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August 4, 2006
Texas Farm Bureau President Kenneth Dierschke and members of the organization's state board of directors were among the more than 1,000 people at a public hearing recently in Waco, most of them opposed to the proposed route of the Interstate 35 Trans-Texas Corridor (TTC). Dierschke expressed concern that the proposed corridor will eventually swallow up many thousands of acres of Texas' best farmland.
Voicing concerns about the region's continued farming heritage, access to and from the different communities in the area and foreign country dealings in the crafting of the superhighway contracts, Central Texas residents packed the Waco Convention Center. This was only one of 54 such meetings being held along the proposed route of the TTC.
"The Texas Farm Bureau is on record as being opposed to the Trans-Texas Corridor," Dierschke said, a statement which drew applause from the vast majority who attended in protest of TTC.
"Our voting delegates at our annual meetings have expressed their continued opposition to its construction," he said. "Your consideration of the Farm Bureau position and the voices of landowners across Texas is appreciated."
Texas Farm Bureau policy recognizes the need for additional roadways and supports expansion of roads along existing rights-of-way. Yet, Dierschke added, "We will continue to ensure that any roadways constructed in the state protect private property rights and that they are fair and sensible to the needs of all Texans."
