A26-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 5, 2002 Gov. Candidates Tackle Ag Issues (Continued from Page A 25) possible sunset within six years. Farmers across Pennsylvania have already demonstrated that agricul tural production and economic de velopment can go hand in hand with environmental protection, and this is a partnership I would like to contin ue. Question 9: If elected governor, what three things will you make a priority during the first 90 days in of fice that relate to production agricul ture and why? • Priority 1: Tax reform. The time has come for real property tax relief in Pennsylvania. This is especially important because Pennsylvania’s farmers continue to pay a dispropor tionate share of this cost, a grievous situation for the stewards of our number one industry. • Priority 2: Security. I will con tinue my support of programs that ensure the safety of not only our citi zens, but of our food and agricultural products. I will ensure that the state’s homeland security director in cludes bioterrorism and the potential impact on agriculture in the com monwealth’s security programs. These impacts will not be tolerated. It is necessary, in order to ensure the safety and security of Pennsylva nians, for the state to deal swiftly and decisively with those who might tamper with the food supply, either through the introduction of biological agents or through destruction of crops and food products. • Priority 3: Planning the future of agriculture in Pennsylvania. Es tablishing a team within my Depart ment of Agriculture and working with leaders of the farm community and the legislature to ensure the suc cessful implementation of my vision for Pennsylvania’s farmers and agri business community. Question 10: The current drought situation in our commonwealth brings the issue of water quantity to the forefront. Water quantity is a concern for many involved in produc tion agriculture. What is your posi tion on townships "taking matter in their own hands” in regards to regu lating water withdrawal? Secondly, what kind of assistance, if any, will be available for producers who are experiencing severe drought condi tions? Lancaster Poured | Walls • Agriculture ______ •Commercial • Residential l[__— Call for Prices On: • NRCS approved Manure Storage Pits • Concrete • Basements • Retaining Walls Pumping • Footers • Foundation Walls Customer Satisfaction Is Our Goal Lancaster Poured Walls, Inc. 2542 Horseshoe Rd.» Lancaster, PA 17601 (717) 656-7370 • Fax (717) 656-7350 Lawn Care of PA 311 Willow St.,Terre Hill, PA 17581 (SjKcSf) (71 7) 445 8431 Please Ask For Mervin i www.centraltooiler.com I believe that any statewide water resources act must take into account the needs of Pennsylvania’s farmers and agriculture industry and the crit ical groundwater recharge that farm land provides for all water users. State government must continue ef forts to work hand in hand with our farm community to protect these most critical natural resources and protect against the risk posed by drought. In order to be successful in a business with threats such as drought, Pennsylvania farmers must take full advantage of all the busi ness tools available to them. As part ( (Farmers are still paying a disproportion ate share of the cost of rural education be cause of the state’s reliance on property taxes to fund schools. 1 am committed to working with the General Assembly to en sure that all the citizens of Pennsylvania are represented in the development of a new and fairer system. 5 5 of the assistance provided to fanners following the 1999 statewide drought, the commonwealth pro vided hinds to encourage farmers to buy crop insurance. I recognize the success of this program the num ber of policies held by farmers has tripled, and the enrolled acreage has increased by nearly 250 percent, pro viding $l6O million of coverage statewide and will continue to sup port this program and other risk management tools. Question 11: Agriculture has not been considered a “growth industry” in Pennsylvania, nor has it been treated by state agencies equally in the distribution of preferred business development packages. If elected gov ernor, how will you enable your cab inet officials to establish agriculture as a viable industry? I believe it is time to put together a long-range plan for Pennsylvania ag riculture that will help it grow and prosper. As governor, I will convene a bipartisan Commission on Agricul ture composed of leaders from our food and agricultural industries to hold hearings, conduct research, identify opportunities and challenges and to recommend future state poli cies and actions that ensure the com monwealth does all it can to help our number one industry grow and pros per in the 21st century. We will con tinue the private/public partnership that’s been so successful for rural Pennsylvania, and will expand on the successes by elevating the Center for Local Government as a deputized of fice in the Department of Commu Mike Fisher nity and Economic Development. Ed Rendeil Question 1: Increasingly within our commonwealth today, local gov ernments and municipalities are “overriding” state regulations and taxing producers, in particular live stock facilities. How do you plan to reconcile this issue and bring back order that will allow production agri culture to grow and remain viable? As governor, I will: • Provide leadership; That repre sents a significant departure from how this issue has been dealt with by those in Harrisburg to date. Pennsyl vania’s Nutrient Nfenagement law provides for statewide preemption of local ordinances and the Right to Farm statute is supposed to protect farmers