Green Bay Reporter

Representative Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Representative Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) have introduced the Healthy Farms Healthy Watersheds Act of 2023, a bipartisan bill aimed at supporting voluntary nutrient runoff management programs. The legislation focuses on combating harmful algal blooms (HABs) that adversely affect water quality in all 50 states.

Despite the federal government's significant investments in improving water quality and assisting farmers in adopting management practices, HABs continue to persist across the country. These blooms have detrimental effects on human health, tourism, regional economies, and property values. The Healthy Farms Healthy Watersheds Act of 2023 seeks to address this issue by targeting one of the key drivers of HABs – dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP).

The bill proposes a new strategy to maximize federal investments by concentrating resources from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) on priority watersheds where DRP reduction can have the highest impact on water quality. By doing so, the legislation aims to reduce the frequency and extent of harmful algal blooms throughout the United States.

Representative Gallagher expressed the need for a budget-neutral and innovative approach to tackling HABs: "The Healthy Farms Healthy Watershed Act would require the government to take a budget-neutral, innovative approach to the way we're treating harmful algal blooms to ensure we're targeting the root cause of the problem and not continuing to fund the status quo."

Similarly, Representative Kaptur emphasized the importance of strategic resource allocation: "The Healthy Farms Healthy Watersheds Act of 2023 encourages voluntary USDA programs to strategically apply resources to maximize watershed health with existing dollars."

The legislation has garnered support from various organizations, including The Nature Conservancy in Wisconsin and Ohio, The Environmental Law & Policy Center, and The Alliance for the Great Lakes. Elizabeth Koehler, Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy in Wisconsin, commended the bill, stating, "We applaud Congressman Mike Gallagher and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur's strong, bipartisan action to improve water quality, stop dangerous algal blooms before they start, and promote regenerative agriculture across all 50 states."

The Healthy Farms Healthy Watersheds Act of 2023 establishes a pilot program under NRCS' Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). This program will strategically focus on minimizing DRP in federally recognized "priority watersheds," where DRP reduction can have the greatest impact on water quality. Priority watersheds have been identified in the Great Lakes region and under the Chesapeake Bay Program.

Under the HFHW Action Program, NRCS will prepare and implement action plans for priority watersheds, aiming to maximize DRP reduction from 2025 to 2031. These plans will include localized implementation goals, an adaptive management plan, and a blueprint for enhancing outreach to eligible partners and producers. Importantly, the HFHW Action Program will be implemented using funding already appropriated to carry out EQIP and other existing NRCS conservation programs.

The introduction of the Healthy Farms Healthy Watersheds Act of 2023 represents a bipartisan effort to address the persistent issue of harmful algal blooms. By focusing on nutrient runoff management and targeting priority watersheds, the legislation aims to improve water quality and protect the environment and economies that rely on it.

To learn more, click on this link: https://gallagher.house.gov/media/press-releases/gallagher-kaptur-introduce-legislation-support-voluntary-nutrient-runoff