Mark R. Warner

WASHINGTON – Chesapeake Bay Watershed Senators Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD), Tom Carper (D-DE), Chris Coons (D-DE), Bob Casey (D-PA), Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), wrote to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Dave White urging them to support Chesapeake Bay watershed farmers during the interim period since the lapse of the Farm Bill authorization. Because the House of Representatives allowed the Farm Bill authorization to expire without even passing a short-term extension, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative’s (CBWI) authorization also expired preventing the NRCS from entering into new CBWI contracts. In August, the Chesapeake Bay watershed senators wrote to the House Leadership urging them to pass the Senate version of the Farm Bill, including new funding to support the health of the Bay.

“The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative has provided farmers in our states with essential resources they need to meet the conservation challenges of farming in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Our farmers have come to rely on this important program, so much so, the sudden expiration of the CBWI may not only come as a surprise, but also may dramatically impact many of our farmers’ bottom line,” the Senators wrote in their letter to Secretary Vilsack and Chief White. “We ask that field staff be prepared to help the Chesapeake Bay region’s agricultural communities navigate the consequences of this expiration.”

In June, the U.S. Senate overcame its partisan differences to pass a new Farm Bill. The Agricultural Reform, Food and Jobs Act provides more effective agricultural support programs for family farmers while reducing the budget deficit by more than $23 billion over the next five years. It preserved funding for conservation efforts of farmers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed by consolidating the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative Program with a few other similar programs into a new Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The structure of the RCPP emphasizes cooperation between producers and regional stakeholders to work together to improve the effectiveness of agricultural conservation activities by leveraging non-government funds in support of conservation projects.

Identified as a National Treasure by President Obama and his predecessors, the Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in North America, with a length of 200 miles and 11,684 miles of tidal shoreline, more than the entire U.S. West Coast. About 100,000 streams and rivers thread through the Chesapeake’s 64,000-square-mile watershed, which is home to almost 17 million people across Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. Twenty-five percent of lands within the watershed are used for agricultural purposes. The economic value of the Bay is estimated to be more than $1 trillion, but that value is dependent on the health of the Bay’s waters and fisheries.

Washington, DC – Concerned about steep increases in commodity prices, Senators Jim Webb (D-VA) and Mark R. Warner (D-VA) joined a bipartisan letter this week to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in support of a temporary waiver of the federal ethanol mandate. This waiver is intended to help Virginia’s agricultural community and consumers who have been hit hard by a dramatic rise in feed costs as a result of increased usage of corn-based ethanol.

The EPA has waiver authority to adjust the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), which requires that transportation fuel sold in the United States contains a minimum volume of renewable fuel, in the event of inadequate supplies or to prevent economic harm.

“While we believe the RFS will stimulate advanced biofuels to commercialization, adjusting the corn grain-ethanol mandate of the RFS can offer some relief from tight corn supplies and high prices,” the senators wrote. “As stressful weather conditions continue to push corn yields lower and prices upward, the economic ramifications for consumers, livestock and poultry producers, food manufacturers, and foodservice providers will become more severe.”

In addition to the EPA letter, Senator Webb has worked to reduce rising energy prices for Virginia farmers and consumers. These initiatives include efforts to curb oil speculation that has artificially driven up the cost of gas and to lower the tariff on imported ethanol to help meet the ethanol-fuel mandate. Senators Webb and Warner have also consistently called for exploration of additional natural energy resources off the coast of Virginia.

U.S. Sens. Jim Webb and Mark R. Warner, both Democrats, are co-sponsoring legislation that would open energy production off the coast of Virginia.

The Offshore Petroleum Expansion Now Act of 2012, or OPEN Act, would replace the current five-year leasing plan, which excludes Virginia, and provide revenue sharing to all participating coastal states.

“Energy exploration and subsequent production within the Virginia Outer Continental Shelf — if coupled with environmental protections and an equitable formula for sharing revenues between the state and federal governments — would boost domestic energy supplies, while benefiting the Commonwealth’s economy,” Webb said.

“I believe that Virginians should benefit from any energy resources that are developed off of our coast, and this legislation requires the federal government to make reasonable royalty payments to the commonwealth,” added Warner.

Both senators and a wide array of elected leaders from both sides of the aisle, including Gov. Bob McDonnell and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-7th, have repeatedly urged the Obama administration to add Virginia to the list of states allowed to explore offshore energy production.

