Water

LSU Ag Center Research & Extension. 2011. Pub 2806 Poultry Env. BMPs

Poultry production is Louisiana’s largest animal industry and its $1.5 billion contribution to the state’s economy makes it the second-largest segment of Louisiana’s agricultural industries. Commercial broilers are produced by 350 growers in 11 parishes including Bienville, Claiborne, Jackson, Lincoln, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Sabine, Union, Vernon, Webster and Winn. There also are 580 commercial and small table egg producers in Louisiana housing more than 1 million egg-laying hens and producing more than 21 million dozen eggs. On-farm receipts from broiler production, breeder flocks and table egg production bring in nearly $812 million. Poultry processing and other value-added enterprises doubled this amount to nearly $1.9 billion. Poultry production represented the largest part of the $2.6 billion in economic contributions by animal agricultural industries in Louisiana for 2010. It ranks second only to forestry in its overall economic contribution to the state. Poultry production, by its nature, requires specific practices to conserve and protect soil and water resources. Best management practices (BMPs) have been determined to be an effective and practical means of reducing point and nonpoint-source water pollutants at levels compatible with environmental quality goals. The primary purpose for implementation of BMPs is to conserve and protect soil, water and air resources. BMPs for poultry farms are a specific set of practices used by farmers to reduce the amount of soil, nutrients, pesticides and microbial contaminants entering surface water and groundwater while maintaining or improving the productivity of agricultural land. This BMPs manual is a guide for the selection, implementation and management of those practices that will help poultry farmers conserve soil and protect water and air resources.

LSU AgCenter - W. A. Callegari Environmental Center (Composting)

Mercury information for St. John/St. James parishes (Noranda Alumina)

Mercury Risk Reduction Rule

Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative (MBHI)

Through the Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative (MBHI), NRCS will work with farmers, ranchers and other landowners to manage portions of their land to enhance habitat for migrating birds. MBHI projects will benefit wildlife, landowners, and the environment for years to come. Projects provide food and critical habitat for bird populations; much-needed water during drought; support for local economies by attracting hunters and bird watchers; and new opportunities to improve wildlife management. The MBHI took flight during the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill. This partnership effort is one of the most popular initiatives in NRCS history. Conservation-minded landowners who love wildlife offered more than 1 million acres for MBHI. More than 470,000 acres are now enrolled -- that's 3 times greater than anticipated! In fact, funding for the initiative had to be increased to $40 million to meet the demand. Participating states are: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas. Eligible areas for FY 2012 MBHI include portions of 22 parishes across southern Louisiana. Funding will be provided through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and will be used for protecting, restoring, and enhancing migratory bird habitat.

Minnesota Ag Water Quality Certification Program (Certainty MOU with the Ag community)

Statewide, voluntary certification program designed to accelerate on-farm adoption of best-management practices (BMPs). The Certification program will be administered by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Other participating agencies include: State: Pollution Control Agency, Board of Water and Soil Resources, and Department of Natural Resources. Federal: U.S. Department of Agriculture –Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Farms are evaluated by third-party certifiers. Using a suite of BMP’s farmers develop a conservation plan. Farmers who attain and maintain the criteria for the program are certified as meeting State Water Quality Standards. Certification applicants are prioritized for federal and state technical assistance and implementation funding. Technical Advisory Committee to develop and implement, in consultation with stakeholders, a certification program that will support state and federal water quality standards and goals. Producers are concerned with uncertainty --the potential for changing requirements from multiple state and federal agencies. Certainty will be provided to producers that their attainment and maintenance of certification will meet water quality goals and standards of the State and where applicable maintain consistency with federal water quality goals. At this point, a 10 year timeframe of certainty appears achievable.

