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National Association of State Departments of Agriculture 



1156 l5THSmi£T. N.W. • SviTt 1020 • WASH/mrow DC 20005 

 nxF.PHONF: 202/296-96HO • Fax: 202/296-9686 



OSITION STATEMENT 



Testimony of 



John F. Tarburton, Secretary 



Delaware Department of Agriculture 



on behalf of the 



National Association of State Departments of Agriojlture 



before the 



House Agriculture Subcommittee on 



Environment, Credit and Rural Development 



U.S. House of Representatives 



March 23, 1993 



re: The Impact of Wetlands and Nonpoint Source Pollution Regulations on Agriculture Land 



Good morning Mr. Chairman, members of the Subcommittee. I am John F. Tarburton, Secretary of the 

 Delaware Department of Agriculture. I appear before you today on behalf of the National Association 

 of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA). NASDA the nonprofit association of public officials 

 representing the Commissioners, Secretaries and Directors of Agriculture in the fifty states and the 

 territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. As the chief state agriculture 

 officials, NASDA's members are keenly aware of the importance of balancing agricultural production and 

 natural resource conservation on their state's and the nation's economy. 



As we look at the issue of natural resource protection and specifically water quality improvement, there 

 are three objectives we can all agree upon: 1) We want to protect and enhance our natural resources; 2) 

 We want to ensure that we have a safe, adequate, and affordable food and fiber supply; and 3) We want 

 to achieve these first two goals in a manner that services our economic needs. So the critical question 

 we are compelled to address is not what we want to achieve, but rather how we go about doing it. 

 Farmers and ranchers across this country want to solve the problems with water quality directly 

 attributable to agricultural sources. It is our responsibility as policymakers to provide them with 

 programs, education and training, and financial assistance to accomplish that objective. 



We only need to look at the volumes of information featured in every farm and ranch publication during 

 the past few years to recognize that an information explosion on the environment — and specifically on 

 water quality — is taking ^lace out in the country. These environmental articles are not about whether 

 farmers and ranchers should participate in the solution, but rather how they can incorporate conservation 

 practices on their farms that protects water and soil resources. 



nasda is a nonprofit association of public officials representing the commissioners. 

 Secretaries and Directors of Acricultvre in the fifty states and four terrttories 



Pnnrrdoft RecytUd t'aper 