Last year, Webb and Warner sponsored a similar bill that gained no traction in congress.

The OPEN Act would provide a revenue share of 37.5 percent to any state with energy production off its coast, with the money going toward roads and infrastructure projects.

The House on Wednesday passed a different bill by a vote of 253-170 that would replace Obama’s offshore drilling plan and include Virginia.

Hailing the passage, Cantor remarked: “While President Obama has said no to thousands of new Virginia jobs, even threatening to veto this bill, a bipartisan majority of the House has said yes to opening our coasts to safe oil and natural gas production that will help bring down energy costs, increase energy production here at home and drive job creation in Virginia.”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Jim Webb (D-VA) and Mark R. Warner (D-VA) today voted in support of the bipartisan Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act, which will benefit Virginia farmers while continuing to provide a strong foundation for restoring the health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.  The 2012 Farm Bill, which saves taxpayers more than $23 billion, was approved with broad bipartisan support on a 64-35 vote today.

The bill consolidates the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative Program with similar conservation programs into a new Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), which emphasizes cooperation between producers and regional stakeholders to leverage non-government funds to improve the effectiveness of agricultural conservation activities.  As a result of the efforts of the Bay state senators, conservation funds in the RCPP for regions with the greatest conservation needs saw a significant increase.  Sens. Webb and Warner worked with Sens. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tom Carper (D-DE), Chris Coons (D-DE) and Bob Casey (D-PA), to ensure the new RCPP maintains the Bay program as a priority under this new system, maintaining efforts already underway through the existing Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative. 

“The Chesapeake Bay is an invaluable resource to both the people and economy of Virginia,” said Sen. Webb, who has been a consistent supporter of Chesapeake Bay restoration initiatives. “This fiscally responsible legislation will provide benefits now and into the future for Virginia’s farmers, foresters, and all those who depend on the Bay’s resources.”

“I am pleased we were able to come together as Bay state senators to fight for the Chesapeake Bay, supporting our farmers and the livelihoods of those who depend upon the Bay,” Sen. Warner said.  “With this new Regional Conservation Partnership Program, we both sustain Bay-related jobs and continue providing Virginia’s farmers with the tools they need to help conserve this important watershed.”

During floor debate, Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), highlighted the focus on regional partnerships. “That certainly is important to me for the Great Lakes but it is also critical for the Chesapeake Bay,” said Sen. Stabenow, and she thanked the Bay region senators “who have been deeply involved in making sure we get this right.”

“Senators Warner and Webb, together with a handful of colleagues from nearby states, did an extraordinary job of restoring technical assistance and cost-share funding for Virginia’s farmers that the Agriculture Committee tried to cut out,” said Doug Siglin of The Chesapeake Bay Foundation. “Those funds will help more farmers manage polluted farm runoff, which in turn will help Virginia to restore healthy rivers and streams and the Chesapeake Bay. “

“The Farm Bill matters not only to agricultural interests, but to all Virginians, and I applaud the Senate’s vote today.  I want to thank Senators Webb and Warner specifically not only for supporting final passage of the bill but also for consistently standing up for conservation throughout several days of amendments,” said Michael Lipford, The Nature Conservancy's Virginia Director. “The Farm Bill’s investment in land conservation and environmental stewardship are important for our economy and our way of life, from the Eastern Shore, to the Shenandoah Valley, to Southwest Virginia.” 

Identified as a National Treasure by President Obama and his predecessors, the Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in North America, with a length of 200 miles and 11,684 miles of tidal shoreline, more than the entire U.S. West Coast. About 100,000 streams and rivers thread through the Chesapeake’s 64,000-square-mile watershed, which is home to almost 17 million people across Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. Twenty-five percent of lands within the watershed are used for agricultural purposes.

To view a copy of the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012, please visit the Senate Agriculture Committee website.  A section-by-section summary of the bill also is available at the site.

# # #

Around the world, more than two-billion people are at serious health risks every day due to the lack of clean drinking water, and many of those people live in India. Senator Warner was on-hand today as the 16,000 inhabitants of the poor Indian village of Kompally got access to reliable, safe drinking water for the first time.

