Press Release: NYS, March 22, 2004

Governor George E. Pataki today announced $6.1 million for 31 projects that will assist farmers in their efforts to protect the State’s soil and water resources. This assistance is awarded through the New York State Agricultural Non-point Source Abatement and Control Program (ANSCAP), which serves as a vital component of the Governor’s Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM) program.

“New York farms are an important part of our rural landscape and are a key part of the State’s economy,” the Governor said. “Improving water quality in our lakes, streams and rivers is important for public health, the environment and for the success of the agricultural community. This funding will help New York farmers prevent pollution on their farms, which will further safeguard our environment, while also making their farms more viable.”

ANSCAP is a competitive grant program that is administered by the State Soil and Water Conservation Committee and the State Department of Agriculture and Markets. It awards cost-share funding to county Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) to address water quality challenges facing farms around the State. Funding for ANSCAP is provided through the State’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF).

Eligible ANSCAP projects include those that develop water quality assessments, build runoff buffers and waste management systems for watershed protection, and provide technical assistance to farmers.

State Agriculture Commissioner Nathan L. Rudgers said, “New York State leads the nation in addressing water quality issues on the farm. With the technical assistance provided to farmers through Governor Pataki’s Agricultural Environmental Management Program, coupled with the financial assistance provided by these agricultural non-point source grants, New York State helps our farmers comply with environmental regulations, maintain our clean water supply and remain economically viable for years to come.”

State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Erin M. Crotty said, “Governor Pataki has provided unprecedented assistance to local communities and organizations for pollution prevention and water quality improvement projects. These grants will enhance efforts to reduce non-point source pollution from agricultural operations, helping us to further protect and improve water resources throughout the State.”

New York Farm Bureau President John W. Lincoln said, “Farmers and the environment are going to be forever linked. Funding for non-point source pollution abatement projects is essential for farmers who are voluntarily improving their nutrient management or complying with the Concentrated Animal Feed Operation permits. The New York Farm Bureau applauds Governor Pataki as he continues to demonstrate his long-standing commitment to agricultural environmental management.”

Dennis Hill, Chair of the State Soil and Water Conservation Committee said, “I would like to thank Governor Pataki for his continued support for agricultural environmental management efforts in New York State. AEM has become the foundation for delivery of agricultural conservation programs in the State, and I would like to commend the Soil and Water Conservation Committee staff and our partner agencies for their vision, technical support and leadership of the AEM program. County SWCDs have a strong record of success working with farmers to protect our state’s valuable water resources and these state grant funds will enhance their efforts.”

The Agricultural Environmental Management program serves as the planning and implementation arm of this grant program. AEM addresses non-point source water pollution originating from farms through a voluntary, incentive-based program for developing and implementing management plans to comply with federal, State and local regulations relating to water quality and other environmental concerns. Currently, more than 8,000 farms participate in the AEM Program.

To date, Governor Pataki has dedicated more than $37 million to ANSCAP. In addition to ANSCAP, AEM participants are also eligible for other State, local and federal assistance to support their environmental stewardship efforts.

All eligible projects will be administered by county SWCDs and will be operated and maintained by the farm owner. A list of the 31 projects receiving funding is attached.

NEW YORK STATE AGRICULTURAL NON-POINT
SOURCE ABATEMENT & CONTROL PROGRAM
Project Descriptions

Allegany County SWCD - $337,690
Implementation of multiple best management practices on three farms located in the Rush Creek watershed. Projects to be installed include heavy use area protection, manure storage and transfer systems and barnyard runoff management systems.
Broome County SWCD - $279,775
Implementation of a prescribed grazing systems on 27 farms in a multi-watershed, multi-county project in the Eastern Susquehanna River Basin. Systems include access road improvements, alternative water supplies, conservation tillage and fencing.

Broome County SWCD - $146,031
Implementation of multiple best management practices on six farms in a multi-watershed, multi-county project. Waste storage facilities, barnyard water management systems, silage leachate treatment systems, and stream bank improvement projects will be implemented. The project will address current drinking water issues by reducing nutrient and sediment impacts on the watersheds.

