER BROS. TRACTOR CO. 717-949-2000 717-569-2500 while the Senate version of the bill eliminated the controversial lax, replacing it with a gasoline and diesel sales tax with an exemption for on-farm use of these products. Representatives from the Senate and the House are expected to go into conference after July 13 to reconcile the differences in the two versions of the budget. The groups signing the letter include American Agriculture Movement, American Sheep Industry Council, American Soy bean Assoc., American Horse Council Cenex, Farmland Indus- Stroudsburg SEBRING’S POWER HOUSE 717-421-8980 York YORK TRACTOR, INC. 717-764-1094 MARYLAND Hagerstown ARNETT'S GARAGE 301-733-0515 Rising Sun AG IND. EQUIP. CO. INC. 410-658-5568 NEW JERSEY Flemington t Clinton PONIATOWSKI BROS. EQUIP. CO. INC. 908-735-2149 Hamesporl MATERIAL HANDLING SYSTEMS 609-267-6100 Shiloh ROBERT G. HAMPTON 609-451-9520 Lancaster Farming, Saturday tries, Florida Sugar Cane League, Inc., National Assoc, of Wheal Growers, National Barley Grow ers Assoc., National Cattlemen’s Assoc., National Com Growers Assoc., National Colton Council, National Council of Farmer Coops, National Family Farm Coalition, National Farmers Orga nization, National Farmers Union, National Grange, National Grain and Feed Assoc., National Pork Producers Council, National Sun flower Assoc., The Fertilizer Insti tute, U.S. Canola Assoc., U.S. Custom Harvesters, and U.S. Rice Producer Group. Farmland Habitat Loss Threatens Wildlife UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre Co.) —The loss of brushy areas on Pennsylvania farms threatens wildlife populations, said a Penn State wildlife specialist. “Wildlife habitat on Pennsylvania farms has dwindled in recent decades,” said Dr. Margaret Brittingham, assistant professor of wildlife resources in the College of Agricul tural Sciences. “In the past, farms were smaller and had many brushy areas that gave animals food and cover. As farming has in tensified, we’ve lost many of those areas.” The situation has caused severe declines among Pennsylvania wildlife species. “Phea sants, for example, are very rare on farmland today,” she said. “Cottontail rabbits and a variety of songbirds also are much rarer than they were.” Farmers who wish to provide or improve wildlife habitat should begin by looking at streams that cross their property. “Streams in agricultural areas are used heavily by wild life”, Brittingham said. “The area between the stream and the cropland, called the ripar ian zone, provides both food and cover close to the water.” Briltingham recently led a study which found that more than 80 different kinds of birds use riparian areas in the summertime. “These include birds like the great blue her on, mallard ducks, pheasants and woodcocks in areas close to young woods,” she said. “Ri parian areas also attract catbirds, song spar rows, red winged blackbirds, cardinals, rob ins, and more.” keeping a zone of vegetation along streams also influences water quality. “That border of brush between the field and the stream is extremely important,” she said. “If excess nutrients or chemicals come off the fields, the vegetation will help absorb them before they enter the stream. The vegetation also binds the soil and reduces erosion.” Giving livestock free access to streams is a key threat to these vegetation borders. “If you let them, cattle will walk along the bank, con suming the vegetation and eventually break ing the banks down. As the banks crumble and fall into the streams, you get high rates of erosion and sedimentation.” Farmers can protect riparian zones by fencing their streams to' exclude livestock. “This doesn’t mean that livestock can’t go in to the streams at all.” Brittingham said. “You can provide stabilized stream crossings to take cattle over the stream and also have places where the cattle can go to the stream to drink. But by fencing the majority of the streambarlk, you protect that corridor of ve getation.” A variety of technical and financial assis tance is available for farmers interested in fencing their streambanks. Brittingham has authored an extension circular, “Stream Bank Fencing: Green Banks, Clean Streams,” which answers common questions about the practice. iy, July 24,
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