Report: Biofuels Policy Has Led to Wildlife Habitat Destruction

According to a recent report, millions of acres of wildlife habitat have been destroyed nationwide to make way for corn and soybeans used to produce ethanol and biodiesel under the federal Renewable Fuel Standard.  A National Wildlife Federation report, "Fueling Destruction," claims the federal policy led to the conversion of previously uncultivated land to grow crops used in biofuels, endangering wildlife and water supplies along the way.

Report author David DeGennaro said Oregon wasn't spared from this destruction.

"Oregon isn't thought of as corn country or the heart of the farm belt, but it still saw a fair share of conversion - about 66,000 acres, according to researchers from the University of Wisconsin. That's an area about the size of 50,000 football fields."

DeGennaro said most of the conversion was concentrated within the north-central Oregon.  The Renewable Fuel Standard was intended to reduce the country's reliance on oil and cut greenhouse gas emissions.  But critics of RFS say the government has failed to enforce habitat protections in the law.

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