Cayuga County SWCD - $648,141
Implementation of manure management systems on six large farms located in the Cayuga Lake watershed within Cayuga and Tompkins Counties. The project will reduce the potential for nutrient and pathogen runoff into Cayuga Lake, which is a drinking water source for local communities.

Chautauqua County SWCD - $261,198
Installation of bunk silo leachate management systems on eight large farms in the Cattaraugus and Chautauqua County portions of the Upper Conewango Creek watershed. This project will address oxygen depletion concerns due to pollutants from agricultural operations located in the watershed. Chenango County SWCD - $333,492 Implementation of projects on six farms located in Chenango and Cortland Counties. Included are barnyard runoff management systems, manure storage systems, petroleum product storage, and milk center waste treatment and disposal. The project will reduce nutrient and pathogen loading into the Otselic River and its tributaries.

Columbia County SWCD - $85,929
Implementation of multiple best management practices on one large farm in the Taghkanic Creek, a tributary of the Kinderhook Creek, which drains into the Hudson River Estuary. The project will reduce nutrients, sediment and pathogens from entering the Hudson River Estuary through its tributaries.

Columbia County SWCD - $15,171
Develop an evaluation procedure using survey techniques and visual observation that will document the effectiveness of the AEM program in Columbia County. The project will target 15 farms that have completed the AEM process and installed over 50 pollution control practices. It is the intention of the project to apply the lessons learned to other participating farms and possibly replicate the evaluation process elsewhere in the State.

Cortland County SWCD - $394,579
Implementation of multiple best management practices on ten farms in the Cortland, Onondaga, and Madison County portions of the Upper Tioughnioga River watershed. The practices include manure management systems, silage leachate control systems, pasture management, and barnyard runoff management systems. The project will result in a reduction of excess nutrients entering ground and surface water thereby improving aquatic habitat and protecting several private drinking water wells. Delaware County SWCD - $173,800 Development of comprehensive nutrient management plans for 40 farms in the Upper Susquehanna watershed. The goal of the project is to assist farms in developing plans to protect the water quality of the Upper Susquehanna River, headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay.

Essex County SWCD - $21,482
Evaluation of the Agricultural Environmental Management program in Essex County at the watershed, farm, and best management practices level. The project will address all the farms in the Lake Champlain watershed of Essex County. The recommendations given to the farms through this evaluation will result in preventing pollutants from entering Lake Champlain.

Genesee County SWCD - $8,866
Initiation of AEM tiered planning on 31 farms for all watersheds in Genesee County. This project will identify sources of pathogens, sediments, nutrients and pesticides, and assess opportunities for improvement.

Herkimer County SWCD - $210,165
Implementation of pollution control practices on six high priority farms in the Steele Creek watershed. Practices include barnyard runoff management systems, milk center waste treatment and disposal systems, manure management systems, and silage leachate control systems. The project will reduce nutrient loading in the watershed, thus improving the aquatic habitat and drinking water quality.

Lewis County SWCD - $24,040
Initiation of AEM tiered planning on 100 farms in five counties of the Black River watershed. Through this phase, the sources of pollutants will be identified and the information gathered will help target farms for future participation in the AEM program.

Livingston County SWCD - $37,988
Development of comprehensive nutrient management plans on nine farms identified through information collected from AEM assessments. The intention of the project is to further the AEM tiered process, which will justify future implementation projects that result in a reduction of pollutants from entering the Conesus Lake watershed.

Madison County SWCD - $88,534
Continue the AEM planning process on multiple farms in three counties within the Upper Susquehanna River watershed. A goal of this project is to identify sources of pollutants and plan for the implementation of best management practices, which will result in a reduction of nutrients and sediments from entering the watershed.

