WASHINGTON, DC - A conservation bill currently in the House of Representatives will reportedly contain provisions to protect sensitive cornfield ecosystems from farmers. The amendment was inspired by a recent University of California
at Santa Barbara study of the unique wildlife supported by the fields, and the devastating effects on them due to harvesting. The amendment is expected to receive wide support and pass easily to the Senate.
"Hundreds of thousands of acres of these delicate habitats are destroyed every year in the name of profit." said representative Alice Douglas, D-CA, co-sponsor of the amendment. "This amendment will bring that to a halt."
The UC Santa Barbara study reported that since the banning of DDT and other pesticides, cornfields have been able to support a greater number of insects, and the animals that feed on them. "The insects provide food for mice and birds."
said Leland Kitzmiller, professor of Environmental Studies at Howyflyl University. "Everybody likes birds, and most people think mice are cute."
Supporters of the bill point out that beautifying the Midwest states would be an added benefit of protecting the fields. "When you think about the corn belt, you think of those beautiful green fields that seem to
go on forever." said representative Sylvia Richards, D-NY. "Those fields are just too pretty to destroy."
Critics warn that the corn crop may be too important to abandon. "An interruption in the corn supply could be devastating to ethanol production and intensify the tortilla shortage." said Nebraska Governor Steven Mitchell. "Obviously,
we must do whatever it takes to relocate the birds and the mice, as well as the insects."
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