National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, a few weeks ago, I participated in a forum hosted by a Foundation created in the 1980s by Congress: the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, or NFWF. The forum was on the connection between agriculture and the Chesapeake Bay.

The health of the bay is important in Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District, which I represent, since the streams and rivers in a large portion of the district drain into it. This is also a region which depends on agriculture, the Commonwealth's largest industry.

Among the topics of discussion at the forum were the Chesapeake Stewardship grants, which are funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and administered by the NFWF. This funding goes toward the restoration of streams which flow into the bay and to those that cut down on nutrient and sediment pollution.

This fall, I joined the NFWF in touring several sites across Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District, which were all funded by these grant programs. These sites show the direct connection between agriculture and the health of the Chesapeake Bay, with all of them located on farmland. The projects range from those which keep animal waste out of waterways to flood control and stream bank restoration, all of which improve the overall health of local streams, local watersheds, and, ultimately, the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

As chairman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry, as well as a member of the House National Resource Committee, the health of our watersheds is critically important. Healthy watersheds are needed for the sustainability of both agriculture and the land.

As I explained during the forum, the commitment to agriculture and healthy watersheds continues through passage last year of a 5-year farm bill and the various conservation programs contained within title II of that bill.

The tour of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation watershed projects, along with this recent forum, gave me the opportunity to hear firsthand from farmers, agricultural leaders, and those involved in the restoration of streams and rivers on what can be done here in Washington to help improve the quality of water in our local rivers, streams, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, and the bay itself. I look forward to working with the agriculture community and many conservationists as we prepare for the next reauthorization of the farm bill.

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