Dozens of recommendations for strengthening and expanding the farm and timber conservation programs in the national Farm Bill set to be considered by Congress in 2007 were adopted this week by the Chesapeake Bay Executive Council.

The Governors of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia and the Mayor of the District of Columbia joined Sen. Mike Waugh (R-York), chair of the Chesapeake Bay Commission, in making the recommendations.

The recommendations were the result of more than 40 listening session held during the Spring and Summer of 2005 to take comments from over 1,000 people.

The top five recommended priorities for change in the 2007 Farm Bill include:

· Establish a Regional Stewardship Fund to increase flexibility in the delivery of federal funds;

· Implement the Conservation Security Program as a nationwide entitlement program;

· Target funds to maximize environmental benefits and ecological services;

· Provide increases support for the economic viability of agriculture; and

· Increase funding and technical assistance for conservation-related programs.

The federal Farm Bill includes 24 different programs that benefit the environment including a Bioenergy Program, Conservation Reserve Enhancement, Forest Legacy and Forest Stewardship Programs, Forestland Enhancement, Wetlands Reserve and Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program.

For more information, read the 2007 Farm Bill recommendations online.

NewsClip: Bay Leaders Adopt Innovative Pollution Reduction, Fisheries Strategies

12/2/2005