Sens. Warner, Bennet (CO) and Udall (NM) attended the dedication today of the 500^th site started by WaterHealth India in just the past five years.  WaterHealth India is a public/private enterprise that works with the World Health Organization to provide safe drinking water to communities that don’t have it now.

“This is a very cool effort to end sickness due to unclean water, which unfortunately is a way of life in many poor communities around the world,” Senator Warner said. “This is an interesting business model that uses a public-private partnership to dramatically reduce waterborne illness and disease that often runs rampant in these poor villages.”

WaterHealth India uses off-the-shelf technology that allows for the construction of a water filtration and purification facility in just 21 days. Communities typically foot 40% of the bill, and WaterHealth funds the rest. Once it’s up and running, the purification centers can provide clean drinking water for about 0.30 Rupees per liter, or about 7 cents per 5 gallon jug.

Also in Hyderabad, the senators addressed 700+ corporate executives attending the annual Confederation for Indian Industry Partnership Summit. Senator Warner's remarks focused on the maturing US-India relationship, including ways to encourage investment that flows both ways and is conducted on a level playing field.   Senator Warner also encouraged the CII CEO's in the audience to invest in America, particularly the rural areas.

Earlier, the senators met with students at the University of Hyderabad, which has become a hub of India’s pharmaceutical industry. India’s pharmaceutical industry constitutes of about 8 per cent of the world’s pharmaceutical production. Over the last couple of years, Indian pharma companies have been increasingly targeted by multinationals for both collaborative agreements and acquisition.

Three weeks after the President approved a National Park Service role at Virginia's historic Fort Monroe in Hampton, Senator Warner traveled to the Peninsula to meet with newly appointed Fort Monroe National Monument Superintendent Kirsten Talken-Spaulding and Hampton Mayor Molly Ward.

Mayor Ward presented Senator Warner with an official proclamation of thanks from the City of Hampton for his bipartisan leadership in the effort to gain the Park Service designation, and the Senator surprised Mayor Ward by presenting her with the remarkably unattractive (and borrowed) green necktie he wore when supporting Fort Monroe during a recent hearing of a Senate subcommittee considering Fort Monroe for inclusion in the historic sites managed by the National Park Service. "I will always wear terrible green ties for Hampton," the Senator joked.

From left, Superintendent Kirsten Talken-Spaulding, Senator Warner, Hampton Mayor Molly Ward, and Glenn Oder, Executive Director of the Fort Monroe Authority.

While touring Fort Monroe today, Senator Warner was briefed on a new effort to establish a residential high school at the facility to train Virginia's most promising high school students in the high-demand career fields of science, technology, engineering and applied mathematics. The idea is in its earliest stages, but Senator Warner was supportive of the regional effort to establish a so-called "STEAM Academy" at the site.  

Next, the Senator spoke at the Virginia Beach Central Business District Women’s Review Luncheon. He discussed next Wednesday’s looming deadline for the congressional “supercommittee” to reach agreement on a deficit and debt plan, and warned of potentially dire consequences for Virginia and the Hampton Roads region if the supercommittee fails and automatic, across-the-board budget cuts take effect.

At mid-afternoon, Senator Warner spoke at an employee town hall hosted by GEICO at its Virginia Beach facility. The Senator said Congress needs to settle the deficit and debt debate so we can start work on creating more U.S> jobs and greater investment through an aggressive innovation and competitiveness strategy. "This is not defeating communism or putting a man on the moon," Senator Warner said. "We're talking about saving $4 trillion over 10 years. We need to do this."

Senator Warner and Northern Virginia Congressman Jim Moran celebrated the expansion of the Virginia-based energy efficiency company Opower.

Opower – the brainchild of two college buddies -- works with energy companies and social networks to help customers increase energy productivity and reduce energy bills. Today Opower cut the ribbon on a new floor of their Arlington headquarters, it’s third expansion in three years.

The company has helped more than 10 million households in 24 states save a combined $55 million. It allows customers to compare their energy use with their neighbors, and Opower provides customized conservation tips for customers through a variety of social media platforms.

Dan Yates, Opower’s CEO and Founder, introduced Senator Warner, who he said was the “perfect” person to celebrate the expansion because of the Senator’s own background in technology and business.

