Afs Lobbies For Water Quality In Farm Bill

[Tim Smith]

From the AFS message board...

Contact: Elden Hawkes

301-897-8616 ext 215

ehawkes@fisheries.org

American Fisheries Society urging Congress to include water quality concerns

in Farm Bill.

Bethesda, MD - A coalition of water, wastewater, conservation, agricultural,

environmental and state organizations, including the American Fisheries

Society distributed a letter to Capitol Hill urging all Members of Congress

to support practices and policies that strengthen the links between

agriculture and water quality. The coalition includes organizations such as,

the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, American Water Works

Association, the Association of State and Interstate Water Pollution Control

Administrators, Water Environment Federation, Chesapeake Bay Foundation,

Sierra Club, Northeast Midwest Institute, Environmental Defense Fund,

Environmental Working Group, Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, and the

National Audubon Society, among others.

The primary focus of the letter is to encourage meaningful reductions in

nutrient run-off from farmlands into the nation's lakes, rivers and

estuaries as this runoff can have dramatic adverse effects on fish and the

overall aquatic ecosystem. The 112th Congress, the Farm Bill will provide a

unique opportunity to substantially improve our nation's waters through the

promotion of practices that improve the conservation performance of our

farms and ranches. The coalition urges this Congress to work with us to

craft a Farm Bill that better connects agricultural systems and practices to

water quality improvements.

About AFS:

The American Fisheries Society, founded 1870, is the world's oldest and

largest fisheries science society, with more than 9,000 members worldwide.

Its mission is to improve the conservation and sustainability of fishery

resources and aquatic ecosystems by advancing fisheries and aquatic science

and promoting the development of fisheries professionals.

To obtain a copy of the letter visit www.fisheries.org