(HARRISBURG, PA)—The Chesapeake Bay Foundation's (CBF) Pennsylvania Executive Director Harry Campbell issued the following statement after CBF joined 500 other organizations nationwide, in signing a letter urging congressional leaders on the Budget and Appropriations committees to reject calls for cuts to Farm Bill programs.
The letter states that, "With the agriculture and rural economy struggling, households across the country struggling to meet their basic needs for nutrition, and farm income down 46 percent from only three years ago, it would be perilous to hinder development and passage of the 2018 Farm Bill with further cuts."
Coalition signers represent interests including agriculture, conservation, outdoor recreation, hunters and anglers, crop insurance providers, the field of nutrition, rural development, energy, trade, local governments, agricultural sciences and veterinary medicine, and other groups.
Mr. Campbell said:
"CBF is proud to stand with more than 500 organizations in support of farmers in Pennsylvania and around the country asking that there be no cuts to federal Farm Bill programs.
"Farm Bill programs play a critical role in the ability of Pennsylvania farmers to reduce pollution, improve soil health, and make their farms more profitable. Roughly 19,000 miles of rivers and streams in the Keystone State are damaged by pollution. Our Commonwealth lags behind the other Bay states in meeting Clean Water Blueprint goals. These are among the reasons why CBF gladly joins the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, conservation districts, Audubon Pennsylvania, and others in asking that members of the Budget and Appropriations committees reject any calls for cuts in Farm Bill programs.
"Likewise, we expect Pennsylvania's own members of Congress to remember that clean water counts, and to protect Farm Bill investments.
"Clean water is a legacy worth leaving future generations. The health, way of life, and economic well-being of every Pennsylvanian depend on it."
