Date: 2008-05-14
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H.R. 2419. the 2008 Farm Bill Conference Report. This bill provides a breakthrough for the Chesapeake Bay by providing an unprecedented level of funding to aid in the cleanup of this national treasure. H.R. 2419 provides. for the first time. a bay specific program to ensure that farmers in the watershed will get their fair share of conservation funding. The Conference Report provides $188 million. over 5 years. in bayspecific conservation funding. Moreover. the bill includes a baseline of funding in the amount of $438 million over 10 years. This will enable the program to be extended at the expiration of this 5year bill. Additionally. the Chesapeake Bay Foundation estimates that farmers in the bay watershed will be eligible for an additional $252 million in national program funding in working land programs in addition to conservation setaside programs. This funding will be over and above the annual conservation funding in the last year of the previous farm bill that provided $80 million to the Bay watershed. I want to thank the chairman of the Agriculture Committee. COLLIN PETERSON. and the chairman of the Conservation Subcommittee. TIM HOLDEN. for the programs and funding that they have provided to assist farmers in controlling sediment and nutrient runoff into the Chesapeake Bay. Moreover. the program would not have been possible without the support of the many Members of Congress on the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Taskforce. In addition. the work of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. in providing technical assistance and grass roots support. was essential to the success of the establishment of this program. The Chesapeake Bay Commission also provided assistance in the crafting of an initial legislation. CHESSEA. that helped galvanize the support of Members who are committed to restoring the health of the Bay. The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the U.S. Its watershed includes 66.000 farms with an estimated 8.5 million acres of land. The watershed contains 150 tributary streams and rivers. The watershed spans 6 States and the District of Columbia. Almost half of the nitrogen and phosphorus pollutant load in the bay is caused by agricultural runofffrom fertilizer and animal waste. In 1987 there was the first attempt to clean up the bay with an agreement between the States and the Federal Government. The goal was to clean up the bay by 2000. When the deadline passed. a more detailed agreement was developed and the leaders of Maryland. Virginia. Pennsylvania. the District of Columbia. and the EPA pledged to fix the bays water. its oyster population. its beds of underwater grass. and other environmental indicators by 2010which will require the reduction of 110 million pounds of pollution. Every environmental assessment indicates that the 2010 deadline will not be met and that the environmental condition of the bay is continuing to deteriorate. A recent report by the Chesapeake Bay Programs Health and Restoration Assessment found that most of the bays waters are degraded. the bays critical habitats. like grasses. are at risk and that many of the bays blue crabs. striped bass and oyster populations are below historic levels. This bill provides the much needed resources to restore the Chesapeake Bay to its original vitality.