Pennsylvania's fiscal year 2008-09 budget shows mixed results for reducing pollution to local rivers, streams, and the Chesapeake Bay, according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

New funding, approximately $500 million, is allocated to provide a 50 percent match for sewage treatment plant upgrades, significantly reducing the burden on local ratepayers. Funding to reduce agricultural runoff, on the other hand, will see stable or declining funding depending on the program.

"In an extremely tight budget year, we commend the Governor and General Assembly for providing historic levels of new funding to upgrade local sewage treatment plants," said CBF Pennsylvania Executive Director Matt Ehrhart. "It is disappointing, however, that the Governor and General Assembly didn't increase funding for agriculture, one Pennsylvania's leading industries and one of the largest sources of impairment to local rivers and streams."

The REAP program, which provides transferable tax credits to farmers and businesses to implement conservation practices on local farms, saw funding hold steady at $10 million. Conservation Districts, which provide technical assistance for farmers, did not receive long overdue funding increases. Nutrient management programs and agricultural research saw budgets decline.

"Pennsylvania farm families have repeatedly demonstrated their willingness to invest time and money to implement conservation practices, but they can't shoulder the burden alone," Ehrhart said. "We want to thank Senators Roger Madigan and Mike Brubaker, Representatives Jerry Stern and Mike Hanna, and other elected officials for their continued leadership on this issue, and look forward to continuing to work with them to make Pennsylvania agriculture a national leader in conservation. We'd also like to thank our many partners, from agriculture, the business community, and local governments, who joined the PA Fair Share Coalition to support funding for agricultural conservation and sewage treatment plant upgrades."

For more information, visit the PA Fair Share for Clean Water Plan website or the CBF-Pennsylvania webpage.

7/11/2008