Bill Text: VA SJR163 | 2020 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending the 10 River Basin Grand Winners of the Clean Water Farm Award.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2020-03-02 - Bill text as passed Senate and House (SJ163ER) [SJR163 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2020-SJR163-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Soil and Water Conservation Districts provide farmers throughout the Commonwealth with education, technical assistance, and incentive programs to encourage nutrient reduction and water quality improvement; and
WHEREAS, the General Assembly passed legislation in 1998 to establish the Clean Water Farm Award Program, which is administered by the Department of Conservation and Recreation; and
WHEREAS, the Clean Water Farm Award Program furthers the Commonwealth's water quality goals by recognizing farmers actively engaged in implementing important conservation practices that control nutrients, sediment, and other agricultural nonpoint source pollutants; and
WHEREAS, the Soil and Water Conservation Districts selected local farms across the Commonwealth for recognition in 2019 as winners of the Clean Water Farm Award; and
WHEREAS, 10 of those farms were selected and announced at the December 2019 meeting of the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts by the Department of Conservation and Recreation to represent the Commonwealth's 10 major river basins and to recognize the exemplary efforts of such farms in implementing best management practices; and
WHEREAS, those 10 winners are:
Adam A. Wilson, Wilson Farm LLC, Washington County, for the Big Sandy-Upper Tennessee River Basin;
Mark Palmer, West Wind Farm, Lunenburg County, for the Chowan River Basin;
David Rew, Rew Farms Inc., Accomack County, for the Coastal Basin;
Taylor and Lois Cole, Scott Hollow Farm, Augusta County, for the James River Basin;
Jessie R. Cox, Floyd County, for the New River Basin;
Paul House, Kyle House, and Stephanie Cornnell, Kettle Wind Farm, Prince William and Fauquier Counties, for the Potomac River Basin;
Frank Gillan, Retreat Farm Produce Company, Orange County, for the Rappahannock River Basin;
Henry and Linda Maxey and Hank and Debbie Maxey, Maxey Farms, Pittsylvania County, for the Roanoke River Basin;
Luke and Roberta Heatwole, Rockingham County, for the Shenandoah River Basin; and
B. Allen and Brenda Tignor, Jr., Caroline County, for the York River Basin; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend and congratulate the 10 River Basin Grand Winners of the Clean Water Farm Award; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare copies of this resolution for presentation to the 10 River Basin Grand Winners of the Clean Water Farm Award as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for their commitment to conserving the Commonwealth's natural resources and their outstanding conservation achievements.
