1994:
(Continued from Pago At)
able growing conditions in the ear
ly summer, die wet, cool late sum
mer conditions promoted the
growth of algea and fungus which
affected a variety of agricultural
and crops and turf grasses.
A late blight, caused by a fun
gus, devasted almost the entire
potato crop in some counties, mak
ing them eligible for low-interest
federal disaster loans.
Otherwise, field corn, silage,
hay and soybeans grew well, with
the large harvest causing com and
grain prices to drop, but that some
what offset low livestock prices.
Hog prices dropped to bankrupt
cy levels: beef prices lowered
dangerously; dairy prices
remained somewhat steady,
though unpredictable.
Republican Takeover
Another change in rule came in
the political arena, when the
November elections saw Republi
cans emerge victorious in many
contests, especially at the state and
national level, overthrowing
Democratic power.
Among the political issues that
can be expected to be affected by
the change in power are environ
mental concerns.
The state Republican agenda
has been to promote the use of
negotiation in resolving environ
mental problems and penalties; to
set standards for cleanup accord
ing to uses of the property; and to
consider the realistic dangers to the
human population and the general
surrounding environment, as
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A Year Of Changing Rules
opposed to creating and enforcing
across-the-board standards.
In fact, a series of bipartisan
proposals coming out of the state
Senate Environmental and Energy
Committee to create a new regulat
ory system to effect such coopera
tion failed, but only because a less
liberal proposal supported by
House Democrats, Gov. Casey and
outgoing DER chairman Arthur
Davis was offered as a stalemate.
It is expected that with a Repu
blican governor and Republican
control in both branches of the
Legislature, the proposal will be
resubmitted this session and prob
ably succeed.
Local tax reform, which was
expected to be addressed this past
legislative session, again was stay
ed for lack of consensus and
support
Proponents continue to urge for
allowing local taxing authorities,
such as school districts and county
governments, to assess an income
tax on'residents as a means to
offset the unjust requirement of
only assessing teal estate taxes to
fund government services.
Reform is thought to benefit the
agricultural community,' because
of its inherent use of high overhead
properties, with relatively minimal
annual profit margins. Currently,
local taxes are assessed on the
properties, not the small profit
margins.
Landowner Rights
Or Water Protection?
Just recently, a legal ruling for
an Erie County landowner deter-
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mined that he lost a relatively long
legal battle to restore existing, but
clogged drain tiles, and to com
plete a water-draining project his
father started years ago on the fam
ily farm.
Although some have been tout
ing the ruling as a defeat for land
owner rights, others have stated
that the issues involved in this par
ticular legal battle are not really
relevant to the majority of
landowners.
In this case, a son was stopped
from attempting to continue a pro
ject his father started, but which
lay idle for about 20 years, until the
son decided to fulfill the goals of
the old USDA-approved farm plan
his father had developed in order to
create more crop land.
When the project was originally
approved by the USDA, the feder
al philosophy was to turn as much
land as possible into crop
production.
Federal grants and loans woe
made available to landowners to
conduct such wetlands-draining
activities as installing under
ground dies.
Since then, much has changed,
especially with water supplies
being threatened, and increased
human demands on supplies. Like
wise, the USDA’s policy of prom
oting the destruction of wetlands
has been reversed.
In fact, landowners are now
being encouraged to consider how
they might be able to.use wetlands,
or construct wetlands at certain
areas because of the cleansing abil
ity that these types of ecosystems
have on water breaking down
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complex molecules, removing
heavy metals, and converting nit
rogen into an innocuous form.
Water Uses
The Susquehanna River Basin
Commission, a federal-interstate
compact with authority over the
flows of water in the entire drain
age of the Susquehanna River, has
been operating a research site in
Dauphin County with strong
farmer/landowner cooperation and
enthusiasm.
The commission is to create a
similar research site in Lancaster
County, which was selected
because of a different soil type and
structure. This research is being
done in an attempt to broaden the
understanding of what actually
works within the basin to create a
system of water use and treatment
that ensures an adequate safe and
clean water supply for all.
This year also saw a proposal by
the SRBC to institute new rules on
using water in the basin. It had
proposed water-consumption fees
to be paid by agricultural entities
using large amounts of water.
As initially proposed, it was
rejected by the commission board
in September, following an outcry
of opposition from the agricultural
community during public
hearings.
The staff of the SRBC was
directed to rethink the situation as
it affects agricultural uses and the
benefits of agricultural land to the
groundwater recharge, and attempt
to design regulations which would
be based on an “approval by rule’’
permitting program.
Under this type of program, spe
cial standards would be set that, if
complied with, would ensure an
automatic permit
However, except for the the
consumptive use regulations, other
regulations proposod'by the SRBC
are expected to be fowarded tow
ard approval in 1995.
While uncertain when new reg
ulations for consumptive uses will
be offered for review, efforts have
been ongoing between SRBC staff
and an agricultural advisory
committee.
The next meeting of the SRBC
is set for 9 a.m., Jan. 12 at the
Radisson-Penn Harris in Camp
Hill.
Nutrient Management
Other environmental issues
affecting agriculture continue to be
addressed by agricultural and
environmental leaders.
Within the state, efforts have
been strong in the formation of
regulations to implement the
Nutrient Management Act
Those developing Nutrient
management regulations got
through die first year in with much
accomplished.
Set on the edge of completion of
a number of regulations, the
15-memher Nutrient Management
Advisory Board has been acting to
complete them, even though the
change in politics may change
them.
The campaign promises from
governor-elect Tom Ridge to
recreate some government agen
cies starring with DER, has put a
temporary uncertainty about tim
ing of finished nutrient manage
ment regulations.
It also makes it uncertain
whether bureaus or specific agents
now considered as integral to the
program will continue to be avail
able after the suggested restructur
ing of government.
However, some retro-fitting of
language to regulations could be
done without interfering with the
integrity of the program.
Also on the environmental
front, farmland preservation
efforts continue and were bols
tered with recent legislation as
some farmland owners have
sought to sell development rights
to governments in order to ensure
that valuable farmland is
preserved.
The efforts are also supported
by those seeking to ensure that
some open spaces can continue to
remain, though many are gone.
Residential developments and
shopping malls continued to over
take the landscape this year, mak
ing more and more of the stale’s
bread basket resemble the densely
populated residential communities
closer to the New York/New
Jersey/Philadelphia megalopolis.
Upper Maryland and western
Maryland rural areas also con
tinued to succumb to a growing
population and urban outgrowth,
as transportation costs and initial
local tax rates remain much lower
than where these urbanites are
employed, thus making long
distance commuting beneficial for
those with higher-paying, inner
city jobs.
A recent news report estimated
that 10 million people have immi
grated to the United States
between 1980 and 1990.
In a news release bom the
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