The Chesapeake Bay Foundation acknowledged the state and local government members of Chesapeake Bay Executive Council for their commitment this week to accelerate efforts to provide farmers the tools they need to reduce pollution, as outlined in the Tributary Strategies and established as a result of the Chesapeake 2000 Agreement (C2K).

C2K committed the Bay states and federal government to reducing pollution sufficiently to remove the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries from the federal ‘dirty waters’ list by 2010. But six years after the Agreement was signed, and with only four years remaining until the 2010 goal, the health of the Bay is only marginally better today than it was then.

Well managed agriculture is one of the best land uses for reducing pollution, significantly. For the past two years CBF has called for implementation of the agricultural components of the Tributary Strategies to supplement sewage treatment plant upgrades as the most cost effective ways to improve water quality in local rivers, streams, and the Bay.

“With the clock ticking down, and dead zones, beach closures and fish kills still occurring each year, it is clearly time to pick up the pace of restoration, or risk leaving our children a dying Bay instead of a national treasure on the rebound,” CBF President William C. Baker said. “A commitment like that made today is a step in the right direction, but it alone will not restore the Bay. And, as always, the devil is in the details. We look to these leaders to deliver by providing increased funding in their budgets. We will also hold them to their promise to lobby for increased funding from the federal Farm Bill.”

This will be difficult. Because while the states have begun to step up their efforts, in recent years federal funding for Chesapeake Bay restoration has been slashed. At current funding levels, EPA estimates that only 40 percent of the EC’s nitrogen pollution reduction commitments will be achieved by 2010. Today’s agreement recognizes the need for an annual increase of $200 million dollars in federal Farm Bill funding and obligates the signatories to fight for that funding.

In Pennsylvania, which has the largest portion of the watershed and contributes the largest amount of pollution to the Bay, legislators have an opportunity to make real strides. With bipartisan support, legislation being considered by both the Pennsylvania House and the Senate, called the Resource Enhancement and Protection Act of Pennsylvania (REAP), would provide unprecedented assistance to farmers in the form of transferable state tax credits to install best management practices to reduce water pollution. The credits, totaling $450 million over the next five years, could reduce nitrogen pollution in the Chesapeake Bay by up to 15 million pounds per year.

“This legislation recognizes that while most producers are committed stewards of the land, they need additional funding and new tools,” said CBF Pennsylvania Executive Director Matt Ehrhart. “This statewide legislation would be one of the most important state programs enacted in the history of the Chesapeake Bay restoration effort, and will strengthen the private sector's role in promoting farm conservation by allowing businesses to sponsor projects on farms in exchange for tax credits.”

REAP was introduced as House Bill 2878 (Stern-R-Blair, Hershey-R-Chester, Daley-D-Washington) and as Senate Bill 1286 by Sen. Noah Wenger (R-Lancaster), Sen. Mike Waugh (R-York) and Sen. Michael O’Pake (D-Berks).

(See separate article on House Agriculture Committee meeting on REAP.)

In Virginia, CBF has urged Governor Kaine to obligate at least $50 million for agricultural best management practices and $100 million for remaining sewage treatment plant upgrades in his proposed budget for 2008 to continue efforts to meet Tributary Strategy pollution reduction commitments.

“Without that funding, Virginia's recent historic progress towards reaching the Chesapeake 2000 Agreement commitments will stall,” said CBF Virginia Executive Director Ann F. Jennings. “At this week's Natural Resources Leadership Summit, Governor Kaine expressed his strong commitment to protecting Virginia's natural resources, meeting the C2K land conservation goals, and helping Virginia's farmers. We look forward to working with the Administration and the legislature to secure funding to conserve land, to keep farmers farming, and to clean up our rivers and the Bay.”

Maryland farmers, like those across the Bay watershed, are willing to reduce runoff to our waters by applying conservation practices, such as planting cover crops. But there are insufficient federal and state dollars to implement these actions. This year, a record number of farmers signed up for the cover crop program; in fact, there were so many farmers who wanted to participate that the state could not provide sufficient funds. CBF calls on the governor and legislators to find ways to fully fund these cost-effective practices. Specifically, CBF asks for a transferable tax credit program similar to Pennsylvania’s, which would provide stable, increased funding.

“We have the solutions to help farmers reduce polluted runoff, and farmers stand ready to do their part. What we need is funding,” said CBF Maryland Executive Director Kim Coble. “Time is running out and Maryland still has a long way to go to meet its 2010 pollution-reduction commitments. Without developing additional, dedicated funding, the chance of success is greatly diminished.”

At this week’s meeting the Executive Council also passed a resolution calling for a greater role for the agricultural community and state agricultural agencies in the restoration partnership, and a directive to develop strategies to retain and expand forests throughout the watershed. The region is losing forestland at a rate of 100 acres per day, land that is among the most valuable for protecting water quality.

The Chesapeake Bay Executive Council includes the governors of Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, the mayor of the District of Columbia, the administrator of the federal Environmental Protection Agency, and the chairman of the Chesapeake Bay Commission.

For more information, visit the Chesapeake Bay Foundation website.

NewsClips: Chesapeake Watershed States Agree to Slash Pollutants

9/22/2006