Agriculture and Rural Lands Plan (more info, click here)

Plan Development
The Agriculture and Rural Lands Action Plan was developed in 1999 to address agricultural water quality issues related to the Sanctuary such as erosion control, nutrient runoff, and persistent pesticides. The plan was created over a period of three years, stemming from several public workshops, a series of meetings with the six-county Coalition of Central Coast County Farm Bureaus (Coalition), and with ongoing review and assistance from the 26 members of the Water Quality Protection Program Committee consisting of federal, state and local agencies and public and private groups

At the heart of the plan are 24 strategies, intended to protect and enhance the quality of water that drains into the Sanctuary while sustaining the economic viability of agriculture. This collaboration between environmental organization, agencies and the agricultural industry is unique, as is the leadership role that the Coalition is taking in establishing networks of landowners and operators to address water quality issues.

Strategies Include:

1. Establishing a industry-led regional network to address nonpoint source management
2. Improving technical information and outreach
3. Improving education and public relations
4. Coordinating and streamlining regulatory system of permitting
5. Funding and economic incentives for management practices
6. Improving planning and maintenance of rural roadways and public lands

Carrying Out the Plan
Directing the progress on each strategy is an Agriculture Water Quality Alliance (AWQA), comprised of representatives from the Sanctuary, the Coalition, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the local Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs), and UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE). The Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundation has hired an Agriculture Water Quality Coordinator to facilitate the work of the various partners and track progress over time. AWQA plays an active role in facilitating and coordinating the implementation of the plan.

AWQA’s focus:

• Initiating projects
• Attracting additional resources
• Promoting partnerships with local and regional groups
• Tracking progress of plan implementation
• Defining and measuring implementation success

Overview of Strategies

Agricultural Industry Networks
The strategies in this section of the plan establish a process for developing industry-led networks of landowners and operators to address agricultural nonpoint source pollution issues. Watershed level agricultural working groups are being established in the Sanctuary's watersheds, under the leadership of existing large agricultural organizations such as Farm Bureaus and related industry groups. These industry networks are taking the lead in organizing and working with their own members to establish joint projects for nonpoint source management.

Focus of Industry Leadership:

• Identify priority target regions for Watershed Working Group’s joint projects
• Conduct outreach for nonpoint source issues
• Assist land owners and operators in developing and implementing voluntary management plan(on-farm management plans)
• Facilitate technical assistance
• Track success
• Self-monitor to track effectiveness of management practices

Technical Information and Outreach
Although extensive technical information exists on agricultural techniques and tools to improve water quality, this information is not always readily available or easily usable for growers and ranchers who have many other facets of their business to attend to. The general intent of the strategies in this section of the plan is to make this information more accessible and useful.

Focus of Technical Outreach:

• Increase technical support via technical staff at the NRCS and RCDs
• Develop of networks of landowners for information sharing
• Cross-train of outreach staff
• Provide easily to understand information
• Conduct on-site work with watershed group participants

Education and Public Relations
The intent of the strategies in this section of the plan is to enhance public, grower, government agency, and media knowledge about watershed issues, and develop better recognition and expansion of conservation practices that the agricultural community employs.

Focus of Education and Public Relations:

• Enhance knowledge of watershed issues
• Develop better recognition and expansion of conservation measures
• Create basis of knowledge to help improve productive partnerships
• Increase public and agency staff knowledge and support for agriculture and agricultural management measures

Regulatory Coordination and Streamlining
Many times growers or ranchers may need multiple permits from each of several agencies at the local, state, and federal levels, with separate fees, different requirements, different timelines, and sometimes contradictory mandates. The difficulty of this system discourages landowner from implementing practices that may have beneficial impacts on water quality. Also, the application of existing regulations may not allow for sufficient flexibility in developing and improving conservation measures.

Focus of Regulatory Coordination and Streamlining:

• Simplify existing permitting process
• Improve effectiveness of existing regulations
• Strengthen collaboration between regulatory agencies and landowners

Funding Mechanisms and Incentives
Despite good intentions and a willingness to implement additional or modify existing management practices on their land, growers and ranchers are sometimes discouraged from doing so due to significant initial costs for construction and then ongoing maintenance.

Focus of Funding Mechanisms and Incentives:

• Improve access to funding information
• Broaden applicability of cost-share programs
• Increased assistance applying for programs
• Educate owners and operators on long-term economic benefits

Public Lands and Rural Roads
This section of the plan addresses management issues for public and private rural roads, which may include activities other than farming and ranching. Roadways in rural areas can generate erosion and sedimentation problems if not properly maintained.

Focus of Public Lands and Rural Roads:

• Distribute information on best management practices
• Develop resources for road maintenance
• Provide comprehensive outreach on road development and maintenance
• Identify high risk areas

Click here to view the plan on-line.

For more information on the AWQA partnership visit http://awqa.org.

For more information on the Agriculture and Rural Lands Plan, updates on implementation, or to order a copy of the plan, please contact:

Lisa Lurie
Agriculture Water Quality Coordinator
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
299 Foam Street
Monterey, CA 93940
Email: lisa.lurie@noaa.gov
Tele: (831) 647-4219
Fax: (831) 647-4250