Press Release: NYS, February 28, 2000

Governor George E. Pataki today announced more than $4.5 million in assistance to 43 projects throughout the State. The assistance is awarded through the New York State Agricultural Nonpoint Source Abatement and Control Program to protect lakes, rivers and streams from agricultural runoff.

"These investments will help farmers in our agricultural community protect our state's precious waterways from barnyard runoff and other potentially harmful impacts from farming," Governor Pataki said. "We must continue to do everything possible to make sure our waterways provide safe, clean water for all New Yorkers today and for the future."

The New York State Agricultural Nonpoint Source Abatement and Control Program is a competitive grant program with funds applied for, and awarded to, county Soil and Water Conservation Districts around the state. The program provides cost-share funding to correct and prevent water pollution from farms, primarily from manure. Projects selected for funding must clearly address a water quality need or opportunity, propose a cost-effective solution to the problem, and have significant local and landowner financial support. Projects are reviewed by the New York State Soil and Water Conservation Committee.

Most projects selected for funding are located within a watershed or sub-watershed of a "priority waterbody" as defined by the Department of Environmental Conservation. The funding source is the State's Environmental Protection Fund (EPF).

Funds are also provided for Agricultural Environmental Management planning, identifying farms and watersheds where improvements are needed. Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM) is an innovative five-tier approach for planning and implementation of agricultural best management practices on farms.

State Agriculture Commissioner Nathan L. Rudgers said, "Our AEM program is a successful model for agricultural non-point source pollution control in part because it is voluntary and incentive-based. Our growers like the non-regulatory nature of the program, and of course the cost-share funding from the EPF provides a powerful incentive to participate as well."

The following projects will receive funding:

Broome -- $158,590
Funding to implement intensive rotational grazing on 24 farms within the Nanticoke Creek Watershed and the Eastern Basin of the Susquehanna River. This work will be done in the towns of Windsor, Colesville, Kirkwood, Conklin, Afton, Coventry, Lisle, Nanticoke, Maine, Berkshire and Newark Valley.

Broome -- $404,683
Funding to develop nutrient management plans for 91 farms in the eastern Susquehanna River basin, which is the headwater to Chesapeake Bay. Other counties sharing this grant are Schuyler, Tompkins, Tioga, Chenango, Otsego, Cortland and Madison.

Cayuga -- $13,244
Funding to develop nutrient management plans for multiple farms within the Cayuga Lake and Owasco Lake Watersheds within the towns of Genoa, Scipio and Owasco.

Clinton -- $173, 567
Funding will enable a poultry operator in the Lake Champlain watershed to build a composting storage and finishing facility for chicken manure, allowing for a environmentally enhanced way to manage chicken manure disposal.

Columbia -- $132,568
Funding will be used for nutrient management planning on 10 large livestock farms within the Stuyvesant, Kinderhook, Hillsdale, Claverack, Copake and Ancram.

Columbia -- $54,360
Funding of wastewater management system; barnyard improvements and other measures to curb agricultural runoff on a dairy farm in the town of Taghkanic. Project will help protect the Taghkanic Creek, a priority waterbody and a Hudson River tributary.

Cortland -- $6,670
Funding to conduct Agricultural Environmental Management planning on 45 farms within the Lower Tioughnioga Watershed. Farms are in the towns of Cortland, Marathon, McGraw, Lapeer, Freetown, Virgil and Barton.

Delaware -- $228,750
Funding to implement stream bank stabilization preventing soil erosion for 2,600 feet of stream bank within the west branch of the Delaware River within the New York City Watershed in the town of Hamden.

Delaware -- $51,195
Funding to implement feed management practices on farms within the Cannonsville Reservoir Basin. The practices are designed to reduce phosphorus intake in cow diets, thereby reducing phosphorus leaching in the watershed.

Dutchess -- $55,540
Funding to conduct nutrient management planning on eight farms in the Wappinger Creek Watershed and Ten Mile River Watershed. These farms are located in the towns of Pine Plains, Amenia, Verbank and Millerton.

