Farming and Government Regulation
This page hardly scratches the surface when it comes to the amount of regulation, subsidization, and government involvment in the agricultural industry. However, it is important to highlight recent developments that will affect Bay watershed farmers in the very near future.
As nitrogen and phosphorous continue to be a problem in the Bay watershed with states missing nutrient load goals, plans are being made by the EPA to implement more aggressive measures to improve water quality. The plans center around a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) of nutrients to the Bay that is alloted for each state. Each must meet their goals using a Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP), specifically outlining how they intend to reduce nutrient runoff. View each state's newly proposed WIP below, submitted on November 29, 2010:
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- New York (not yet submitted)
- Maryland
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Pennsylvania
Specifically for agriculture, the plans use a variety of combinations of strategies for nutrient management including, but not limited to:
- State-mandated, written nutrient management plans for large farms
- Federal programs such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service's Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
- State Cost-Share Programs, where the state assists farmers financially in establishing agricultural BMPs. Maryland's Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share (MACS) Program has been in practice since 1984. Virginia's Agricultural Best Management Cost-Share Program (VACS) has been in effect since 1984 as well and works in conjunction with a state Tax Credit program to promote BMP use.