Long Island Sound Watershed Regional Conservation Partnership Program

Bringing partners together to reduce runoff and nutrient loading to Long Island Sound from private lands within the watershed In 2014, seven non-governmental organizations applied for and received (in 2015) a $10 million, 5 year grant from the US Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, under the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)

RCCP is a new program created by the 2014 Farm Bill, administered by USDA NRCS. The LIS Watershed project is one of more than 110 high-impact projects across all 50 states that received a portion of over $370 million as part of this new initiative. The LISW-RCPP is a Quebec, Canada Landscape Scale Initiative Long Island Sound Watershed that covers the geographic area of 16,820 square miles in six states Long Island Sound and its Over ten million watershed residents Vermont

New Hampshire TARGET: to reduce runoff and nutrient loading to LIS from private working lands in the watershed, and Massachusetts protect source waters for drinking water supplies Rhode Island Connecticut

New York

Map by CLEAR, UCONN Extension Focus on Working Lands

Managing soil nutrient loss

Protecting forest habitat, biological diversity, and drinking water sources

Improve resiliency on working lands through riparian restoration According to the Trust for Public Lands, there are more than 650,000 acres of prime farmland in the Connecticut River Valley alone. Additional prime agricultural lands are located in both the Housatonic and Thames River basins.

These three basins provide over 90 percent of the freshwater entering Long Island Sound

Cropland Pastureland Private Forest Land Wetlands and Riparian Buffers associated with working lands August 2014

Figure 4: In-basin nitrogen load to LIS by source (CTDEEP and NYSDEC, 2000)

Agriculture 2% Forest 9% Urban CSO 8% The TMDL defines2% In-basin (or lower basin) as CT, NY, and LIS surface waters WWTPs 79% LonOg Islutand S-ouofnd T-MbasinDL Enhanced Imasplem ethentation Plupperan Report basin (MA, NH, and VT) and the LIS boundaries the upper Connecticut River (north of the CT/MA border) contributing 12.5%, and 1% from other out-of- basin tributaries including portions of the Farmington, Housatonic, and Thames River basins. Boundary nitrogen loads are delivered to the Sound through the Race, the East River, and the Atlantic Ocean. These boundary loads are mainly from outside the LIS watershed and the jurisdiction of the TMDFLi.g ure 5: Out-of-basin tributary nitrogen load to LIS by source (CTDEEP and NYSDEC, 2000) TNitrogenherefore, thi sloading report foc utoses LISprim fromarily on iinn-b-abasinsin and upper basin nitrogen loads to the Sound. Faigndure 3out: Nit-rofoge-nbasin loading sources to LIS from i(CTDEEPn-basin and oandut-of- bNYSDEC,asin sources 2000)(CTDEEP and NYSDEC, 2000)

WWTPs Out-of-Basin 22% 47% Forest 47% LIS Boundaries Urban 33.5% In-Basin 18% 53% Agriculture 13%

CT River Other Tributaries 12.5% 1.0% Out-of-basin tributary nitrogen load to LIS by source (CTDEEP and NYSDEC, 2000)

Excluding boundary loads, the TMDL’s original 1990 baseline load summary estimates that 80% (53% out of 66.5%) of the total nitrogen load delivered to the Sound is from in-basin sources and 20% (13.5% out of 66.5%) is from upper basin tributaries (CTDEEP and NYSDEC, 2000). The in-basin load totaling 53,270.9 tons per year is broken down in Figure 4 by source. The majority of the in-basin load (79%) is from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), 2% from combined sewer overflows (CSOs), and the remaining 19% is from nonpoint sources (urban, agriculture, and forested land). The Connecticut, Farmington, Housatonic, and Thames Rivers deliver 13,563 tons per year from out-of-basin; this load is 18 broken down in Figure 5 by source. Unlike the in-basin load, the majority (78%) of the out-of-bas in load is from nonpoint sources, and the remaining 22% is from WWTPs, or point sources. Nitrogen loading from atmospheric deposition is included within these TMDL estimates for nonpoint source and regulated stormwater loads. The TMDL estimates that 40.8% of total watershed, 59.5% of the lower basin, and 32.2% of the upper basin nonpoint source and regulated stormwater nitrogen load originates from atmospheric deposition of nitrogen.

