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Farm, environmental groups urge Bay funding
 | | The door prize winner at the Highland Farmers' Market on Sept. 7 was Melissa Hunt (right) of Vanderpool. She received a yellow mum from vendor Dori Heatwole. (Photo courtesy The Highland Center) |
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RICHMOND - The Virginia Farm Bureau Federation has joined several other farm and environmental groups in urging Gov. Tim Kaine to include $100 million a year in the state budget to fully find state cost-share programs that help farmers reduce the runoff to Virginia river and streams and the Chesapeake Bay.
"We ... join as one to urge your leadership in reaffirming the commonwealth's commitment for clean water, and we offer a consensus recommendation for realizing those commitments," the groups told Kaine in an Aug. 29 letter. "Restoring Virginia's waters will require a significant publicprivate investment and ... a dedication of state revenues."
The groups proposed an annual $100 million budget payment financed by one-tenth of one cent of the state sales tax. Payments would be made each year for 10 years into the Water Quality Improvement Fund to finance cost-share programs that assist Virginia farmers in implementing critical farm practices that reduce run off. If fully implemented on farms across much of the commonwealth, the practice could achieve 60 percent of the runoff prevention call for in the Chesapeake 2000 Agreement. They also could bring about significant improvements in "impaired" streams located outside the bay watershed.
 | | Last week this picture ran with an incorrect name. The cutline should have read: Highland High School's class of 1977 held its 30th class reunion at the Mill Gap Ruritan grounds on Sunday, Sept. 2. A covered dish dinner was provided by classmates and one of their beloved teachers, BeBe Hiner, attended the reunion. A memorial table was decorated in memory of classmates Junior Gumm and Greg Hogshead. Robin, Brad and Lindsey Gumm also attended in remembrance of Junior. Pictured are (l-r) back: Paul Simmons, Gene Dever, Duane Ruckman, Gary Crigler and Jimmy Hiner; middle: Steve Puffenbarger, Herb Lightner, Rolan Millican, Angela Gutshall Crigler, Teresa Colaw Lightner and Eugene Bussard; sitting: BeBe Avernell Hiner, Susan Kincaid Murray, Kathy Ralston Estes, Linda Swadley Fretwell, Penny Rexrode Wooddell, Christie Waybright Burke and Bob Beverage. (Photo courtesy Herb Lightner) |
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"We need a strong partnership between Virginia's farmers and landowners and the state government to achieve our clean water goals," said VFBF president Wayne F. Pryor. "Farmers are engaged in cost-effective and widely available practices in doing their part to reduce non-point source runoff, but that public-private alliance needs to be there to ensure future success."
Other farm groups signing on to the consensus plan include the Virginia Agribusiness Council, Virginia Poultry Federation, Virginia State Dairymen's Association and Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts. The conservation groups include the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, James River Association, Friends of the Rappahannock, Potomac Conservancy and Virginia Forever.
The groups estimate the state's share to fully fund the cleanup practices at more than $1.2 billion. Dedication one-tenth of one cent of the state sales tax would generate about $1 million annually, or $1 billion over 10 years. Farmers would contribute an addition $646 million as their share.
"Reliable, long-term state funding would also offer an assurance to the farming community that the commonwealth is a committed partner in this endeavor. This investment would also provide an economic stumulus at the local level in the form of jobs, supplies and equipment," the groups' letter said.
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