Watershed Agricultural Program 2019 Annual Report and 2020 Workload
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Watershed Agricultural Program 2019 Annual Report and 2020 Workload TABLE OF CONTENTS Planning For Increased BMP Implementation Page WAP Managers Report 2 The Watershed Agricultural Program (WAP) commenced a 6 year contract with 2019 Planning Goals 3 the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), on April 1, 2019 Accomplishments-Funding 3 2019 to accelerate the implementation of BMPs with over $4 million in annual 2019 Accomplishments-BMPs 4 funding. The increase in BMP implementation funds are targeted for the 2019 Planning Goals 22 implementation of BMPs that have been on our backlog list prior to 2017. To 22020 Projected Workload 22 accomplish the increase in workload the WAP has added two assistant Whole 2020 Projected Workload-BMPs 23 Farm Planner positions and has also increased the number of engineering Staff Listing 24 department staff. Program summaries: Conservation Reserve The conservation planners focused on 92 revisions that placed identified Enhancement Program (CREP) 5 resource concerns in the prioritization process, and Whole Farm Plans were Nutrient Management 6 revised accordingly. Precision Feed Management 7-8 Farmer Education 9 In 2019 the WAP implemented 487 BMPs on all active farms at a total cost $4.6 Economic Viability 10 million. These figures include 453 BMPs on West of Hudson farms ($4.2m) and 34 2019 WAP Farm Tour 11 BMPs on East of Hudson farms ($400,000). Projects 12-17 WIRC Team 18 The Precision Feed Management (PFM) Program is a science based program that East of Hudson 19-21 develops feed management plans to deal with the large quantity of feed nutrients managed annually on participant farms. 2019 was the fourth year of Cover Photo: Heather Magnan the PFM Program, the staff were actively planning and monitoring a total of 48 Report Photos: WAP Staff farms and 148 Benchmarks were completed. The Nutrient Management Credit Program has increased to 137 participants. Through the support of DEP funding this Program will allow all those that meet the eligibility criteria to participate. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCES The WAP partners with Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides technical design and implementation of water quality BMPs. Farm participants actively followed 258 WFPs and 226 Nutrient Management Plans (NMPs) in the Catskill/Delaware Watershed. Funding provided by DEP, the USDA and other sources helped the Program realize its goals. The WAP continues to partner with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware County to provide educational programs to area farmers. In 2019, 634 farmers and farm advisors attended 24 educational programs with 31% of Watershed farmers attending at least one event. In 2019 the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and the Catskill Streams Buffer Initiative (CSBI) pilot program implemented riparian buffers on four properties. Combining these two programs offers landowners with historic farmland (or marginal pastureland) the benefit of both CREP and CSBI programs. The pilot has been extended for two additional years. The WAP held an Ag tour on May 13, 2019 for the members of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) committee. The NAS committee is tasked with reviewing and evaluating the NYC DEP’s watershed protection program. This tour was an excellent opportunity to showcase the success that the WAP has had improving water quality. Larry Hulle, Watershed Agricultural Council Larry Underwood, Delaware County Soil & Water Conservation District Dale Dewing, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware County Dennis DeWeese, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service 2 Watershed Agricultural Program 2019 Planning Goals and Accomplishments Catskill/Delaware Watershed Croton Watershed Goal Accomplishment Goal Accomplishment Annual Status Reviews 289 320 68 75 New Whole Farm Plans As identified 0 As identified 2 Ashokan Reservoir Photo: Josh Dick 2019 Implementation Accomplishments – Funding Catskill/Delaware BMP - Funding Sources Croton Watershed Total Watershed Watershed Agricultural Program - Other BMPs $ 3,250,476 $ 348,920 $ 3,599,396 - RCPP $ 380,254 $ 380,254 - WIRC $ 23,062 $ 23,062 - CREP (WAP) $ 383,496 $ - $ 383,496 Total Watershed Agricultural Program Funding $ 4,037,288 $ 348,920 $ 4,386,207 Other Funding Sources - CP-30 (FSA) $ - $ - $ - - CREP (FSA) $ 175,586 $ - $ 175,586 - CREP (DCSWCD) $ 9,746 $ 9,746 - DCSWCD $ 43,360 $ - $ 43,360 - RCPP (Pending $167,506 to be rec'd in 2020)** $ 561,119 $ - $ 561,119 - Landowner $ - $ 38,984 $ 38,984 - AWEP $ - $ - $ - - NRCS $ 467 $ - $ 467 Total Other Funding Sources $ 790,278 $ 38,984 $ 829,261 Total Funding* $ 