Ben Cardin: “all of us who represent Chesapeake Bay watershed States in the Senate are grateful that the bill reported out by the…”

“all of us who represent Chesapeake Bay watershed States in the Senate are grateful that the bill reported out by the Agriculture Committee recognizes the very serious challenge that we have with excess nutrients and sediments in the bay. As I testified to your committee back in the spring, every year huge areas of the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries become ``dead zones,'' which occur when there isn't enough dissolved oxygen for aquatic life to thrive. Not all the excess nutrients that create these dead zones come from agriculture, but a substantial part of them do. The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Conservation Program in your bill will go a long way in assisting farmers in our States implement projects to better manage their nutrient-rich runoff. The new program represents a significant part of the $700 million annually that scientists and agricultural experts estimate is needed on the ground to bring the runoff to ecologically acceptable levels. My question is just to clarify the intent of the committee regarding this new program.”