Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff this week hailed the passage of the 2008 federal Farm Bill as the most supportive modern farm bill for the northeast region and a real benefit to farm conservation efforts.

In a letter sent May 16, Secretary Wolff urged President Bush to sign the bill into law.

"I commend Pennsylvania's congressional delegation, especially Sens. Casey and Specter and Congressman Holden, for their leadership on behalf of agriculture in the commonwealth and the many citizens who depend on farm legislation for their well being," said Secretary Wolff. "They and their colleagues have furnished Pennsylvania with a package that successfully anticipates our nutrition, conservation, energy, commodities, and risk management needs.

Secretary Wolff said many of the enhancements in the bill were recommendations by Gov. Rendell. Gov. Rendell urged Congress in 2007 and this year to adopt provisions in the bill based on two years' worth of listening sessions and meetings with Pennsylvania's agricultural leaders.

Chief among the bill's newly established programs benefiting Pennsylvania agriculture are a $380 million program to address conservation needs in the Chesapeake Bay region (divided between the three major Bay states) and a variety of energy research and investment programs totaling $1 billion that will enable Pennsylvania to establish a home-grown fuels industry.

[The Department of Environmental Protection has estimated farmers need to invest $600 million in Pennsylvania alone to meet Chesapeake Bay nutrient reduction mandates.]

Secretary Wolff said the Commonwealth will be able to grow its legacy of environmental stewardship with the new federal biomass crop assistance and biomass research and development programs, which will enable research and development of cellulosic feedstocks for biofuel production.

"This farm bill is very much in line with our anticipated program needs and objectives," said Secretary Wolff. "I look forward to supporting these programs at the state level, allowing us to continue our legacy of national leadership in conservation, renewable energy and food production."

To help meet the Chesapeake Bay nutrient reduction mandates, the Pennsylvania Fair Share for Clean Water Plan proposes to invest $500 million to help finance the upgrades needed by wastewater plants to meet the new nutrient reduction standards and $390 million to help farmers install conservation practices over seven years. In both cases, local wastewater system ratepayers and farmers would shoulder half the costs of the upgrades and practices.

The proposal also calls for improvements to the state’s Nutrient Credit Trading Program that will help reduce the costs of complying with these new limits by promoting wastewater plant-farmer cooperation on projects to reduce nutrients and allow for future growth and development.

Specifically for the FY 2008-09 state budget year, the Fair Share Plan would invest $170 million in 2008-09 in several ways to reduce the financial burden on ratepayers and farms:

· $100 million to help wastewater plants finance required improvements;

· $50 million in direct cost share aid to farmers to install conservation practices ($35 for REAP farm tax credits and $15 million in cost share grants);

· $10 million to county conservation district to expand technical assistance to farmers;

· $10 million to restore cuts to the Department of Agriculture budget in farm programs; and

· Proposes reforms to the state’s nutrient credit trading program that will help to make it a viable alternative to provide for both environmental improvements to the Bay and sufficient future sewage capacity for new development.

The Fair Share Plan is supported by the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Pennsylvania Builders Association and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and 20 other environmental, business and sportsmen’s groups.

For more information on the PA Fair Share for Clean Water Plan, visit www.PaFairSharePlan.org .

Video Blog: Remarks By Coalition Partners on the Fair Share Clean Water Plan

Video Blog: Sen. Brubaker’s Remarks on Fair Share Plan

Links: Coalition Proposes Fair Share Clean Water Funding Plan, Original Announcement

16,000 Miles of Polluted Streams Add Urgency to Call for Clean Water Funding

CBF, Other Groups Ask State to Be a Partner in Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Plan

40,000 More Acres of Corn, Soybeans Increase Conservation Needs

Brubaker, Musto Say Senate Infrastructure Bill Should Be Expanded

New Federal Farm Bill Promises Aid, But PA Farmers Need $600 M for Cleanup

Rep. Perry, 37 Co-Sponsors Introduce Chesapeake Bay Nutrient Reduction Plan

5/23/2008