State grants go to local water districts

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July 24, 2012

State grants go to local water districts

Anonymous Staff Report The Daily Star Tue Jul 24, 2012, 03:30 AM EDT

Three area Soil and Water Conservation districts were included in grants for agency projects announced Monday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

A total of $10.6 million statewide to help 159 farms in 27 counties is being provided to the county agencies to help protect state waterways from agricultural runoff, according to a media release.

"New York's vast network of lakes, streams and rivers are a natural treasure, enjoyed each year by our residents for recreational activities as well as providing a source of quality drinking water," Cuomo said in the release.

The grants will help farms implement programs to protect the waterways.

The Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District is receiving $678,835 for two projects, special program technician Karen Clifford said.

Working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, part of the funds will be used on five farms to help control access of livestock to streams and rivers and repair riparian buffers -- trees and shrubs that absorb nutrients and shade the water.

The other project will be done in conjunction with Cornell Cooperative Extension and focus on precision feed management, also on five farms. The technique uses a combination of purchased feed and homegrown forage management strategies to maximizes farm profitability while diminishing feed costs and decreasing environmental impact, according to Cornell Cooperative Extension. If the amount of nutrients coming onto the farm can be reduced, it will cut back on what goes into the water, Clifford said.

The Otsego County Soil and Water Conservation District received $16,184. It will be used on a cost sharing project with a Butternuts farmer.

Using funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it will provide a system to prevent liquids from decomposing feed to get into waterways, encouraging harmful bacteria growth, district manager Scott Fickbohm said.

Chenango County Soil and Water is receiving $190,520 for its work from the grants.

The grants are part of a state program funded through the Environmental Protection Fund.

The recipients are chosen via a competitive process that awards cost-share funding to county soil and water districts to help farms address water quality challenges in priority watersheds throughout the state. Eligible projects include those that develop comprehensive nutrient management plans or implement best management practices to protect water quality while maintaining the economic viability of the farm. Since 1993, New York has dedicated more than $110 million for similar water quality projects.