Oneida County SWCD - $490,899
Implementation of 35 pollution control practices on 14 priority farms in a multi-county, multi-watershed project. The practices include manure management systems, silage leachate collection systems, and barnyard runoff management systems. The project will reduce the amount of nutrients, sediments, and pathogens from entering the sub-watersheds of Oneida Lake.

Onondaga County SWCD - $272,956
Installation of best management practices on six high priority dairy farms within the Otisco Lake watershed. Practices will include milking center waste treatment, barnyard runoff management, and silage leachate management. This project is one phase of a comprehensive effort to protect water quality in Otisco Lake.

Onondaga County SWCD - $33,218
Evaluate the impact of AEM efforts in the Otisco Lake and Skaneateles Lake watersheds. This project will assess and document the effectiveness of AEM projects implemented in these watersheds and provide information on future watershed needs. Data will be analyzed using a geographic information system.

Ontario County SWCD - $324,644
Implementation of best management practices on eight high priority farms. Practices include barnyard water management, streambank protection and silage leachate control. This project will protect both surface and ground water supplies relied upon by county residents for drinking.

Ontario County SWCD - $366,185
Implement best management practices on twelve dairy, beef and vegetable farms and three vineyards in the Seneca Lake and Flint Creek watersheds in Ontario and Yates Counties. This project will address the diverse pollution control needs in this area where agriculture is on the rise. The goal is to protect water resources for drinking water, fishing, recreation and tourism.

Orange County SWCD - $112,560
Implementation of best management practices on multiple dairy, beef and vegetable farms in the Wallkill River watershed. Practices include barnyard water management systems, pesticide containment facilities and critical area planting. This project matches funds with the federal Environmental Quality Incentives Program to maximize pollution reduction opportunities.

Putnam County SWCD - $15,835
Evaluate AEM planning efforts on farms throughout the County. The District will determine what improvements farmers have made as a result of education and planning provided through the AEM program. They will also assess future program needs in the County.

Rensselaer County SWCD - $478,477
Installation of pollution control practices on six farms in the Tomhannock Reservoir watershed. Projects will address manure and nutrient management to reduce pollutants entering the Tomhannock Reservoir. This reservoir provides drinking water for over 100,000 people in the City of Troy and Rensselaer County.

St. Lawrence County SWCD - $32,348
Initiate AEM inventories and assessments on 107 farms in the Raquette River watershed. These assessments will identify actions farmers can take on their own to address pollution and will help the District target future funding needs.

Steuben County SWCD - $180,720
Implement prescribed grazing systems on 19 farms in the Chemung River Basin within Chemung, Schuyler and Steuben Counties. Better pasture management will protect groundwater and surface water supplies from nutrient inputs. Underground drinking water supplies serving 30,000 people will be protected through this project.

Sullivan County SWCD - $139,524
Implementation of best management practices on five farms in the Callicoon Creek watershed. This project is part of a phased effort to protect the Callicoon Creek from nitrate, phosphorus and coliform inputs from agriculture. Local monitoring efforts have already documented improvements in water quality and further improvements are expected.

Tompkins County SWCD - $256,011
Implementation of prescribed grazing systems on 55 farms in the Cayuga Lake and Owasco Lake watersheds. Reducing livestock access to streams and better managing pastureland will protect waterbodies from nutrient and sediment pollution, resulting in improved drinking water quality and aquatic habitat.

Ulster County SWCD - $73,003
Installation of best management practices on a high priority farm in the Rondout Creek watershed. A manure storage system will be constructed to enable the farm to schedule manure spreading when the risk for flooding is low, protecting the Rondout Creek from pollution.

Washington County SWCD - $139,252
Install a manure storage system on a farm directly adjacent to Lake Champlain. This system will allow the farm to time manure spreading when there is the least risk of pollution.

Yates County SWCD - $152,128
Development of comprehensive nutrient management plans for 43 small and medium-sized farms in the Seneca Lake and Flint Creek watersheds. Many of the participants are new farmers who are bringing land back into agricultural production. These plans will enable them to practice sound environmental stewardship.

TOTAL FUNDED: $6,134,641