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2007 SESSION

074278276
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 789
Offered January 19, 2007
Commending Pennsylvania Senator Noah Wenger for his outstanding service to the Chesapeake Bay Commission.
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Patrons-- Cosgrove, Lewis and Lingamfelter; Senators: Hanger and Rerras
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WHEREAS, retiring after the end of his term in 2006, Pennsylvania Senator Noah Wenger is recognized for his longtime and exemplary service to the Chesapeake Bay Commission and the citizens of the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, the Chesapeake Bay Commission is a tri-state legislative commission created in 1980 to advise the members of the General Assemblies of Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania on matters concerning the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed and to provide oversight of the multi-jurisdictional Chesapeake Bay Program; and

WHEREAS, Senator Wenger has served on the Chesapeake Bay Commission for 22 years, serving as its chairman in 1996, and has been invaluable in the passing of legislation and the implementation of programs that have greatly benefited the well-being of the Chesapeake Bay; and

WHEREAS, Senator Wenger was instrumental in the establishment of Pennsylvania's nationally recognized farmland preservation program as the patron of Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program legislation, which created the largest farmland preservation program in the nation; and

WHEREAS, since the development of this program, Pennsylvania has permanently preserved more than 2,979 farms and 337,611 acres and more acreage will continue to be preserved for farming in the future; and

WHEREAS, in 2005 Senator Wenger, along with fellow senator and commission member Mike Waugh, sponsored the Farmers First Agenda, a legislative package that addresses the many economic challenges farmers face every day that often lead to the conversion of their farmland to uses other than farming; and

WHEREAS, a visionary leader, Senator Wenger has supported numerous other important measures that have proved beneficial to the Chesapeake Bay and the environment on behalf of his constituents in Pennsylvania and their neighbors in Virginia, including Pennsylvania's Nutrient Management Act, which provides a national model for farm nutrient reduction management; amendments to the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, which help facilitate regional planning and smart growth; the Land Recycling and Environmental Remediation Standards, that facilitate the redevelopment of brownfields; the Advanced Energy Portfolio Standards, which require the increased use of alternative energy sources; the creation of the Environmental Stewardship Fund, or Growing Greener, which provides funding to watershed organizations; as well as water quality education and improvement projects and funding for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education Program; and

WHEREAS, foremost a man of honor and integrity and a knowledgeable and articulate advocate for the environment, Senator Wenger has shepherded important Chesapeake Bay legislation through the political process in an objective and nonpartisan manner serving the best interests of the people; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly commend Pennsylvania Senator Noah Wenger for his longtime and exemplary service to the Chesapeake Bay Commission and the citizens of the Commonwealth; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Senator Noah Wenger as an expression of the General Assembly's gratitude for his ardent commitment to the protection and stewardship of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed and best wishes for a happy and rewarding retirement.