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Agricultural Stewardship Commission recommendations a good start

12.20.05

State must commit to reducing ag pollution

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Agricultural Stewardship Commission (ASC) budgetary and policy recommendations send a strong message about the importance of assisting Maryland farmers in order to help reduce pollution to the state’s rivers, streams, and the bay, and also to sustain a healthy farming economy, according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF).
“We are pleased with the ASC’s insightful and pragmatic recommendations to reducing pollution to the bay while not burdening the farmers with new regulations or fees,” said Maryland Executive Director Kim Coble.
Bay scientists have determined that nitrogen pollution is the most important problem facing the Chesapeake Bay, and that agricultural operations are one of the most significant contributors of nitrogen entering our streams, rivers, and the bay.
Maryland’s “Tributary Strategies,” which lay out a road map for reducing nitrogen pollution by 2010, rely on significant nitrogen reductions from farmland, as agricultural Best Management Practices provide some of the most cost-effective reductions. According to the Tributary Strategies, nitrogen pollution must be reduced by 20 million pounds annually. While the ASC recommendations are a good start to helping farmers reduce runoff, more funding will be needed to meet the 2010 deadline.
Therefore, CBF urges additional funds for technical assistance to help farmers implement practices that will limit runoff from farm fields. Additionally, CBF has recommended $30 million annually in funding for buffers and wetland restoration, which ASC has not specifically targeted.
Most importantly, this funding for agriculture can not be a one-year proposal. The state needs to make a long-term commitment in order to meet its pledge to the Chesapeake 2000 Agreement goals and the Tributary Strategies.
CBF is calling upon Gov. Robert Ehrlich and the legislature to work together to devise a long-term commitment to fund farmland conservation practices, which will significantly reduce pollution, improve water quality, and help Maryland farmers stay in farming.