[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 175 (Wednesday, December 11, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8805-S8806]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         FARMLAND PRESERVATION

  Mr. CASEY. Madam President, today I wish to honor Lancaster County, 
Pennsylvania's impressive feat of preserving 100,000 acres of farmland. 
Lancaster County became the first county in the Nation to preserve this 
many acres of farmland, a full 25 percent of all land available for 
farming in the county. My father, Governor Robert P. Casey, served as 
Governor of Pennsylvania from 1987 to 1995 and signed into law the 
State farmland preservation program. Governor Casey made preserving 
farmland a high priority to ensure that Pennsylvania's farmers could 
continue to produce agricultural products and sustain the 
Commonwealth's number one industry.
  Farmland preservation is one of Pennsylvania's noblest 
accomplishments. There are a lot of words that can describe this 
achievement. But the one word that I think is most important is the 
word sacred. This is truly a sacred act. Reflecting on this tremendous 
milestone, I am reminded of a line from the Prayer of Saint Francis, 
which reads ``For it is in giving that we receive.'' When I think about 
conservation, I am inspired by the gifts which flow so directly from 
the preservation of land. Conserved lands purify our

[[Page S8806]]

water, clean our air and maintain open spaces. Conserved lands serve as 
precious wildlife habitat, allowing species to forage and to flourish.
  We know that bees, which provide sweet honey and pollinate our crops, 
are searching for habitat in these modern times. Lancaster County's 
triumph in conservation helps afford bees, which have lived on Earth 
for more than 100 million years, a place to inhabit. Another gift 
created when farmers, foresters and ranchers conserve lands is the 
knowledge that these critical professions--these cherished ways of 
life--will continue to have a valued role in American society for many 
generations to come.
  In giving lands over to the committed purpose of conservation, people 
receive bountiful rewards. As a government official, I believe in the 
transformative and restorative qualities of conservation easements. I 
will work to ensure vital conservation programs continue to work for 
Pennsylvanians and partner organizations, such as the Lancaster 
Farmland Trust and the Lancaster County Agricultural Preserve Board.
  Furthermore, more than half of Pennsylvania and most all of Lancaster 
County lies within the Chesapeake Bay watershed--and approximately 3 
million people live in this area. The challenges of farming in this 
region are significant. Thus efficient, effective and relevant Federal 
conservation programs are critical to farmers' success. In advance of 
the Senate agriculture committee's consideration of the 2012 farm bill, 
I introduced the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Fairness Act, legislation 
aimed at helping farmers to better implement beneficial conservation 
practices and to meet water quality goals in the watershed. The 2013 
Senate bill contains portions of this legislation and features 
additional improvements that better ensure that the remodeled 
conservation programs will serve the needs of farmers in the Chesapeake 
Bay watershed.
  As we move forward with the farm bill, providing farmers in the 
watershed with the conservation tools included in the Senate bill is 
extremely important. Federal farm land conservation programs must 
remain strong. The voluntary conservation programs in the farm bill 
provide important tools to help farmers comply with Federal and State 
regulations while keeping farmers in business. Of particular importance 
to Pennsylvanians are programs like the proposed Agricultural Land 
Easements program, designed to take over the current Farmland 
Protection Program, which helps to preserve working farm lands from 
development. These conservation programs must continue to work for 
Pennsylvanians and those across the Nation who desire to perform the 
sacred act of preserving farmland so our future generations can 
continue to provide us with food, fiber and fuel for the benefit of 
all.

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