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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:
- Establishing
a industry-led regional network to address nonpoint
source management
- Improving
technical information and outreach
- Improving
education and public relations
- Coordinating
and streamlining regulatory system of permitting
- Funding
and economic incentives for management
practices
- 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. AQWA plays an active role in facilitating and
coordinating the implementation of the plan.
AQWA’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, or if you would like to view a summarized
version of the plan, click here.
For more
information on the Agriculture and Rural Lands Plan, updates on
implementation, or to order a copy of the plan, please contact:
Bridget
Dobrowski
Agriculture
Water Quality Coordinator
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
299
Foam Street
Monterey, CA 93940
Email: bridget.dobrowski@noaa.gov
Tele:
(831) 647-4219
Fax: (831) 647-4250
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