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Van Hollen Statement on EPA Report on Maryland Agriculture Programs and Chesapeake Bay Restoration

Statement

Date: Aug. 31, 2015
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Agriculture and Food Environment

"The EPA's review of Maryland's agricultural practices confirms that Maryland farmers are taking important steps to clean up the Chesapeake Bay and protect the watershed and farmlands for generations to come. But more must be done to secure the health of the Bay. To advance the effort, we must provide the necessary resources through federal agricultural conservation programs to support our farming community and fulfill our commitment to restoring the Chesapeake Bay."

Congressman Van Hollen has been a long-time advocate for conservation assistance for farmers in the Bay Watershed, working with his colleagues in 2008 to create the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative to allow farms in the region to implement best management practices to conserve soil and protect water quality. The 2014 Farm Bill built on that program by combining it into a new Regional Conservation Partnership Program that would incentivize public-private partnerships to implement conservation measures. The Chesapeake Bay Watershed was designated as a "Critical Conservation Area" within the program, guaranteeing it a larger share of funding to address the most urgent water restoration needs.


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