Post on 27-Jun-2015
transcript
THE CONEWAGO CREEK INITIATIVE
Lessons learned from farmer outreach in PA’s Showcase Watershed
Matt Royer
Director, Agriculture & Environment Center
Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences(814) 863-8756, mroyer@psu.edu
Alliance for the Chesapeake BayAquatic Resource Restoration Co.Capital Area RC&DChesapeake Bay FoundationChesapeake CommonsDauphin County Conservation DistrictElizabethtown Area Water AuthorityElizabethtown CollegeLancaster County Conservation DistrictLandStudies, Inc.Lebanon County Conservation DistrictLondonderry TownshipLower Dauphin High SchoolMilton Hershey SchoolPA DEPPenn State Public Media
Penn State UniversityRed Barn ConsultingRGS AssociatesSouth Londonderry TownshipStroud Water Research Center Susquehanna River Basin CommissionTetra TechTri-County Conewago Creek AssociationUSDA Agriculture Research ServiceUSDA NRCSUS Fish and Wildlife ServiceUS Geologic SurveyViable Industries, LLCWild Resources, Inc.ZedX, Inc.
Conewago Creek InitiativeThe Partnership
Conewago Creek InitiativeOrganizational Structure
Project Advisory
Team (PAT)
Stewardship Development
TeamBMP Team Non Ag Team Envt’l Markets
TeamMonitoring
Team
Staff support provided by Penn State Agriculture and Environment Center• Project Coordinator (M. Royer)• Assistant Project Coordinator (K. Kyler)• Student Interns
Practices
People
Impact
Place
Conewago InitiativeOur Approach
Conewago Creek InitiativeAg Outreach Strategy
• What were our goals?
• What were our approaches?
• What were our results?
• What were some lessons learned?
Conewago Creek InitiativeAg Outreach Strategy
• Meet our farmers: A Conewago Creek Story
Conewago Creek InitiativeAg Outreach Goals
• Reach every farmer
• Achieve 100% baseline compliance with PA ag laws
• Accelerate adoption of BMPs
• Offer innovative BMPs through Penn State Research and Extension
Conewago Creek InitiativeAg Outreach Approaches
• Partnership approach (CCDs, NRCS, DEP, Extension, watershed group: BMP Team)
• Identify farm community champions early
• Letter, farmer meetings
• Conservation District Survey
Conewago Creek InitiativeFarm Survey
• Allowed CCDs to build relationships
• Identified proactive farmers ready to adopt BMPs
• Identified conservation priorities
• Over 90% farmer participation
Conewago Creek InitiativeFarm Survey: Priorities for TA
• Priority 1: Farmers who requested TA
• Priority 2: Farmers who lacked conservation plans– Priority 2A: Those with resource concerns
• Priority 3: Farmers who lacked nutrient or manure management plans
• Priority 4: All other farmers
Conewago Creek InitiativeFarm Survey: Approaches
• Provide flexibility for conservation planning (CCDs, private sector vouchers)
• Provide program choices (EQIP, CREP, Section 319, NFWF)
• Find farmers willing to try “innovative BMPs” (i.e., manure injection)
• Create a “watershed” community (annual Winter Farmers Meeting, field days and tours)
Conewago Creek InitiativeAg Outreach Results
Conservation Planning
Conewago InitiativeAg Outreach Results
• 10,742 acres (cover crops, conservation tillage, forest riparian buffers etc)
• 105,308 linear feet (or 20 miles) (fencing, terraces and stream bank restoration, etc)
• 60 additional BMPs (stream crossings, waste storage facilities, off stream watering facilities, etc)
BMP Implementation
Conewago InitiativeAg Outreach Results
Fencing (ft...0
2000
4000
6000
Before Ini-tiative
Since Ini-tiative
BMP Implementation Rates
Conewago Creek InitiativeLessons Learned
• Farmers are willing stewards of our land and water resources
• Involve the community early in the process
• Build trust and relationships
• Develop structured partnership
• Provide flexibility to meet landowner needs
Visit us on the web at:
www.conewagoinitiative.net
Watch A Conewago Story at:
www.conewagoinitiative.net
Funding for the Conewago Creek Initiative provided by: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds, and our many Initiative partners