PRESS RELEASE: EPA
5/08/2006
New EPA Collaborative Partnership with Farmers in
Growing Economy, Cleaning Up the Environment
(Washington, D.C. - May 8, 2006) EPA today released
its National Strategy for Agriculture to initiate a
closer partnership with agriculture in fulfilling
the agency's mission of protecting human health and
the environment.
"President Bush understands that agriculture is a
vital part of our nation's economy and a vital
partner in protecting our nation's environment,"
said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "By
working together on our shared challenges, EPA and
the farming community can do what's good for
agriculture, good for our environment, and good for
the American people."
EPA intends to use communication, collaboration and
innovation to strengthen its relationship with the
agricultural community. The agency considers
agriculture a producer of solutions to environmental
problems.
EPA looks to positive engagement with the industry,
going beyond the traditional regulatory approaches.
The new plan builds upon farmers' natural interest
in protecting natural resources and the environment,
and it seeks to address complex issues through
locally-based, collaborative efforts.
The goals of the National Strategy for Agriculture
include:
-- Increasing EPA employee awareness of how their
actions affect agriculture and how farming benefits
human health and the environment.
-- Working with the agricultural industry –
including production, processing and distribution –
in developing and demonstrating environmental
protection solutions that express to the public the
value of farmland environmental stewardship
activities;
-- Coordinating research and technology development
and real world application so the needs of
agriculture and EPA can be more efficiently met;
and,
-- Identifying existing environmental improvement
measures for agriculture and developing new ones,
where needed.
More information on the National Strategy for
Agriculture: epa.gov/agriculture/agstrategy.html
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