FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 2, 2013
NOTE TO MEDIA: The Pennsylvania State Council of Farm Organizations (PSCFO) issued the
following statement concerning the urgent need for adequate and responsible funding to restore PA’s
crumbling infrastructure. Not taking concerted legislative action now means that what is now critical
could become catastrophic for PA Agriculture. PSCFO also send correspondence to Members of the PA
General Assembly stressing our concerns.
Contact: PSCFO President Brian Snyder 814-349-9856 or Association Manager Vince Phillips 717-232-
9665
POLICY STATEMENT
PENNSYLVANIA STATE COUNCIL OF FARM ORGANIZATIONS
Pennsylvania’s road and bridge system has reached a critical condition. The current level of commitment of state funding is inadequate to sustain a needed level of transportation quality. Without a significant increase in state transportation funding, further deterioration of local roads and bridges will accelerate, more will become closed or severely restricted, and local farmers, businesses, and markets will incur sharp increases in local transportation costs.
THEREFORE, the Pennsylvania State Council of Farm Organizations supports action by the PA General Assembly to increase the level of transportation funding that will provide adequate and responsible improvement of the Commonwealth’s transportation system.
Adopted by the Pennsylvania State Council of Farm Organizations September 24, 2013
Letter to the General Assembly on Transportation Funding
October 1, 2013
TO: MEMBERS OF THE PA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
FR: Brian Snyder
President, PA State Council of Farm Organizations
RE: Transportation Funding
I am writing on behalf of the Pennsylvania State Council of Farm Organizations (PSCFO), an
umbrella organization comprised of over sixty agricultural and commodity associations and firms,
to ask that you consider comprehensive, adequate and responsible transportation funding as an
urgent legislative priority. A visible example of this crisis is PennDOT’s imposition of weight
restrictions on 1,000 additional bridges, many of which are in non-metropolitan areas. These
restrictions hurt Pennsylvania Agriculture directly since our industry depends on heavy trucks.
Finding alternative routes drives up energy and labor costs and imposes delays in food to market.
One example comes from a dairy farmer who now must drive his milk thirty-plus miles more to
reach his destination. Obviously, this increases his cost of doing business and he may not be able
to recoup these additional expenses. Another example comes from PA’s mushroom industry
which supplies most of the mushrooms produced in the United States. Additional delays caused
by these bridge restrictions drive up domestic prices and makes US-produced product more
expensive compared to imports. Bridge repair is only one part of the problem. Crumbling
transportation infrastructure affects Agriculture and the rest of the Commonwealth’s economy.
Although the Senate-passed version of transportation funding is different than the one reported
out by the House Transportation Committee, I ask that you keep your eye on the ball and make
sure that there are sufficient resources to repair Pennsylvania’s crumbling infrastructure. Since
Agriculture is Pennsylvania’s Number One industry, legislative hesitation impacts input
industries, the rural economy and consumers, not just those directly involved in production
agriculture.
On behalf of PSCFO, thank you for heeding our concerns and for making funding for
infrastructure your priority. Attached is a formal policy statement passed by the Pennsylvania
State Council of Agricultural Organizations.