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NEW GROUP PUSHES FOR FARM AND FOREST TRANSPORT REFORM RELEASE: February 8, 2008
CONTACT: Neil Ward (301/838-9385) Washington, DC – On February 8, a broad coalition of agriculture and forestry transportation interests launched a campaign to reform rules for hauling unprocessed farm and forest products in the U.S. The Mission of the Agricultural Transportation Efficiency Coalition, AgTEC, is to improve the efficiency of transporting raw, unprocessed products from farms and forests to processing facilities. AgTEC currently has 29 members among state and national forestry and agricultural associations. “The disaster at Minneapolis’s I-35W bridge last summer launched a national dialogue over the condition of our nation’s transportation infrastructure,” stated Richard Lewis, President of the Forest Resources Association, a charter AgTEC member. “As we build consensus for new investment in roads and bridges, we must also consider means to use our highway system more efficiently. Engaging that issue will be AgTEC’s main focus.” As a preliminary objective, AgTEC is working with Congress to permit the federal highway system to increase Gross Vehicle Weight limits for unprocessed farm and forest commodities from 80,000 pounds to 97,000 pounds, with the addition of a sixth axle to decrease both road wear and braking distance. “Our top priorities are to safeguard the public and protect our vital infrastructure,” commented Lewis. AgTEC will also raise awareness of the need to maintain state roads in rural areas. “AgTEC will work with vehicles such as the 2009 Highway Reauthorization Bill to move Gross Vehicle Weight reform forward,” stated Fletcher Hall, consultant to AgTEC and former Executive Director of the Agriculture and Food Transporters Conference. Allowing farm and forest product haulers loaded to state-legal limits to use federal Interstates and highways to bypass roads that run through town centers improves both safety and congestion in urban areas, AgTEC points out. In addition, rationalizing the hauling of these basic commodities creates savings to the agricultural and forest products supply chains that multiply through the value-creating industries these raw materials support. AgTEC notes that foreign producers in Canada, Europe, and the developing world have done much more to rationalize road-use rules than the United States has and that, if the U.S. wants to stay competitive, reform will be necessary. For more information, visit www.ag-haul.org. The Mission of the Agricultural Transportation Efficiency Coalition is to improve the efficiency of transporting raw, unprocessed agricultural and forest products from farms and forests to processing facilities. Forest Resources Association
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