A day or two after the almost 700 page farm bill (called the Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act) conference report was released somebody actually read it.

They found that Max Baucus had slipped an earmark into the bill to help Plum Creek Timber sell a parcel of land to the Nature Conservancy. The earmark amount is a cool $250 million.

Yup, 250 million dollars.

Mary Clare Jalonick of the Associated Press reported:

The legislation also includes language by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., that would allow state and local governments to issue bonds to help conservation organizations buy private lands. That provision would provide incentives for non-profits to buy land from Montana’s Plum Creek Timber Co.

Now, with friendly reporting like that, it does not seem like too bad of a deal, does it?

But, some folks call the earmark a little more than just “help:”

– $250 Million for “Forest Fish.” Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) slipped into the Farm Bill a targeted earmark to help the Plum Creek Timber Company in Montana sell a parcel of land to the scandal-tarnished “environmental group,” the Nature Conservancy. The earmark allows the Nature Conservancy to claim a $250 million “tax refund” – even though, as a non-profit they don’t actually pay taxes. But instead of being open and honest about their intentions to spend $250 million in taxpayer money, Democrats attempted to keep it secret by crafting the provision to ensure the funds go only to a federal forest project of a certain size that also has fish. That’s right, “Forest fish.” In the whole country, only one tract fits the bill – and it happens to be located in Senator Baucus’ home state of Montana.
–Leader Alert, House Republican Leader John Boehner (Accessed May 14, 2008)

The Last Best Place has more, and he includes details about PAC donations.

It looks like the “forest fish” provision withstood a vote in the House led by Rep. Eric Cantor, R-VA, who tried to strip it. It failed with 169 yeas and 222 nays. Congressman Denny Rehberg was one of only 18 Republicans to vote nay in stripping the provision from the bill.

The Farm Bill passed the House on Wednesday 318-106. Rehberg voted for it. It goes to the Senate next. Baucus and Tester will support the bill. Bush has threatened to veto it.

The only question I have is what type of bait should I use to catch some of those forest fish? Maybe Baucus sells it at his office.