We will soon reintroduce legislation designed to protect Pennsylvania’s waterways through the use of cover crops in agriculture. Last session, this was introduced as Senate Bill 283 with Senators Fontana, Dillon, Cappelletti, Brewster, Costa, Kearney, Vogel, Saval, and Street cosponsoring.

In 2010, Pennsylvania pledged to clean up its local rivers and streams, including the Chesapeake Bay, by 2025. However, since entering the agreement, there has been consistent failure to meet the key interim goals. In April, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warned that it will increase enforcement actions on farms and local governments if the Commonwealth does not take stronger action to curtail water pollution.

Our legislation seeks to reduce contaminants from pollution runoff by incentivizing farmers to utilize cover crops—non-cash crops typically planted in the offseason that help restore soil health and reduce the need for chemical fertilizers. Cover crops offer a wide range of environmental benefits: they prevent wind and water erosion, decrease nutrient runoff, and increase overall climate change resilience. Farmers also benefit through healthier soil, increased cash-crop yields, and increased long-term land value.

While planting cover crops does require more planning and labor for our farmers, our proposal would ease that burden by offering a per-acre refund on crop insurance. States like Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin have already adopted similar programs with great success. According to the executive director of the Illinois Stewardship Alliance, the first year of their program kept the carbon equivalent of 5,000 cars off the road and prevented 4,000 truckloads of sediment from entering waterways.

We hope that you to join us in supporting this practical, cost-effective step toward healthier farms, cleaner water, and a strengthened Pennsylvania environment.