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Key Existing Networks:

Long Island Sound Study (EPA)

New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC)

North Atlantic Landscape Conservation Collaborative (USFWS)

Regional Conservation Partnerships (RCP’s) (Highstead Foundation, Harvard Forest) • Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (2015) • EPA Nitrogen Reduction Plan (2015) New Haven H. = 940,000 million atm dep to land 250000 fertilizer • septic LIS Blue Plan 200000 sewer atm dep to embayment • LIS Report Card 150000

100000 N Loady) (kg N / 50000 Comparative Analysis of Eutrophic Condition 0 and Habitat Status in Connecticut and New York Embayments of Long Island Sound

Mill River,CT Investigators: Jamie Vaudrey, Charles T. Yarish, and Jang Kyun Kim, University

Lewis Gut, CT Gut, Lewis

Ash Creek, CT

Holly Pond, CT Holly

Kirby Pond, NY Kirby

Farm River,CT

Pine Creek, CT

Smith Cove, CT

Scotts Cove, CT

Pages Cove, CT

Byram River,CT Byram

Darien River,CT

CoveCT Harbor,

Sasco Brook, CT

Mianus River,CT Compo Cove, CT of Connecticut Department of Marine Science, and Christopher Pickerell and

Milton Harbor, NY

IndianCT Harbor,

Gorham Pond, CT

Wescott Cove, CT

Playland Lake, NY Playland

MilfordCT Harbor,

Five Mile River,CT

Captain Harbor, CT

Norwalk Harbor, CT Norwalk

Saugatuck R - fresh

BranfordCT Harbor,

Saugatuck River,CT

Greenwich Cove, CT Greenwich

StamfordCT Harbor,

Housatonic River,CT Lorne Brousseau, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County

Cockenoe Harbor, CT

Bridgeport Harbor, CT BridgeportHarbor,

Greenwich Harbor, CT Greenwich

Larchmont Harbor, NY

Pequonnock CT River,

Black Rock Harbor, CT

Mamaroneck River,NY

New Haven Harbor, CT New

Sherwood Millpond, CT Sherwood

Oyster River,Milford, CT Oyster

Van Amringe Millpond, NY

Sheffield Island Harbor, CT

Calf Pen Meadow Creek,Calf CT Pen Meadow The Greatest Challenge – and Opportunity of the LISW-RCPP is coordination of multiple New England states and New York (six in all), and agencies – federal, state, municipal, and non-profit organizations

RCPP funding and designation will provide a framework for a comprehensive approach to address environmental and conservation issues on a regional level Lead Agency: Connecticut Council on Soil and Water Conservation, working with NRCS

Created by state statute to coordinate Connecticut’s conservation districts and other federal, state, and local agencies on environmental and natural resource land use projects

Board of Directors CT’s 5 Conservation Districts CT DEEP CT Department of Agriculture UConn Cooperative Extension At large members from NRCS, Farm Service Agency, CT Agricultural Experiment Station, Resource Conservation & Development Council Soil Health and Nutrient Management Jill Arace, VT Association of Conservation Districts Mike O’Neill, UConn Cooperative Extension Technical assistance to producers $3,250,000

• Providing innovative technical assistance to farmers resulting in adoption of best management practices on 35 – 40 farms a year • Emphasis to expand program beyond first adopters • Coordinate with state and federal partners to provide certainty for farmers, reducing the conversion of agricultural and forest lands to urban uses Distribution of LISW RCPP Conservation District Budget by Regional Equity and Percent Agricultural Contribution to NPS Loading State Regional % Ag % Ag Total 2016 2017 2018 Equity Budget Budget Budget CT 90,000 37.2% 300,937 390,937 156,375 117,281 117,281 NY 90,000 0.6% 5,238 95,238 38,095 28,572 28,572 NH 90,000 10.7% 86,917 176,917 70,767 53,075 53,075

VT 90,000 26.3% 213,296 303,296 121,318 90,989 90,989 MA 90,000 25.1% 203,611 293,611 117,445 88,083 88,083 RI 90,000 -- -- 90,000 36,000 27,000 27,000

Total 540,000 100% 810,000 1,350,000 504,000 378,000 378,000

Total Budget = $1,350,000.00 % Budget Regional Equity = 40% $540,000.00 % Budget % Ag NPS Loading = 60% $810,000.00

Jill Arace, VT Association Conservation Districts 11/29/2015 ADAPTATION & RESILIENCY (community and biodiversity resiliency) Andy Fisk, Connecticut River Watershed Council Kim Lutz, The Nature Conservancy Reduce erosion, create/enhance natural buffers $2,500.000