Senator Warner opened by telling Opower employees how he had founded the company that eventually became Nextel, and had much of his success in the wireless industry in the 1980’s. “How many of you all were even alive in 1986?” Senator Warner asked. “That few? That’s scary. Well, I was cool when all of you were being born... Not so much now."

Senator Warner talked about all the available opportunities in the energy sector, and how Opower was a perfect example of how to harness the power of social media and the internet to reduce energy consumption.

“I’m proud to celebrate your expansion in Arlington,” Senator Warner said, and added, “I can’t wait to cut the ribbon when you take over the rest of this building.”

United States Senate
Washington, DC
For Immediate Release:

WASHINGTON, D.C.-- The U.S. Senate last night unanimously approved a resolution offered by Senators Jim Webb (D-VA) and Mark Warner (D-VA) commemorating the 75th anniversary of Shenandoah National Park.  The resolution, S.260, honors the cultural and ecological importance of Shenandoah, dedicated on July 3, 1936 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and affirms the support of Congress for Virginia’s national park.

“Shenandoah National Park is one of the Commonwealth’s most significant tourist attractions, providing economic benefits to communities across the Valley,” said Senator Webb. “As a longtime supporter of natural and cultural landmarks, I will continue to work to preserve the Park for future generations to enjoy.”

“The Shenandoah National Park provides outstanding recreation and tourism opportunities, and it has served as a real economic driver for the Blue Ridge region,” Senator Warner said. “Virginia is fortunate to have a world-class destination like the Shenandoah National Park, and I hope this Resolution helps increase interest in maintaining and enhancing this resource.”   

In the 1920s, the congressionally appointed Southern Appalachian National Park Committee recommended that Congress authorize the establishment of a national park in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia for the purposes of uniting the western national park experience to the populated eastern seaboard.  Today, Shenandoah National Park attracts nearly 2 million visitors a year and is home to numerous historical landmarks, including ten Civil War battlefields.

Full text of the resolution is below: 

Photo credit: NASA

Senators Warner and Webb have introduced legislation that would bring increased accountability measures and a more collaborative management approach to Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts. The Chesapeake Bay Accountability and Recovery Act of 2011 requires the Office of Management and Budget to prepare a crosscut budget to better track the progress of Bay restoration efforts, comparing costs and the performance of restoration activities by the various federal agencies involved in the Bay preservation effort. A copy of the legislation is attached to the bottom of this post. 

The multi-state, multi-year initiative to restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay involves at least 10 federal agencies, Virginia and five other states, the District of Columbia, and more than 1,000 local governments. 

“The Chesapeake Bay is a national treasure that is central to the culture and the economy of many coastal communities in Virginia and neighboring states. In order to be successful in our efforts to improve the health of the Bay, the different agencies and groups who share concerns about the Bay must do a better job of coordinating their efforts,”  Senator Warner said. “By applying new performance-based measures, this legislation will help us ensure that the federal dollars being spent on Bay restoration activities produce real results. We must continue to focus on ways to make government work smarter and use the best tools and technology to analyze outcomes.” 

Companion legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Rob Wittman (R-VA).  The Chesapeake Bay Accountability and Recovery Act of 2009 passed the House in the fall of 2009.

When Senator Warner was elected Governor of Virginia, the state lagged behind its neighbors in the regional effort to protect the Chesapeake Bay. During Governor Warner's 2002-06 term, Virginia increased spending on natural resources by 34% and took a leadership role in protecting the Bay, including adoption of the most comprehensive nutrient reduction standards in the nation.

And he didn't simply impose new regulations without providing the funding to help make compliance a reality. Governor Warner’s final budget included $243 million for clean drinking water programs, and the Warner Administration funded the largest single investment in water quality in state history.

Sen. Warner, who has long advocated an “all-of-the-above,” portfolio approach to alternative energy, applauded today’s big announcement on major offshore wind initiatives.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Energy Secretary Steven Chu made the announcement in Norfolk today, including new funding opportunities for up to $50.5 million for projects that support offshore wind energy deployment.

As part of the “Smart from the Start” approach, the federal government will accelerate the preliminary review of potential offshore wind sites along Virginia’s coast.

“We’ve got jobs that need to be done and people who want to do them,” Senator Warner said. “This region could help play a key role in America’s efforts to catch-up with the rest of the world in harnessing clean, safe 21^st century fuels that will never run out, such as the wind and the sun.”