The 2007 proposal "really does fit in with the goals that we have established for the state of Utah," he said. "In Utah, 80 percent of agriculture is livestock. The conservation title is extremely important to that sector. So we're just tickled pink that additional funding is going to come to the conservation efforts" already ongoing via state and federal partnerships.

Utah also could benefit from some of the renewable energy proposals, Blackham said, as some land currently overpopulated with pinyon junipers is replanted with switchgrass — a possible source of biofuel development.

Utah Farm Bureau President Randy Parker said that the bureau wants a farm bill that incorporates the concepts of current law, which he said has "a track record of success for American agriculture while giving U.S. trade negotiators a stronger position in international trade talks."

"The Utah Farm Bureau believes there is an opportunity to further strengthen the conservation provisions of the farm bill that would be beneficial to Utah agriculture and the environment," Parker said. "We will be carefully analyzing the administration's proposal and what it contributes to new legislation that addresses the needs of our nation's food security and ultimately our farmers, ranchers and rural communities."

Arthur Douglas, president of the Utah Farmers Union, was troubled by the change from the price-based countercyclical program to a revenue-based program, and the lowering of the income cap.

"There's a concern in the dairy industry that the proposal the (agriculture secretary) laid out will drastically reduce the safety net for dairymen," Douglas said, arguing that lowering the income cap to $200,000 threatened families who work supplementary, off-farm jobs.

Rey countered that the population of Americans who make more than $200,000 is 2.3 percent. He estimated that 99 percent of American farmers make less than that. He called the new system a "true safety net."

"The current commodity payment program is locked in on price," Rey said. "If you were in a particular part of the country or region that was suffering severe crop loss because of drought, but prices for your crops stayed above the payment levels, you got nothing."

That change from price to revenue will, according to Rey, provide payments when farmers need them the most (i.e. during natural disasters), comply with World Trade Organization requirements and should reduce the need for supplementary disaster assistance. He disputed questions about whether Utah farmers would have less access to disaster funding.

"What we're trying to do with the commodity programs is tighten them, which by reducing the overall expenditures does benefit producers in other areas, as well as transform those payments so that they do present a better countercyclical approach," Rey said. "So to the extent that we can do that, we think that the other sectors are going to benefit as well, because there will be other opportunities to assist them with the other money that's generated."

For more information about the administration's 2007 Farm Bill proposals, go online to www.usda.gov.

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E-mail: jnii@desnews.com