(add state here) Master Farmer Program

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(add state here)Master Farmer Program

• (add university logo here)

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Where It Began

• Silent Spring 1962
• DDT Threatens Bird Species
• Swimming Areas and Beaches Closed
• Love Canal Hazardous Waste Dumps
• Passage of Clean Water Act and Creation of the
  EPA - 1972

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Clean Water Act Goal

• Restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and
  biological integrity of U.S. waters

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2 Types of Pollutants

• Point Sources originate from a stationary
  location or fixed facility from which pollutants
  are discharged directly into a waterbody.
• Examples include
• Wastewater effluent, both municipal and
  industrial
• Runoff from confined animal feeding operations
• Runoff from active mine sites and oil fields

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2 Types of Pollutants

• Nonpoint Sources pollution sources, which do
  not have a single point of origin or are not
  introduced into a receiving stream from a
  specific outlet.
• Examples include
• Runoff from row-crop agriculture
• Runoff from pasture and range
• Runoff from forested areas
• Runoff from lawns and gardens
• Runoff from roads, highways and parking lots
• Natural sources, such as leaves, organic
  nutrients and wildlife feces

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LOUISIANA LAND USE (add your state map here)
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CWA Focus For First 25 Years

• It focused on point source or end-of-the-pipe
  sources via NPDES permits
• Largely exempted nonpoint source (NPS) runoff
  from regulation
• Nonpoint source contributors (which includes ag
  forestry) were largely managed by voluntary
  implementation of BMPs

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The Result?

• 28 years after CWA implementation
• 21,000 impaired waterbodies
• 300,000 miles of rivers and shoreline
• 5 million lake acres
• Almost 80 of Americans live within 10 miles of
  an impaired waterbody
• Excess sediments, nutrients, and harmful
  microorganisms are leading reasons

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Requirements of the CWA

• Requires states to develop lists of impaired
  waters (EPA approved)
• Requires states to identify pollution reductions
  needed to meet standards
• Requires reductions of both point and nonpoint
  source pollutants
• Requires development of TMDLs and implementation
  plans that will lead to clean water goals (EPA
  approved)

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What is a TMDL?

• Total Maximum Daily Load
• A TMDL is the maximum amount of a pollutant
  (allocated among point, non-point, and natural
  sources) that can enter a water body and still
  comply with water quality standards. It is
  required for waters not meeting state / EPA
  approved water quality standards. TMDLs must
  also be approved by EPA.

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All Point and Nonpoint Contributors Are Included

• Croplands
• Pasturelands
• Animal production operations
• Forestlands
• Other industry contributions
• Homeowners (landscapes, septic systems,
  stormwater runoff, etc.)
• Municipalities (sewerage treatment)

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Agriculture and Forestry Nonpoint Source
Pollutants

• Sediments
• Nutrients
• Pesticides
• Oil Grease
• Animal Wastes

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1998 NationalWater Quality Inventory

• Rivers and Streams
• 35 of assessed rivers polluted
• Siltation, pathogens, nutrients
• Agriculture leading source of pollution
• Lakes and Reservoirs
• 45 of assessed lakes polluted
• Nutrients, metals, siltation
• Agriculture leading source of pollution

Slide from EPA Presentation!!
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Kentucky Agriculture Water Quality Act

• Farmers with 10 or more acres used for
  agriculture or forestry REQUIRED to implement a
  water quality plan.
• Must fully implement applicable requirements
  within 5 years

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North Carolina Neuse River

• The North Carolina Environmental Management
  Commission has established the goal of reducing
  the average annual load of nitrogen delivered to
  the Neuse River Estuary from point and non-point
  sources by a minimum of 30. The Neuse Rules
  were developed to achieve this goal. THEY ARE
  NOW LAW!

