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Maryland agriculture leaders warn funding cuts and utility-scale solar threaten farmland and conservation gains
Summary
Farm groups and conservation district leaders told the House Environment and Transportation Committee that cuts to cover-crop funding and pressure from large-scale solar leases are undermining conservation progress and long-term farmland preservation, and urged policymakers to protect prime soils and restore program funding.
Maryland agriculture and conservation leaders warned lawmakers that recent budget cuts and large-scale solar development are putting the state’s conservation progress and farmland preservation at risk.
"The cover crop program is one of the most effective water quality tools in the entire Chesapeake Bay restoration effort," Kimmy Lyons, a Maryland Farm Bureau board member, told the House Environment and Transportation Committee. Lyons said reduced reimbursements and eliminated incentives are making it harder for farmers with tight margins to sign up for cover crops, which protect soil health and reduce nutrient runoff.
The testimony described measurable…
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