Erie -- $29,144
Funding to conduct Agricultural Environmental Management planning on farms within the Cattaraugus Creek, a principal tributary to Lake Erie. The farms are within the towns of Springville, Farnham, North Collins, Dunkirk, and the municipalities of Brant, North Collins, Collins, Concord, Sardinia, Angola, East Concord, Eden and Evans.

Fulton -- $98,878
Funding to implement environmental enhancement projects on four farms within the Cayadutta Creek Watershed within the towns Johnstown and Mayfield.

Herkimer -- $66,000
Funding to implement environmental enhancement practices on a dairy farm in the Canadarago Lake Watershed in the town of Warren.

Herkimer -- $30,600
Funding to conduct Agricultural Environmental Management on 24 farms within the Steele Creek Watershed in the towns of Columbia, Litchfield, German Flatts and Winfield.

Jefferson -- $29,480
Funding to develop eight nutrient management plans for seven large dairy farms and one poultry farm within the Great Lakes, Stony Creek, Sandy Creek, Black River Watersheds. These water quality projects will enhance the drinking water for the city of Watertown. The projects are within the towns of Champion, Pamelia, Hounsfield, Ellisburg and Henderson.

Jefferson -- $33,503
Funding to conduct Agricultural Environmental Management planning on 100 farms within the Great Lakes/Black River and Stony Creek Watersheds. Farms are within the towns of Brownville, Pamelia, Leray, Wilna, Champion, Rutland, Watertown, Hounsfield, Henderson, Adams, Rodman and Ellisburg.

Lewis -- $10,570
Funding to develop nutrient management plans for farms within the Mill Creek Watershed in the towns of Lowville and Martinsburg.

Madison -- $1,875
Agricultural Environmental Management planning on farms in Northern Madison County within sub-watersheds that flow into Oneida Lake.

Monroe -- $19,280
Funding to conduct Agricultural Environmental Management planning in the 53,000-acre Braddock Bay Watershed within the towns of Sweden, Greece, Ogden, Hamlin, Clarkson and Parma.

Monroe -- $22,972
Funding to conduct Agricultural Environmental Management planning for five farms within the Long Pond/Northrup Creek Watershed in the towns of Parma, Greece and Ogden.

Montgomery -- $61,591
Funding to implement Agricultural Environmental Management practices three farms in the Otsquago Creek Watershed.

Montgomery -- $62,952
Funding to implement Agricultural Environmental Management practices on three farm within the Canajoharie Creek Watershed. The farms are located within the towns of Canajoharie and Minden.

Niagara -- $205,994
Funding to implement water quality improvement practices on two farms within the Mud Creek/Tonawanda Creek Sub-Watershed in the town of Royalton.

Oneida -- $27,000
Oneida County Soil and Water Conservation District will conduct Farm Level Nutrient Management planning on several farms within the Oriskany Creek watershed.

Ontario -- $115,700
Funding to develop nutrient management plans for farms within the Northern Watersheds Agricultural Program. Farms are in the towns of Farmington, West Bloomfield, Manchester, Hopewell, Phelps, Richmond, East Bloomfield, Victor, Bristol, Canandaigua and Canadice.

Orange -- $92,890
Funding to develop nutrient management plans and barnyard improvement projects on nine farms within the Wallkill River Watershed within the towns of Montgomery, Mt. Hope, Wallkill, Warwick, Minisink, Crawford, Hamptonburgh, Wawayanda, Goshen and Greenville.

Orleans -- $43,950
Funding will be used to implement a number of agricultural best management practices on three farms within the Johnson Creek Watershed. The practices include a pesticide mixing station, additional manure storage, milkhouse waste treatment facility; silage leachate control and improved barnyard areas. The farms are in the towns of Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby and Carlton.

Otsego -- $151,000
Funding to construct two agricultural waste storage structures and implement other waste management practices on the Hemlock Valley Farm and the Kowapachy Farm. These structures will enhance water quality in the Canadarago and Goodyear Lakes in Milford and Richfield.

