Jeff:
 
Tom Ehrhard
7407 River Rd
Fredericksburg, VA 22407
 
I and my family live on the Rappahannock River.  As a result of the furor over fish kills in the Shenandoah River, poultry litter has now started to be dumped in greater volume into the Rappahannock River basin upstream of where we live and recreate.  We also fish frequently in the Shenandoah River system, and have witnessed the dramatic effects of the fish kills up-close.  We are affected not only by the sadness we feel that the resource is being polluted, but that because of the fish kills, a LOT more fishermen are coming to the Rappahannock, which pressures this very small, fragile river.  We are life members of the Friends of the Rappahannock and also support the Shenandoah Riverkeeper financially, and am dedicated not only to cleaning up these and other rivers in the Commonwealth, but seeing that they thrive and flourish.
 
We are writing to support the pending poultry litter regulations that establish an accountability chain from the producer to the farmer to the field and will hopefully diminish the nitrogen and phosphorous pollution it causes.  Both poultry growers AND farmers should be regulated, for they will only do what is required, which clearly isn't enough to control the imbalances that current regulations have allowed.  This is a classic case of protecting the public good--we depend on our elected representatives to impose guidelines that protect all of us--we drink that water, bathe in that water, fish in that water--it's a precious resource and these new regulations take an important step toward making clean water a Virginia family value.
 
Best,
Tom Ehrhard