Chesapeake's Healthy and Environmentally Sound Stewardship of Energy and Agriculture Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-1346
Sponsor: Sen. Mikulski, Barbara A. [D-MD]
Introduced: 2007-05-09 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Agricultural conservation
Agricultural pollution
Agricultural subsidies
Agricultural wastes
Agriculture and Food
Alcohol as fuel
Animals
Biomass energy
Cellulose
Chemicals
Chesapeake Bay
Commerce
Commercialization
Delaware
Diesel motor
District of Columbia
Economics and Public Finance
Energy
Energy crops
Energy efficiency
Eutrophication
Farm manure
Federal aid to water pollution control
Forest conservation
Forest ecology
Habitat conservation
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Marine pollution
Marine resources conservation
Maryland
New York State
Non-native species
Pennsylvania
Refuse as fuel
Science, Technology, Communications
Soybeans
Subsidies
Technology transfer
Transportation and Public Works
Virginia
Water Resources Development
Water pollution control
Water quality
Watersheds
West Virginia
Wetlands

Summary:
action_date: 2007-05-09
text: 
Chesapeake's Healthy and Environmentally Sound Stewardship of Energy and Agriculture Act of 2007 or CHESSEA Act of 2007 - Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to extend funding for the the environmental quality incentives program. Gives program allocation priority to interstate watersheds. Provides a cost-share payment exception for limited resource and beginning farmers.

Provides: (1) cost-share and incentive payments for private forest owners to carry out specified conservation activities; and (2) state performance incentives.

Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to offer to enter into agreements with states and the District of Columbia containing all or a portion of a large waterbody or its tributaries (including the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries) for water quality initiatives. Authorizes appropriations.

Directs (current law authorizes) the Secretary to pay the cost of conservation innovation grants. Makes such grants available for projects that include a technology transfer plan.

Extends: (1) the conservation reserve program; (2) the conservation security program; and (3) the wetlands reserve program.

Directs the Secretary to establish a conservation planning pilot program in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Authorizes appropriations.

Amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to: (1) extend the agricultural management assistance program; and (2) make Virginia eligible for such assistance.

Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 with respect to the biorefinery and biofuel grant program to: (1) extend such program; and (2) provide grants for Chesapeake Bay Watershed states (Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia and the District of Columbia) to develop the commercial viability of no-till soybean biodiesel production, cellulosic ethanol production, manure to energy processes, and other technologies that promote the conversion of biomass to fuels and chemicals and the reduction of nutrient impacts to water. 

Extends the renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements program. Obligates amounts for Chesapeake Bay Watershed states.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-05-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2007-05-09
text: Introduced in Senate