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As stewards of our nation’s farmlands and advocates for rural communities, we know that private property rights are foundational to America’s prosperity and freedom. These rights, deeply embedded in our nation's history, empower individuals to maintain control over their livelihoods and futures. John Adams, one of our Founding Fathers, wisely stated, “Property must be secured, or liberty cannot exist.” His words remind us of the inseparable connection between property rights and the broader concept of freedom itself.
Today, these fundamental liberties are under threat by a newly enacted federal law known as the SUSTAINS Act (H.R. 2606). This law, passed with little public scrutiny, grants the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) the unprecedented authority to accept private, nonfederal funds to support conservation programs. While this may sound beneficial, it opens the door for wealthy individuals, corporations, and radical special interest groups—often with environmental or animal rights agendas—to exert undue influence over federal programs that directly impact rural America.
The SUSTAINS Act allows these private funds to be directed toward specific USDA initiatives, such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program. These programs are being targeted under the guise of addressing “climate change,” but they risk prioritizing environmental agendas over agricultural productivity and private property rights, potentially threatening the livelihoods of rural Americans.
The USDA has recently announced a public comment period, seeking input on how these private contributions should be used to implement the SUSTAINS Act. This is a crucial opportunity for those who value rural landowner rights and the principles of private property to voice their concerns. Your feedback is vital in ensuring that this Act does not jeopardize our way of life or the integrity of our nation’s constitutional rights.
The Sustains Act opposes the following AAW Policy Positions:
37. AAW opposes limitations on individual opportunities and privileges, redistribution of wealth, and limitations on property rights.
47. AAW supports a free enterprise economy that encourages innovation and entrepreneurship based on private property rights.
233. AAW supports private property and individual rights to productively use land and natural resources and rejects any policy that erodes these rights.
303. AAW believes that good stewardship of our natural resources is best assured by those who have made both financial and labor investments to become owners and caretakers of the land. Landowners should be able to remove dead and dying trees and maintain drainage ditches or irrigation canals on their own property without restriction to stewardship and management.
306. AAW opposes any authority given to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), United Nations, or foreign governments, regarding the use or management of any federal, state or private properties within the boundaries of the U.S. and its holdings.
332. AAW opposes the “right to trespass” onto private property by land, air, or water access.
We urge you to submit your comments to the Federal Register by September 16, 2024, using the following LINK.
Sample Comments for Your Consideration:
I strongly oppose the SUSTAINS Act's provision allowing the USDA to accept private donations to fund federal conservation programs. This framework could lead to undue influence from private entities, overshadowing the needs of rural communities, farmers, and ranchers who are the backbone of American agriculture.
The authorization for the USDA to accept private funds under the SUSTAINS Act is deeply concerning. It risks enabling special interests to manipulate federal conservation efforts, potentially at the expense of landowners’ private property rights.
I am opposed to the SUSTAINS Act's provisions that allow public-private partnerships in federal conservation programs. These partnerships could result in the privatization of public policy, driven by financial contributions from individuals or NGOs with specific ideological agendas.
The SUSTAINS Act's framework for accepting private funds raises serious concerns about transparency and accountability in federal conservation efforts. These policies could ultimately harm our nation’s farmers, ranchers, and rural landowners.
I urge the USDA to reconsider the implementation of the SUSTAINS Act, particularly the provisions allowing private donations and public-private partnerships. These could jeopardize the livelihoods of those who grow and raise our food, fiber, and fuel across America.
Please share this alert with your networks to amplify our efforts. Together, we can protect our property rights and the future of American agriculture.
Submit your comments HERE.
Find your Congressman contact information HERE.
Find your Senate contact information HERE.
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