The Chesapeake Bay - and many of its rivers and streams - has been on the federal government's "dirty waters" list for over a decade. As long as our water is polluted, then swimming in it, eating fish from it, and drinking it will be unhealthy. The economy will suffer, too, as fishing-related industries are a critical part of the region's economy.
We know how to turn this problem around. But there is a lack of commitment, particularly at the federal level, to fund and implement proven strategies that will restore the Bay.
One of the most cost-effective ways to restore the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay is to provide farmers with the technical assistance and incentives they need to implement Bay-friendly farming practices. The 2007 Farm Bill provides us with a golden opportunity to address agricultural runoff, which is responsible for more than 40 percent of the Bay's pollution.
Ask your members of Congress to support the Chesapeake Healthy and Environmentally Sound Stewardship of Energy and Agriculture Act (HR1766), which will direct Farm Bill funding toward helping farmers manage a major source of pollution to the Bay.
Dear Congressperson,
Americans deserve clean water. The country needs a clean Chesapeake Bay.
In 2000, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the federal government committed to reduce pollution in the Chesapeake Bay, its rivers, and streams. Through this visionary agreement, each state created science-based strategies to detail exactly what steps needed to be taken and what the projected costs would be. And each state has begun to step up to the plate.
Now, a group of visionary legislators -- led by Representative Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) in partnership with Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force co-chairs Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD), Bobby Scott (D-VA), and Tom Davis (R-VA) -- have introduced legislation to ensure that the federal government meets that opportunity head on through the upcoming reauthorization of the federal Farm Bill. This historic legislation has been introduced just in time.
The Chesapeake’s Healthy Environmentally Sound Stewardship of Energy and Agriculture Act of 2007 (CHESSEA – HR1766) will do three vital things: direct Farm Bill funds toward water quality conservation programs, provide support for farmers who have proven the desire and ability to be effective stewards of the land, and establish the Chesapeake Bay as a model for multi-state/federal efforts to clean up the rivers and streams of “national” waterways.
I urge you to fight for CHESSEA and a Farm Bill that supports the region’s farmers and clean water for everyone in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. It is time for the federal government to do its part.
With your support, the Farm Bill will strengthen the natural stewardship of farmers, improve the water quality and habitat of the Chesapeake Bay, and create a model of smart, sustainable agriculture for the entire country.
[Your Comment]
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
