State Senator Emmett Hanger has produced yet another incredibly bad idea.
Today’s entry? Forcing Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) take over our Soil and Water Conservation Districts from the Department of Water Conservation (DCR) — effectively turning our SWCDs from conservationist and agriculture-friendly institutions, and turning them into environmentalist tools to add to stormwater management regulations, Chesapeake Bay Act regulations, and any other inane anti-farmer bill that comes from Washington or Richmond.
OK, OK… so maybe that’s a bit tough on DEQ (and they truly are good people… most of the time). But still, if it ain’t broke, fellas… [1]
We’re opposing Senate Bill 1279, a bill that would re-align Soil & Water Conservation Districts from DCR to DEQ. Senator Emmett Hanger (R-24) is the sponsor of this bill.
Please contact your state senator IMMEDIATELY. This bill will be up on the Senate floor Wednesday, January 30th (TOMORROW).
Hey AFP-Virginia! Take this scalp!!
…and seriously, DEQ is good people. So is DCR. Which is why this bill just doesn’t make any sense. Why replace DCR with DEQ, which has direct regulatory power over every farm in Virginia?
Maybe someone can explain it to me in the comments section?