As part of the Spy’s ongoing commitment to cover Eastern Shore conservation issues, we have started a public affairs project on the role, politics, and community response to the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s proposed Phosphorus Management Tool (PMT) regulations to change farm management to address phosphorus loss from farm fields, a critical part of protecting the Chesapeake Bay. The current proposal includes a six-year phase-in of the PMT.
The PMT proposal has created concerns from farmers about the expense of implementing changes in their farm practices, as well as other special interest groups who have raised objections to the cost to Maryland taxpayers, with an estimate of $39 million over the PMT implementation process.
Lask week, the Queen Anne’s County Commissioners had an interesting segment of their formal meeting on December 23 devoted to the PMT proposal, including a discussion of the public letter the commissioners wrote to the state on the draft regulations and hearing from the newly elected members about their own point of view on the PMT.
This video is approximately nine minutes in length
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