USDA: Meeting the Clean Water Challenge

The Clean Water Action Plan announced by President Clinton and Vice President Gore on February 19, 1998, will protect public health and restore our nation's precious waterways by setting strong goals and providing states, communities, farmers and landowners with the tools and resources to meet them. The Clean Water Action Plan charts a new course, emphasizing collaborative strategies built around watersheds and the local communities they sustain.

The USDA Role

Agriculture affects nearly every facet of our lives. As an industry, agriculture plays a key role in protecting and enhancing our environmental quality of life. Sound environmental practices, such as conservation buffers, conservation tillage, forestry management, and integrated pest management, help improve water and air quality, soil health, and wildlife habitat. They also keep our farms, ranches, and forests economically sustainable and globally competitive.

Partnership with the Environment

USDA programs demonstrate how cooperation between government and land users can yield environmental benefits for millions of people. At USDA, farming, water quality and environmental protection are compatible activities.

Animal Feeding Operations

USDA is taking action to minimize threats to water quality and public health caused by animal feeding operations, while ensuring the long-term sustainability of livestock production. In partnership with EPA and with the benefit of comments from the public, USDA is developing a Unified National Strategy for Animal Feeding Operations that includes a national expectation that all animal feeding operations develop and implement comprehensive nutrient management plans by the year 2008. These plans would include manure handling and storage, application of manure to the land, record keeping, feed management, land management, and other utilization options. While the focus of this strategy is voluntary compliance that will affect 95 percent of the nation's 450,000 animal feeding operations, it will contain proposed approaches to implement and improve the existing regulatory program of the Clean Water Act.

For more information: Obie Ashford (301-504-2197)

Wetlands Reserve Program

In fiscal year 1998, USDA enrolled 211,900 acres in the Wetlands Reserve Program. Since this voluntary wetlands restoration program began in 1992, a total of 665,500 acres have been enrolled. The wetlands are restored and protected under long-term agreements or perpetual easements. Lands put into the program are generally high-risk, marginal croplands which, in their restored condition, provide significant environmental benefits, such as wildlife habitat, improved water quality, floodwater storage, carbon sequestration, and nutrient filtration.

For more information: Bob Misso (202-690-0848)

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program

The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is a new state-federal conservation partnership to address specific state and nationally significant water quality, soil erosion and wildlife habitat issues related to agricultural use. USDA has committed nearly $1.2 billion to the CREP program. CREP uses financial incentives to encourage farmers and ranchers to voluntarily enroll in contracts of 10 to 15 years in duration to remove environmentally sensitive lands from agricultural production. As these agricultural lands are planted in trees, grass and other protective vegetation, soil erosion is reduced, air and water quality improves, and acres of wildlife habitat are established. Currently, six states participate in this innovative and community-based program with its flexible design of conservation practices and financial incentives to address environmental issues.

For more information: Steve Hodapp (202-690-1164) or Dann Stuart (202-690-0474)

Farm the Best...Buffer the Rest

The National Conservation Buffer Initiative is a public-private partnership with a goal of installing 2 million miles of conservation buffers by 2002. Buffers are small parcels of land planted to permanent vegetation, such as filter strips, field borders and riparian forest buffers. Today, farmers and ranchers have installed more than 220,000 miles of buffers designed to intercept pollutants before they reach rivers, streams, and lakes. Local communities are joining the Buffer Team. Fencing and riparian buffers are good for trout on Mill Creek in PA, but they also improve the health and water quality of the Chesapeake Bay, since the creek flows to the Susquehanna. Conservation improvements in eastern Allen County, IN, protect fishing and shipping in Lake Erie, as well as Fort Wayne's drinking water. Syracuse, NY, is protecting its water source by investing in buffers on private land to avoid spending between $45 and $60 million for filtration.

For more information: Max Schnepf (515-289-2331 X15)

Reaching Under-served Communities

USDA has awarded more than $678,000 in water quality education grants to assist under-served communities in making informed decisions about their water resources and to provide educational programs that will help protect the quality of the water people drink and use every day. Administered through land-grant universities, these grants help communities improve water management, handle storm water, manage wastes, protect or improve the quality of water supplies, and reduce water-related health risks.

For more information, Fred Swader (202-205-5853)

Stream Corridor Restoration

With more than 3.5 million miles of rivers and streams, communities across our nation are becoming more aware of the need to address clean water issues. Stream corridors are complex ecosystems that provide a variety of benefits from removing harmful materials from water to providing habitat for aquatic and terrestrial plants and animals. They bring significant economic, social, cultural and environmental values to our citizens and our quality of life. USDA provided strong leadership to developing Stream Corridor Restoration: Principles, Processes, and Practices, a guide that embodies the expertise and partnership of 15 federal agencies. The Clean Water Action Plan calls for the demonstration of 12 steam corridor restoration projects. This new guidance provides a solid foundation for local communities to restore the streams in their own backyard.

For more information: Jerry Bernard (202-720-5356)

Unified Watershed Assessments

In a partnership effort with EPA, USDA is closely working with states, territories, and tribes to complete comprehensive assessments that will help identify problem watersheds that are most in need of attention. These watersheds are proposed to receive targeted priority for funding under the Clean Water Action Plan. These assessments will also provide a critical strategic planning tool for local communities as they identify their water-related problems and their eligibility to address these problems through existing federal technical and financial assistance programs.

For more information: Tom Livari (301-504-8576)

Assistance to American Indian Tribes and Citizens

In partnership with EPA and the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs, USDA has provided technical assistance to American Indian tribes for developing their Unified Watershed Assessments. This effort will continue with a number of regional training and planning sessions, along with local assistance provided by NRCS field offices. In addition, USDA has provided tribes and American Indian farmers and ranchers with financial assistance to implement non-point source water quality projects.

For more information: Alan Epps (202-720-8576)

Forest Roads

USDA announced an 18-month moratorium on new road construction in unroaded areas in most national forests. The decision allows for safe public access while protecting the environment. A road is one of the most indelible marks people can leave on the landscape. This move is a time-out to study the science, hear from the public, and carve out a sound transportation policy for the 21st century.

For more information: Gerald Coghlan (202-205-1400)

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