Collaboration, Incentives and Certainty Needed to Protect Water Resources

The following testimony on “Creating Abundant Water and Power Supplies and Job Growth by Restoring Common Sense to Federal Regulations” Estrace Vaginal Cream For Sale, was given by Jon Scholl, President of American Farmland Trust, on April 5, 2011 to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water Power, buy Estrace Vaginal Cream without a prescription. Estrace Vaginal Cream from mexico,

I begin my testimony today by acknowledging the tremendous demands and pressures facing U.S. agriculture. With a global population anticipated to reach 9 billion, australia, uk, us, usa, Buy Estrace Vaginal Cream no prescription, we will need to “produce more, with less, order Estrace Vaginal Cream online overnight delivery no prescription, Estrace Vaginal Cream mg, ” nearly doubling production with less land, less water and less inputs, Estrace Vaginal Cream blogs. Estrace Vaginal Cream coupon, I also acknowledge that there are legitimate environmental concerns associated with agricultural production. But I firmly believe that farmers and ranchers, if engaged properly, hold the key to solutions to a lot of the environmental challenges our Nation faces, Estrace Vaginal Cream For Sale. In fact, purchase Estrace Vaginal Cream, Estrace Vaginal Cream online cod, without them it is unlikely we can solve these challenges.

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So the question then becomes, where can i order Estrace Vaginal Cream without prescription, Estrace Vaginal Cream brand name, what is the most effective way to change the behavior of farmers on a landscape scale to take those next steps toward cleaner air and water. I submit that economic incentives and markets, buying Estrace Vaginal Cream online over the counter, Estrace Vaginal Cream over the counter, not widespread regulation, are the most effective ways to change behavior in the field; however, about Estrace Vaginal Cream, Estrace Vaginal Cream gel, ointment, cream, pill, spray, continuous-release, extended-release, we must recognize the fact that a regulatory framework is needed to propel progress.

An effective regulatory framework is important because it provides several things. First, Estrace Vaginal Cream steet value, Estrace Vaginal Cream without a prescription, it assures a basic level of performance that is needed to control pollution. Second, it assures fair competition and a more level playing field for those who do the right thing to protect their farms and ranches. And third, comprar en línea Estrace Vaginal Cream, comprar Estrace Vaginal Cream baratos, Estrace Vaginal Cream pictures, it provides a measure of accountability. We won’t know if we are making sufficient progress if we don’t have a yard stick by which to measure.

I suggest three points on the way to move forward:

1) Build a “culture of collaboration”

Virtually every farmer will tell you that he or she wants to leave their farm in better shape for their children than when they got it. In my years at EPA, I can attest to spending many hours working through concerns the agency had with agriculture, Estrace Vaginal Cream For Sale. It was evident to me that these “regulators” cared about the environment and wanted to assure that appropriate actions were taken to achieve important objectives. We shared common objectives, Estrace Vaginal Cream price, Order Estrace Vaginal Cream no prescription, but our approach to solving problems and the language we used to communicate were very different.

A recent example helps illustrate what I mean, is Estrace Vaginal Cream safe. No prescription Estrace Vaginal Cream online, Eighteen months ago EPA Region III staff began a series of farm inspections in Chesapeake Bay states to assess compliance with state and federal regulations. When EPA inspectors arrived in the Watson Run watershed in Lancaster County, PA, Estrace Vaginal Cream samples, Discount Estrace Vaginal Cream, not many doorbells were answered. After an inauspicious start, real brand Estrace Vaginal Cream online, Order Estrace Vaginal Cream from United States pharmacy, the head of the county conservation district suggested that district staff could help by arranging visits and accompanying the inspection team. Estrace Vaginal Cream For Sale, With the assistance of trusted local partners, all 24 farms were visited in relatively short order.

What did they find. Things weren’t perfect. Many of the farms did not have conservation and manure management plans required by state law. But EPA staff also discovered significantly more conservation practices on the ground than what they had expected to find. What started as a predictably contentious regulatory process turned into a collaborative effort focused on what needed to be done -- demonstrating to both sides the effectiveness of balancing regulation with trusted technical assistance.

2) Combine incentives and regulations; both carrots and sticks, Estrace Vaginal Cream For Sale.

We should rely on incentives and markets to drive the change in behavior, not the regulation of each producer. Simply applying traditional point source regulation to all farmers, to all non-point sources for that matter, won’t work. Even taking CAFO rules and applying them to all animal operations, won’t be the most effective approach. It will not get us where we want to and need to get -- “clean water and viable farms.”

3) Provide regulatory certainty

A common complaint I’ve heard from producers has been they are never certain if they take prescribed actions, that will satisfy the regulators. Our environmental policy must provide some sort of “safe harbor” or regulatory relief. Estrace Vaginal Cream For Sale, If he or she has a plan and is on track in making changes in conservation practices, they should not be faced with onerous regulatory burdens that can make it difficult for them to stay in business. EPA needs reasonable assurance; farmers need safe harbor.

Farming is unique. It’s one of the few businesses where two, three, or even five generations of family members continue to own and operate the family business. As farmers, we have to take a long term view if our farms are to thrive for our children, and their children. We need an approach that builds the trust, cooperation and innovation needed to make agriculture a part of the solution our Nation’s efforts to clean our air and water.

About the Author: Jon Scholl is President of American Farmland Trust. Prior to AFT, he served as Counselor to the Administrator for Agriculture Policy at the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Jon and his family operate a corn and soybean farm in McLean County, Illinois.
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