Minnesota’s Nutrient Reduction Plans

A number of Minnesota agencies are working to reduce nutrient levels in lakes and streams, ensuring healthier waters for current residents, people downstream, and future generations. Nine agencies (Metropolitan Council Environmental Services, Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture, Minnesota Dept. of Employment and Economic Development, Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, University of Minnesota Extension, Minnesota Dept. of Health) have pooled their resources to strengthen and coordinate their existing efforts. Together, these agencies will seek input from stakeholders, identify successful efforts, and develop a statewide strategy to reduce nutrients in Minnesota waters. Each month, these agencies highlight a project that shows how Minnesotans are working to reduce nutrients in their waters. Example Project: Conservation drainage benefits farmers, water quality. Through the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR), a pilot project in Kandiyohi County is demonstrating how conservation drainage can help farming and help water quality. Traditional systems drain farm fields in the spring and fall to facilitate planting and harvest. However, this subsurface drainage can also take away water during the growing season when crops need the moisture. Subsurface drainage can also impact water quality by carrying nitrate and soluble phosphorus into water bodies. This pilot project will provide producers in the Middle Fork Crow River watershed and around the region with an opportunity to learn about the benefits of drainage water management by seeing the system in action. Conservation drainage allows farmers to manage drainage, letting water go during wet periods and holding it back during dry periods. They can also coordinate drainage with fertilizer applications to minimize the impact to water quality. Funding sources included a Clean Water Fund Competitive Grant from the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment). For more information, visit the BWSR website (http://www.bwsr.state.mn.us/projects/index.html).

Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watershed Initiative (MRBI)

Through the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI) the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and our partners work with producers and landowners to implement voluntary conservation practices that improve water quality, restore wetlands, enhance wildlife habitat and sustain agricultural profitability in the Mississippi River Basin. Known as “America’s River,” the Mississippi River is North America’s largest river, flowing over 2,300 miles through America’s heartland to the Gulf of Mexico. It is the centerpiece of the 2nd largest watershed in the world. The watershed not only provides drinking water, food, industry, and recreation for millions of people, it also hosts a globally significant migratory flyway and home for over 325 bird species. NRCS has identified the Mississippi River Basin as a top priority due to water quality concerns, primarily related to the effects of nutrient loading on the health of local water bodies and, eventually, the Gulf of Mexico. The 13-state Initiative builds on the cooperative work of NRCS and its conservation partners in the basin, and offers agricultural producers in priority watersheds the opportunity for voluntary technical and financial assistance. The participating States are Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wisconsin. The Initiative will build on the past efforts of producers, NRCS, partners, and other State and Federal agencies in the 13-State Initiative area by addressing nutrient loading in priority small watersheds within the Mississippi River Basin.

Mississippi River Gulf of Mexico Nutrient Reduction Task Force (Hypoxia Task Force)

The Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient (Hypoxia) Task Force consists of 5 federal agencies, 12 states and the tribes within the Mississippi/ Atchafalaya River Basin (MARB). The Task Force was established in 1997 to reduce and control hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. Since then, the Task Force has undertaken a variety of efforts to achieve these goals. The 2008 Action Plan and 2009 Annual Operating Plan were released on June 16, 2008 as a national strategy and a roadmap to reduce hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico and improve water quality in the MARB. Member agencies of the Task Force have made progress toward reducing nutrients in the MARB and will continue to do so, implementing actions in the 2008 Action Plan and the Annual Operating Plans. Annual Reports are designed to track interim progress on the actions taken to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus in the Mississippi/Atchafalaya Basin (MARB). These reports document federal and state program nutrient reduction activities and the results of these activities. This consistent documentation should help the Task Force to evaluate the effectiveness of programs and management efforts and their combined effects on reducing the hypoxic zone and the in-basin effects of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution. The first Annual Report was released in 2009. The Annual Operating Plans are a compilation of actions that state and federal members of the Task Force have planned to undertake during the listed years to implement the Action Plan. Each item in the Operating Plans specifically implements one of the eleven action items set forth in the Action Plan. The Operating Plan includes, if known, funding levels and specific milestones for the current fiscal year. The items listed in the Operating Plans highlight the cumulative efforts of the individual Task Force agencies in implementing the Action Plan.

Mississippi River Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force (Hypoxia Task Force)