To: sustag@beta.tricity.wsu.edu Subject: Message from concerned Texas rancher Attention sustag subscribers The government is doing it to us again in Texas -- subsidizing poor stewardship and punishing conservation-minded ranchers. Our current problems began when Texas was recently declared a disaster state due to drought. Such a government declaration will allow ranchers who run out of grass to become eligible for low interest rate loans. Historically, such government policies have done much more harm than good. They encourage ranchers to overstock and oversupply the marketplace, thus, they contribute to instability and low profitability in ranching. Such policies also contribute to overcapitalization of ranchers and natural resource degradation. It is my opinion that any effort to make ranching sustainable, or any effort to protect the environment, will be fruitless endeavors if government continues rewarding high-input, high-risk, debt ridden, resource degrading, short-lived ranching ventures -- and punishing ranchers who take a well managed, low-input, low-risk, non-resource degrading, long-term ranching approach. I believe it is long overdue for government to stop implementing agricultural policies that promote overstocking, oversupplying the marketplace, overcapitalization of ranchers and farmers, and natural resource degradation. Please help me circulate my views to government, educational institutions and people in general before time runs out. It is essential for all of us to take action now! Nol Ward barw@hpnc.com

I AGREE ONE HUNDRED PERCENT!!!! The PIK program is another example of government subsidy gone wrong. I owned a wheat farm for 10 years. I made a deal with a local farmer to farm it. He did all the work, I paid all the expenses. He got 1 third and I got 2 thirds of the crop. The first year I had the place, he told me about PIK and what to do. We fertilized like crazy, Hauled water in by the tanker load, irrigated like crazy. From land that would normally yield 18-24 bushels per acre, we got 66. Then we resented paperwok to the Government certifying our harvest, and for the next 9 years the Government gave us 66 bushels an acre not to bring a crop in. That first year I broke even, after that I just sat back and raked it in. All my partner had to do was plant the crop, and file the paperwork. The government would rubber stamp it. and then we'd lease out the young crop for grazing so that there would be no harvest. All fine and legal.