The Agricultural Advisory Board:

1. Supports the concept of developing a water management plan for Pennsylvania.
2. Supports water use registration to document the historical use of water.
3. Opposes water use fees for agriculture.
4. Supports the development of a water recharge "credit" program for agriculture and open space.
5. Recommends that any water management planning process should focus on water quantity. Water quality is a separate and distinct issue.
6. Supports the development of a state water management plan on a broad regional basis rather than on a township or multi-township basis. The Board questions whether townships have the expertise or resources to develop and enforce water management planning.
7. Opposes water use permits for agriculture, but we do recognize that there may be circumstances where a process will have to be developed to assure that competing agricultural uses in a region receive a fair allocation of water.
8. Supports the promotion of farm pond development to address the irrigation needs of farmers during drought conditions.
9. Supports a statewide inventory and assessment of water availability and use.