Farmer Cooperatives Advocate Volunteer Water Quality Program
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Farmers and their cooperatives ad
vocate a voluntary, incentive-bas
ed approach to water quality is
sues, an NCFC spokesman last
week told Chairman Sherwood
Boehlert (R-NY) and other mem
bers of the House Transportation
and Infrastructure Committee’s
Subcommittee on Water Re
sources and Environment.
Steve Hoefer, vice president of
public affairs for Agway in Syra
cuse, New York, said agricultural
organizations recommend a strate
gy to “maintain and enhance the
quality of water resources through
effective management of nonpoint
source pollution from agricultural
activities, where problems are
identified, in a manner compatible
with food and agricultural policy
objectives.”
The ag co-op leader commend
ed full Committee Chairman Bud
Shuster (R-PA) and other co
sponsors for introducint HR 961.
which shifts the focus of Clean
Water Act reauthorization debate
from a top-down, command and
control strategy to an approach
that places emphasis on empower
ing states to develop programs
that will allow farmers to become
partners in addressing water quali
ty concerns through more flexible,
cost-effective means.
He advocated a strategy that
employs an educational outreach
program, developing a single farm
plan concept, use of certified ad
visors, and incentives that encour
age voluntary adoption.
Hoefer told the subcommittee
that Agway and other coopera-
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lives are considerably hampered
in their efforts to help farmers
comply with water quality regula
tions and programs explaining,
“We have to deal with multiple
agencies and different require
ments. For example, in our
12-state region, six federal sta
tutes and programs come into
play: the Clean Water Act, the
Coastal Zone Management Act,
the Chesapeake Bay program, the
Great Lakes Initiative, the Safe
Drinking Water Act, and the Farm
Hershey
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) —Hershey Foods Corpora
tion, for the fourth consecutive
year, has granted $25,000 to the
Pennsylvania State Envirothon.
The Envirothon is a program
designed to teach students about
what is happening in the environ
ment and how their actions can
affect the environment. Students
learn about issues and problems
facing today’s environment
through a variety of competitive
events and educational activities.
“We’te proud to sponsor the
Pennsylvania State Envirothon
which does an excellent job edu
cating kids about the environ
ment,” said Andrea Bowerman,
corporate contribution manager,
Hershey Foods Corporation. “We
hope this program will help raise
environmentally conscious
people,”
The Envirothon program
begins at the local level. Five
member teams rotate through five
Bill.”
He specifically recommended
four key improvements to HR
961:
■ Consolidate federal quality
programs where possible, and
send one clear policy signal to
states and stakeholders;
• Resolve serious problems
raised by C.A.R.E. v. Southview
Farm where the court decision
could unfairly subject many of
America’s farmers to onerous re
gulations and clean water citizen
Foods ‘Sweet’ On Envirothon
testing stations that include ques
tions related to aquatics, forestry,
soils, wildlife, and a current issue
(this year’s issue is groundwater).
The team with the highest overall
score in the five subject areas
wins the local competition and
represents its county at the state
competition. State finalists
advance to the National
Envirothon.
Since the Envirothon’s incep
tion in 1979, participation has
LANCASTER (Lancaster
Co.) The 31st annual meeting
for Atlantic Breeders Cooperative
has been scheduled to start 10:30
a.m., March 22, at the Eden Resort
Inn and Conference Center, in
Lancaster.
This meeting is open to mem
bers, although advance reserva
tions must be made through the
ABC headquarters in Lancaster.
suits;
• Revise provisions that could
unintentionally encourage imple
mentation of enforcement me
chanisms and detract from the
partnership approach; and
• Maximize limited federal re
sources by engaging private sector
capabilities, such as those in co
operatives.
“We in agriculture are already
doing a great deal to move toward
the water quality finish line,”
Hoefer said. “Hit. 961 is a step in
increased dramatically. More than
15,000 students from 59 counties
are involved in the 1995 program.
The continued success of the
Envirothon reflects the participa
tion and support of county conser
vation districts, cooperating state
and federal agencies, and environ
mentally active groups, organiza
tions, and businesses.
This year’s State Envirothon
competition, which is sponsored
by Hershey Foods Corporation,
the Pennsylvania Association of
Atlantic Breeders Annual Meeting
An orientatation and develop
ment conference for all resource/
promotion committee people is to
be held the previous evening, as
the first of three scheduled events
this year for membership
representatives.
The business of the regular
meeting is to include reports on
cooperative business activities.
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Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 11, 1995-A27
the right direction toward provid
ing a voluntary, incentive-based
approach.”
The National Council of Fanner
Cooperatives represents nearly
100 major fanner marketing and
supply cooperatives, the banks of
the Farm Credit System, and 31
state councils of cooperatives. Its
members, in turn, represent nearly
4,300 local cooperatives with a
combined membership of nearly
two million individual farmers.
Conservation Districts, and the
State Conservation Commission,
is scheduled for June 23-24 at
Bald Eagle State Park near Belle
fonte in Centre County. The win
ning team will represent Pennsyl
vania at the National Envirothon,
held July 31-August 4, at Ricks
College in Rexburg, Idaho. The
National Envirothon competition
expects to have teams from 30
states participate, up from 22 in
1994.
and an official seating of member
representatives elected during ear
lier district meetings.
After dinner. Dr. Gordon Doak,
president of the National Associa
tion of Animal Breeders (NAAB)
is to speak on the interaction of the
artificial insemenation industry in
the United States with the world
dairy industry.