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The Neuse Agricultural Rule

• The rule provides two options for reaching the
  nitrogen reduction goal. Farmers MUST choose
  between
• Option 1 Participate in a local nitrogen
  reduction strategy that would include specific
  plans for each farm that would collectively meet
  the nitrogen reduction goal
• Option 2 Implement BMPs that include riparian
  buffers, filter strips, water control structures,
  and nutrient management plans

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The Neuse Nutrient Management Rule

• Applies to all persons who apply fertilizer to 50
  or more acres of land per year, or persons who
  manage 50 or more acres of land per year
  (Agricultural, Rural and Urban)
• Option 1- Complete Nutrient Management Training
  Certification Course by Aug. 2003
• Option 2 Develop and properly implement a
  written nutrient management plan for all
  properties where nutrients are applied by Aug.
  2003

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Arkansas Considers Regulation of Commercial
Fertilizer

• Arkansas officials have proposed regulating the
  use of commercial fertilizer in Arkansas and
  Oklahoma as part of a comprehensive strategy for
  improving water quality by reducing nutrients.
• Arkansas poultry and state officials are asking
  the same question "If we ship litter out of the
  basin, how do we assure that folks don't just
  replace it with commercial fertilizer?"

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Arkansas Considers Regulation of Commercial
Fertilizer

• "In those sensitive watersheds, if a management
  plan for poultry litter is required, then the
  application of commercial fertilizer should be
  (included in nutrient-management plans)," said
  Earl Smith, the chief of the water-resources
  management division of the commission. "If what
  we are concerned with are nutrients, we need to
  look at all of the ways nutrients get into the
  streams."

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Can It Happen In (your state)?

• Calcasieu Parish Ordinance Prohibits Draining
  of Fields into road ditches (if there have been
  rules or laws passed, add here with offense for
  each)
• Misdemeanor offense up to 30 days jail or 500
  for each offense

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(Add your state with endorsements and support
logos here) Louisiana Master Farmer Program
Collaborations/Partnerships
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Master Farmer Initiative

• (highlight your programs benefits and sponsors
  here)
• Multi-agency effort sponsored by the Louisiana
  Farm Bureau Federation
• Implemented by watershed, with the AgCenters
  watershed agent coordinating the program
• Targets all agricultural producers
• Voluntary

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Louisianas Watersheds(your states watershed
map)
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Objective

• The (your state) Master Farmer Program is a
  multi-agency effort targeted at helping
  agricultural producers voluntarily address the
  environmental concerns related to production
  agriculture.

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Master Farmer Initiative
Environmental Stewardship
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Phase 1 Environmental Education

• Conducted at the parish(or county) level
• Specific topics addressed include
• The Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1972
• National (your state)water quality standards
• Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)
• Impacts of NPS Pollution on the Coastal Zone
• Best Management Practices (BMPs)
• Role of Conservation Districts in conservation
  planning and implementation
• The NRCS Planning Process
• Conservation Programs

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Phase 2 Model Farms

• (if you do not have model farms, replace this
  info with whatever your next phase would be or
  skip this phase)
• Representative farms for each watershed
• BMP demonstrations
• Water quality monitoring
• Education and outreach

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Model Farms(add your model farm map here
or delete if no model farms are selected)
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Phase 3 Conservation Plans

• Development and implementation of farm-specific
  conservation plans
• Plans will be developed by the NRCS working with
  the local Soil and Water Conservation Districts

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Time Line For Implementation(time-line for
implementing program in your state by watershed
approach)

• Schedule
• Mermentau/Vermilion-Teche (2001)
• Calcasieu/Ouachita (2002)
• Barataria/Terrebonne (2003)
• Red/Sabine (2004)
• Pontchartrain Basin (2004)
• Mississippi/Atchafalaya/
• Pearl (2005)

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Summary

• As TMDLs are being developed in (your state)
  watersheds, (your states) agricultural
  producers will face environmental challenges such
  as compliance with mandatory reductions of
  nonpoint pollutants, such as nutrients, pathogens
  (fecal coliform), organic material/dissolved
  oxygen, sediment, and metals. Voluntary
  implementation of incentive-based, economically
  achievable and effective BMPs, through the Master
  Farmer Program, represents a workable means of
  reducing agricultures contribution to the water
  quality challenges.

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THANK YOU