The Chesapeake Bay Commission is a tri-state legislative assembly representing Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Created in 1980 to coordinate policy across state lines the Commission's 21 members include five legislators each from Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania, the cabinet member from each state who is directly responsible for managing natural resources, as well as three citizen representatives. The commission uses research, policy development and consensus building to address Bay issues: from managing living resources and conserving land, to protecting water quality.

Its latest publication, Biofuels And the Bay Getting It Right To Benefit Farms, Forests and the Chesapeake, released this month, takes a comprehensive look at biofuels and considers their affect on the region’s economy and environment. The report acknowledges that greater demand for corn for fuel will likely expand the acres devoted to the crop, thus increasing the amounts of nitrogen fertilizer that can run off into the bay. The report presents this challenge as a potential treat to Bay health but also as an opportunity to expand the use of proven conservation measures. The report draws seven conclusions based on its findings that are summarized here:

1. The Chesapeake Executive Council … should develop a sustainable bioenergy strategy that strengthens rural economies, supports state and regional environmental goals, and considers the full environmental impacts.
2. Increased corn production will add to nutrient pollution if not accompanied by conservation measures, and should be seen as an opportunity to greatly expand cover crops and other agricultural best management practices. The Chesapeake Bay watershed should lead the nation in the evolution from grain based to cellulosic ethanol.
3. Combustion and gasification using poultry litter, manure, and other feedstocks should be encouraged to provide heat and power for farming operations.
4. Provide funding to encourage private sector solutions to technical and infrastructure constraints that will help both farmers and the Bay.
5. Leaders in the Bay watershed should use the 2007 Farm Bill to encourage greater emphasis on conservation practices, perennial crops, biofuels, and energy efficiency on farms.
6. Biodiesel production should be considered a potential long-term source of additional income for farmers, and as a potential technology for sewage treatment plants.

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