Rensselaer -- $11,250
Funding to develop nutrient management plans for five farms in the Tomhannock Reservoir Watershed in the town of Pittstown.

Saratoga -- $98,479
Funding to implement water quality projects on seven farms within the Fish Creek/Sucker Brook Watershed in the town of Saratoga.

Schenectady -- $11,242
Funding to conduct Agricultural Environmental Management planning on seven livestock farms within the Schenectady/Schoharie Watershed in the town of Duanesburg.

Schenectady -- $96, 927
Funding to develop nutrient management plans, construct petroleum containment structures and barnyard runoff management systems on seven farms within the Mohawk/Great Flats Watershed within the towns of Rotterdam, Princetown and Duanesburg.

Schuyler -- $131,000
Funding to develop nutrient management plans for 14 farms within the Seneca Lake Watershed. Farms are in the towns of Hector, Reading, Lodi, Milo, Benton, Geneva, Ovid, Seneca, Starkey and Torrey.

Steuben -- $64,500
Funding for nutrient management plans on eight livestock operations in three different watersheds the Chemung River basin, the Keuka Lake watershed and the Genesee River basin, within the towns of Pulteney, Cameron, Addison, Woodhull, Cohocton, Wayland and Freemont.

Suffolk -- $39,150
Design and construct a pesticide handling facility, petroleum storage and a grass filter strip on two farms to protect local drinking water from agricultural runoff. The farms in are in the town of Riverhead and Southold.

Suffolk -- $7,373
Funding to prepare nutrient management plans on three duck farms within the Forge River/Moriches Bay watershed in the towns of Brookhaven and Southampton.

Sullivan -- $76,961
Funding to implement nutrient management plans on five farms within the Callicoon Creek Watershed and implement water quality improvements on these farms. This work will be done in the towns of Delaware, Fremont, Callicoon, Bethel, Cochecton and Liberty.

Tompkins -- $120,000
To develop nutrient management plans on 32 farms within the Finger Lakes region. The project will aid in protecting the municipal water supplies that utilize the Cayuga Lake and Owasco Lake Watersheds.

Tompkins -- $434,487
Funding to implement pasture management systems on 59 farms within the Susquehanna River Watershed in the counties of Broome, Cortland, Tioga, Tompkins, Chenango, Madison, and Schuyler. The farms are located in the towns of Newfield, DeRuyter, Smithfield, Madison, Eaton, Erieville, Hamilton, Alpine, Lisle, Colesville, Fenton, Triangle, Greene, Smithville, Sherburne, Norwich, Oxford, South New Berlin, South Plymouth, New Berlin, Cortlandville, Cincinnatus, Freetown, Marathon, Truxton, Virgil, Candor, Spencer, Owego, Apalachin, Berkshire, Waverly, Newark Valley, Barton and Tioga Center.

Westchester -- $146,500
Funding to conduct Agricultural Environmental Management planning on selected farms within the Croton Watershed in the towns of Bedford, Somers, Cortlandt, Harrison, Lewisboro, Mount Pleasant, Newcastle, North Catstle, North Salem, Pound Ridge, Yorktown, and the village of Mount Kisco.

Wyoming/Erie -- $594,765
Funding will be used to implement environmental enhancements on 19 farms within the Upper Buffalo River Watershed within the towns of Sardinia, Colden, Holland, Wales, Elma and Marilla in Wyoming County and the towns of Lancaster, Alden, Bennington, Sheldon, Java and Arcade.

Yates -- $187,830
Funding to conduct Agricultural Environmental Management planning on farms in the Seneca Lake and Flint Creek Watersheds in Yates and Ontario Counties. Farms are located in the towns of Benton, Torrey, Milo, Starkey, Barrington, Potter, Italy, Middlesex, Geneva, Seneca, Phelps, Hopewell and Gorham.

Yates -- $40,600
Funding to conduct nutrient management planning for 8 vineyards within the Seneca Lake watershed. Vineyards are in the towns of Hector, Lodi, Reading, Starkey. Other counties benefitting from this award are Seneca and Schuyler.