BALTIMORE, MD—A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers from the Chesapeake Bay region reintroduced legislation this week to support farmers adopting conservation practices that will improve water quality in the Bay and its tributaries.
The Chesapeake Bay Conservation Acceleration Act proposes five changes to the next Farm Bill to encourage farmers to implement voluntary conservation practices. The Chesapeake Bay Task Force Co-chairs from Virginia and Maryland, Reps. Rob Wittman (R-Va.), Bobby Scott (D-Va.), Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.), and Jennifer Kiggans (R-Va.), introduced the bill in the House of Representatives. In the Senate, it was introduced by Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Lisa Blunt-Rochester, John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and John Warner (D-Va.).
The bill would incorporate the Chesapeake Bay States’ Partnership Initiative into the Farm Bill. The initiative was launched by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in May 2022 to provide an additional $22.5 million in conservation assistance to farmers in the Bay region. It would also make it easier for states to incentivize farmers to participate in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), which provides funding and technical assistance for implementing high-priority conservation practices.
Another provision of the bill would create a turnkey program to cover the upfront costs of designing, installing, and maintaining forested buffers along rivers and streams. Forested buffers are one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce agricultural runoff into waterways. The bill would also expand the number of trained professionals available to provide technical assistance to farmers implementing conservation practices. This is crucial given the USDA’s staffing shortage, which has hindered the department’s ability to support farmers in their conservation efforts.
Finally, the legislation would reduce bureaucratic barriers to creating a commercial blue catfish fishery. Blue catfish, a voracious, rapidly growing invasive species in the Chesapeake Bay, prey on native species like blue crabs, striped bass, and menhaden. The bill transfers the responsibility for inspecting wild-caught blue catfish from USDA to FDA, streamlining the process.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) expressed support for the legislation in a statement.
“Farmers are essential to restoring the Bay and its waterways,” said Keisha Sedlacek, CBF Federal Director. “The Chesapeake Bay Conservation Acceleration Act would encourage more farmers to adopt conservation practices that reduce fertilizer and sediment runoff, the largest source of water pollution to the Bay.”
The Farm Bill was last reauthorized in 2018 and expires on September 30, 2025. In July 2023, the last Congress first introduced the Chesapeake Bay Conservation Acceleration Act.
This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.
Photo via Pixabay
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