4,827,566 $ 387,903 $ 5,215,469 * Includes In Progress Payments ** Pending amount not included in payment shown 3 2019 Implementation Accomplishments – Number of BMPs NRCS/WAC Catskill/Delaware Croton Best Management Practices Total BMP Code Watershed Watershed 108 Precision Feed Management 56 0 56 313 Waste Storage Facility 6 0 6 314 Brush Management 1 0 1 328 Conservation Crop Rotation 1 0 1 340 Cover Crop 25 0 25 342 Critical Area Planting 1 0 1 362 Diversion 3 1 4 378 Pond 1 0 1 382 Fencing 30 3 33 391 Riparian Forest Buffer 18 0 18 468 Lined Waterway or Outlet 0 1 1 472 Access Control 1 0 1 500 Obstruction Removal 2 0 2 512 Forage and Biomass Planting - Lime 26 6 32 516 Pipeline 18 1 19 528 Prescribed Grazing 1 0 1 533 Pumping Plant 3 0 3 558 Roof Runoff Structure 4 1 5 558.01 Roof Runoff Structure - crushed stone drain 2 0 2 560 Access Road Improvement 3 4 7 561 Heavy Use Area Protection 5 1 6 574 Spring Development 19 0 19 575 Animal Trails and Walkway 21 1 22 578 Stream Crossing 16 0 16 580 Streambank Protection 3 0 3 587 Structure for Water Control 1 4 5 590 Nutrient Management Plan 75 6 81 606 Subsurface Drainage 1 0 1 612 Tree & Shrub Planting 14 0 14 612 Natural Regeneration 1 0 1 612 Weed Control & Herbicide Spray 22 0 22 614 Watering Facility 19 2 21 620 Underground Outlet 6 2 8 634 Waste Transfer 6 0 6 634.01 Waste Transfer - milkhouse pumping station 3 0 3 635 Vegetated Treatment Area 1 0 1 642 Well - w/pump 2 0 2 642.01 Water Well 2 0 2 657 Potholes 1 0 1 707 Barnyard Water Management System 1 0 1 3010 Roofed Barnyard 6 0 6 3010.02 Roofed Barnyard - Concrete 6 0 6 3050.01 Manure Storage - Covered Concrete 1 0 1 3060.01 Manure Storage/Heavy Use Area - Covered - Concrete 1 0 1 3070.01 Manure Storage/Heavy Use Area - Uncovered - Concrete 1 0 1 3110 Calf Greenhouse 3 0 3 3115 Calf Housing - Pens 1 0 1 3168 Custom Service (NMCP) 1 0 1 3178 Manure Transportation Credit 1 0 1 3230 Agitation Pump 2 0 2 3410 Manure Spreader 1 0 1 3410.01 Manure Spreader - Box 1 0 1 3420 Bucket Loader 2 0 2 3430 Manure Truck 1 0 1 3499 Misc Manure Handling Equipment 1 0 1 3510 Farm Dump Cleanup 1 0 1 4100 Wash Water and Filtration System 0 1 1 5004 Fencing - Temporary 2 0 2 Total 453 34 487 Included in the above are modifications, emergency repair, repair, and repair and replacement BMPs. 4 USDA Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) 2019 Accomplishments The USDA CREP Program within the Watershed Agricultural Program utilizes the talents found within the multi-agency team assigned to work in the Watershed to promote, design and establish both Riparian Forest Buffers and Vegetative Buffers along watercourses. This year marked the 19th full year of the NYC Watershed Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) Memorandum of Agreement between New York City, New York State and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In 2019, 11 Riparian Forest Buffer renewal contracts enrolled an additional 158.16 acres, bringing the total number of enrolled acres to 1,690.11. 2019 Total Implementation Expenditures Total Rental Payments (USDA) $213,160 Sign-Up Incentive Payment (SIP-FSA) $801 Practice Incentive Payment (PIP-FSA) $64,812 *BMP Cost (FSA) $80,860 *BMP Cost (WAP) $174,373 *Based on Federal Fiscal Year Numbers 10/01/18 – 9/30/19 Program 99-2008 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Total Catskill/Delaware Watershed $ 5,849,220 $ 314,330 $ 227,423 $ 203,211 $ 254,952 $ 261,197 $ 395,490 $ 475,423 $ 388,194 $ 181,405 $ 568,828 $ 9,119,673 Croton Watershed $ 36,515 $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ 36,515 5 Nutrient Management Program 2019 Accomplishments In 2019, the Nutrient Management Team completed 75 nutrient management plans that consisted of 49 large farms and 26 small farms. Nutrient Management Plan Percent Current Analysis Large Farms Small Farms Combined 154 72 226 number % of Total number % of Total number % of Total Current 151 98.1% 71 98.6% 222 98.2% 1 yr out of date 1 0.6% 1 1% 2 0.9% 2 years out of date 1 1% 0 0% 1 0.4% 3 years out of date 0 0% 0 0% 0 0.0% > 3 yrs out of date 1 1% 0 0.0% 1 0.4% Needs NMP 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0 0.0% Total 154 100% 72 100.0% 226 100.0% Nutrient Management Credit (NM Credit) The NM Credit Program was offered to 137 participating farms. The 2018-2019 Credit year allowed for the addition of any eligible farm. One nutrient management credit farm left the program due to not meeting eligibility requirements. Six new farms were selected from the prioritized general list of NM Credit eligible farms. For the 2019-2020 Nutrient Management Credit Program year, we will continue to add eligible participants. Photos: Rich Toebe 6 Precision Feed Management (PFM) 2019 was the fourth year of the PFM Program through the Watershed Agricultural Program.