House Agriculture Committee Chairman Larry Combest (R-TX) wants USDA to continue funding technical assistance to land owners who need help submitting plans for their Conservation Reserve Program contract implementation.

County offices were notified April 1 that USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service would stop temporarily providing technical assistance because money was about to run out.  However, USDA officials already had said the funding would be adequate until May 15, says Combest.

"I find it totally irresponsible for local NRCS officials to be issuing instructions to temporarily halt technical assistance for CRP," he said in a letter to Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman.  "If Farm Service Agency personnel can perform (their) mission with a known shortfall in salaries and expense funds, why is NRCS directing its people to cease work on an important conservation program like CRP six months before the end of the fiscal year?"

Combest was referring to a recent USDA transfer of $30 million in FSA salary accounts to fund new loans for farmers.

Combest said he is expecting a memo from USDA that restates USDA's promise to halve CRP contracts in place and promises a good faith effort with Congress to replenish any shortage of funds for CRP technical assistance.