from local nuisance ordi nances. But who protects farmers when those state laws are ignored? To date, very few leaders in Harris burg have been willing to tackle this issue in a comprehensive or progres ALL SURFACE LOADERS YOUR NEXT SKID STEER MIGHT NOT BE A SKID STEER Add the full range of versatile attachments, easy operation, and rugged uni-body con struction for a one-machine work force ready to tackle most any job and most any ground condition. MANCHESTER HARDWARE & AUTO PARTS ■■■■l 4335 N. GEORGE STREET USSJ MANCHESTER, PA 17345 BB 717-266-3664 7:30-8 PM Monday-Friday 7:30-6 PM Saturday STORE HOURS sive way. That is about to change. I will direct the members of my ad ministration to work to solve, not run from, this issue and we will do it at the state level. • Educate: The general public has little appreciation of the importance of agriculture to Pennsylvania’s economy. Perhaps more disturbing is the lack of understanding about the complexities and challenges of farm ing in the modem world. 1 believe the governor can and should serve as an aggressive champion of today’s agri culture. Being Governor of Pennsyl vania is about more than riding in a carriage at the Farm Show every January. • Protecting our environment without limiting the ability to farm: I believe that Pennsylvania can have a sound and safe environment without harming the productivity and profit ability of our farms. Protect the qual ity and quantity of our water without regulations that restrict a farmer’s ability to achieve both. • Promote additional job develop ment in agricultural areas: Some 70 percent of Pennsylvania’s farm fami lies derive more than 50 percent of their income from off farm employ ment. They are hungry for job oppor tunities that actually would help them remain on their farms. To this end, I support proposals to establish development zones in agricultural areas with a new bureau in the Agri culture Department to oversee such a program. It would be similar to cur rent tax-free development zones in economically distressed areas. The moratorium on local and state taxes in agricultural areas would attract new processing and agricultural manufacturing jobs. • Train the next generation of Pennsylvania farmers: The average Pennsylvania farmer is over 50. We must attract and invest in a new generation of farmers if we are to re main a preeminent agricultural state. And there’s a world of opportunity in related agricultural fields veteri narians, agriculture teachers, re searchers, food retailers and so forth. It’s a matter of encouraging young people to take advantage of these op portunities. To that end, I will; • Expand and increase the Agri culture Loan Forgiveness Program, which helps young students offset the high costs of getting a college degree in agriculture or veterinary medicine. • Restore funding for FFA and 4-H chapters across Pennsylvania. This program provides operating and capital improvement grants to 4-H POSI-TRACK™ R-SERIES The ROSO, R*so and RO3O are an advanced breed of compact machine - the All Surface Loader. Compact size and revolutionary rubber track undercarriage allows you to outwork traditional equipment in almost any terrain or application. The R-Series All Surface Loaders are at home in tough excavating jobs as well as on sensitive terrains such as lawns and asphalt. and FFA groups to help with proj ects. • Support agriculture-in-the-class room initiatives. Perhaps more than any other industry in the state, agri culture’s future depends on the ap preciation and understanding of the nonfarm public. Teaching agricul ture in the classroom can foster that understanding. Question 2: Permitting and regula tory compliance continues to be a time-consuming and costly effort for many food chain participants. What specific ideas do you have for reduc ing the unnecessary “red tape” to en sure needed compliance but return the time effective and profitable op eration to the hands of the farmers? On a recent farm tour hosted by the Franklin County Farm Bureau, the PennAg Industries Association handed out a fact sheet that asked the question, “Who is watching over us?” The answer was 17 different federal and state agencies! Ameri cans enjoy the safest, most whole some food supply on earth. But it is smart to make sure that it does not come at an unnecessary cost to American producers. I will direct the Department of Ag riculture and the Department of En vironmental Protection, working with the DEP Agriculture Advisory Board, to conduct a review of permit ting and compliance rules and regu lations that effect agriculture. Fur ther, I support the proposed changes and improvements to the law that created the Ag Advisory Board to DEP, as outlined in House Bill 2302. Those changes will improve the ap pointments to the board and make sure that those departmental officials who need to hear the concerns of the agricultural community are the ones who actually attend board meetings. Further, local conservation dis tricts are very critical to this. We de mand much more of them than ever before. I will work with the associa tion of conservation districts, the Conservation Commission, and the agricultural community to make sure that they have the resources neces sary to effectuate quick and efficient education and compliance assistance. Question 3. Managing nutrients is a key issue for many involved in pro duction agriculture. If elected gover nor, what clear position would you take that would effect the future reg ulation of animal nutrients? I believe the animal nutrients can be safely applied to the soils of our (Turn to Page A 37)
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