Hearing to review the Chesapeake Bay TMDL, agricultural conservation practices, and their implications on national watersheds : hearing before the Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry of the Committee on Agriculture, House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, first session, March 16, 2011.

Hearing to review the implementation of phase II of the Chesapeake Bay TMDL watershed implementation plans and their impacts on rural communities : hearing before the Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry of the Committee on Agriculture, House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, first session, November 3, 2011.

The health of the Chesapeake Bay and those bodies of water contained in the Bay watershed, including the Susquehanna River that runs through my Congressional district, deserves our full attention. I want to thank our witnesses and guests for coming today to speak on a very important topic for farmers and ranchers not only in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, but also those across the country concerned with increased regulation. Farming has always been an important part of the Chesapeake Bay's landscape. Comprising almost 1/4 of the watershed, it is often noted that agriculture can play a significant role in the protection of this ecosystem. Efforts to improve Bay water quality, however, should not impede on the livelihood of our family farmers.