Grainnet

Albany—New York Farm Bureau is applauding the state Department of Transportation (DOT) for dropping a proposed regulation that would have severely restricted truck traffic from New York's rural roads.

New York Farm Bureau, the state's largest general agricultural advocacy organization, vigorously protested the idea since it was first proposed in 2008.

"We're extremely grateful the DOT re-evaluated the proposal and dropped it, based on the harmful unintended consequences of the regulation to farm families and agricultural businesses which rely on trucks to deliver inputs to the farm and truck products to consumers," said Dean Norton, president of New York Farm Bureau and a dairy farmer and agricultural consultant from Batavia, N.Y.

"This proposal would have added a heavy cost burden on farmers, particularly those delivering to non-local markets, such as the greenmarkets in New York City and up and down the Eastern Seaboard," continued Norton.

The proposed regulation called for all trucks 45' or longer to first utilize major interstates before traveling on rural roads, where most farms are located, with specific route restrictions in the Finger Lakes.

The proposal would have forced thousands of farms to reroute produce and milk deliveries, making farm trucks travel countless miles out of their way, and increasing gas, toll costs, and food miles for a local product.

"While NYFB opposed the proposed regulations because of the cost and inefficiencies involved, our organization is committed to working with local communities who have been negatively impacted by large truck traffic," said Norton.

New York Farm Bureau urges the state Department of Transportation, and local law enforcement officials, to continue working with local communities to mitigate areas of the state where rural roads are impacted by high truck volumes.

For more information, call 518-692-2204.

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• NYFB

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