• Implement resiliency projects on working lands that will protect 75 miles of river and streams in upper watershed states. • Design and install 5 riparian restoration projects in Franklin County, MA. in the Deerfield River watershed • Enroll up to 500 acres into applicable NRCS land protection programs in key areas • along the Connecticut River main stem in NH, VT, MA, and CT Forestry Workgroup Bill Labich, Highstead Foundation Working with Harvard Forest Land Protection $4,250,000

First significant infusion of Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP) funds for forest land protection (NRCS) in the northeast

The Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP) helps landowners restore, enhance, and protect forestland resources on private lands through easements and financial assistance Forestry Workgroup Network with up to 18 existing Bill Labich, Highstead Foundation RCPs comprised of land trusts, working with Harvard Forest state and local government agencies, and other groups to Land Protection (easements) identify private lands owners $4,250,000

Protect Privately-Owned Working Forestland from Development that also Benefits Rare Species Habitat Regional Conservation and Water Quality Partnerships

• Promote the recovery of endangered and threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) • Improve plant and animal biodiversity • Enhance carbon sequestration • Protect drinking water supply resource areas Forestry Workgroup Bill Labich, Highstead Foundation working with Harvard Forest Land Protection $4,250,000

• Increase the acreage of protected critical forest habitat by protecting 15-20 high quality forest tracts and permanently protecting biodiversity and source water protection values on approximately 3,500 acres through an innovative 25% (NRCS)/75% (non-federal) cost share program

85% of New England’s landscape is in private hands TECHNICAL Soil Land Health/Nutrie STEERING Protection nt COMMITTEE Non- Management Industrial Forest Land RFP for RFP for Conservation Private Districts Landowners Working Lands Work through Adaptation/ CRWC & TNC Resiliency

NRCS CT Council contracts on Soil & Water Conservation Lead Partner Connecticut Council on Soil and Water Conservation Key Partners NRCS (6 States) University of Vermont Cooperative Extension University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension Connecticut River Watershed Council Highstead Foundation Implementing Partners The Nature Conservancy University of Massachusetts NEIWPCC CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Franklin County Conservation District (MA) Franklin Regional Council of Governments (MA) US Fish and Wildlife Service The Trust for Public Lands American Farmland Trust Audubon Connecticut Housatonic Valley Association (CT) Vermont Association of Conservation Districts Connecticut Association of Conservation Districts New Hampshire Association of Conservation Districts Environmental Protection Agency (Region 1) LISW-RCPP Steering Committee Andy Fisk, Executive Director, CT River Watershed Council Andy French, Project Leader, Silvio O. Conte NFWR Dean Rhine, Deputy Refuge Manager, Silvio O. Conte NFWR Bill Labich, Regional Conservationist, Highstead Foundation Christine Hatch, Assistant Professor, UMass Extension Denise Savageau, Executive Director, CT Association of Conservation Districts Walter Smith, Executive Director, CT Council on Soil and Water Conservation Jeff Folger, Chairman, CT Council on Soil and Water Conservation Jenn Colby, Pasture Program Coordinator, University of Vermont Extension Jill Arace, Executive Director, VT Association of Conservation Districts Judy Preston, Watershed Coordinator, LISW-RCPP Karl Honkonen, Watershed Specialist, US Forest Service Kate Bousquet, District Manager and Agr. Planner, Southern RI Conservation District Kim Lutz, CT River Program Director, The Nature Conservancy Marli Rupe, Agricultural Water Quality Specialist, VT Dept. of Environmental Conservation Mike O’Neill, Associate Dean & Associate Director, UConn Extension Amanda Littleton, Executive Director, NH Association of Conservation Districts (Vacant) New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission Tom Morgart, CT State Conservationist, Natural Resources Conservation Service Joe Wettemann, Water Permitting and Enforcemen, CT Dept of Energy and Environmental Protection Chuck Lee, NPS, Wtrshed, Lakes, LID Programs, CT Dept. Energy and Environmental Protection Chris Modisette, State Resource Conservationist, RI Natural Resources Conservation Service Vicky Drew, VT State Conservationist, Natural Resources Conservation Service With so many residents living in the watershed, this nationally significant estuary will require additional focus beyond its immediate shoreline if it is to remain a critical natural resource for future generations.

With so much of the watershed remaining in private ownership, the conservation programs of NRCS will play an important role in achieving our shared vision of the Long Island Sound Estuary remaining an important resource for people and wildlife alike.

-- Stuart Hudson, Audubon Connecticut Thank You

Judy Preston LIS Watershed Coordinator Regional Conservation Partnership Program (LISW-RCPP) [email protected]