State
Another section of the Mississippi Sound safe for swimming again, but 3 others still are not
WLOX
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI (WLOX) -The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality lifted one Water Contact Advisory and issued another Wednesday afternoon. Two other advisories remain in effect.
GASOLINE SPILL AT PASS CHRISTIAN HARBOR
WXXV
Mechanical failure caused nearly 50 gallons of diesel fuel to spill onto a dock at Pass Christian Harbor today.
http://www.wxxv25.com/2016/08/31/gasoline-spill-pass-christian-harbor/
PCET MOVES TO WEST POINT
WCBI
WEST POINT, Miss.(WCBI)—Plum Creek Environmental technology is relocating. In an announcement today, the recycling equipment manufacturer, originally based in Columbus, is officially welcomed to West Point.
http://www.wcbi.com/pcet-moves-west-point/
Warnock new CMU engineer as ousted utility chairman alleges corruption
Madison County Journal
CANTON — The former chairman of the Canton Municipal Utilities Board of Commissioners says corruption is afoot here in the county seat with a nearly $1 million annual sludge removal contract at the center of it all. http://onlinemadison.com/Content/Default/News/Article/Warnock-new-CMU-engineer-as-ousted-utility-chairman-alleges-corruption-/-3/592/38470
World Energy buys Elevance’s Natchez facility
Natchez Democrat
NATCHEZ — A Boston-based biofuels company has purchased Elevance’s biorenery facility in Natchez and may potentially add 15 jobs at the plant. http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/2016/09/01/world-energy-buys-elevances-natchez-facility/
Tax-forfeited property up for auction
Clarion Ledger
Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann announced Wednesday that online bidding is open on properties that reverted to the state because of non-payment of taxes. The 379 parcels are valued at $7.4 million and include the old Southport Mall Shopping Center on Ellis Avenue, which has a market value of $1.46 million.
PLAN TO RID MISSISSIPPI OF ABANDONED EYESORES
WXXV
Eleven years have passed since Katrina struck South Mississippi and some eyesores are still left behind. That could soon change if the U.S. Department of Treasury approves a new program.
http://www.wxxv25.com/2016/08/31/plan-rid-mississippi-abandoned-eyesores/
Regional
Report: Improvements needed at Asheville Superfund site
WRAL
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — There's been progress in investigating and cleaning up an Asheville Superfund site since 2012, but the speed of the work and investigations could be improved, a new report says.
http://www.wral.com/report-improvements-needed-at-asheville-superfund-site/15977027/
National
Obama rolls out climate initiatives for Western US
The Hill
President Obama is unveiling millions of dollars in programs Wednesday to help the Western United States adapt to the effects of climate change.
Ozone smog from domestic oil and gas boom blamed for 750k child asthma attacks
Denver Post
Environmental health groups analyzing government air quality data have concluded ozone smog from domestic oil and gas production is causing hundreds of thousands of asthma attacks in children under 18 – with Colorado and metro Denver among places hardest hit.
http://www.denverpost.com/2016/08/31/ozone-smog-from-oil-and-gas-industry-children-asthma-study/
Idaho seeks federal approval to regulate water pollution
AP
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho wants to take over regulating pollution discharge into the state’s lakes and rivers from the federal government.
http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/idaho-seeks-federal-approval-to-regulate-water-pollution/
'How dare you ... let our kids play in lead and arsenic soil,' says mom to Indiana officials
CNN
(CNN)Imagine getting a letter from a federal agency saying that your yard is exposing your children to an invisible poison that is known to decrease IQ. Then, you find out the agency tested for this toxic substance more than a year and a half ago, but the results are just now being delivered to you. And you learn that your 2-year-old shows blood-lead levels 6.6 times above the upper level of concern set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That nightmare is Shantel Allen's reality.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/30/health/indiana-lead-contamination/index.html
Opinion
Schneiderman’s Climate Secrets
What is New York’s Attorney General trying to hide?
WSJ
When Eric Schneiderman and 16 other Democratic state attorneys general announced in March that they were targeting Exxon Mobil for its alleged heresy on climate change, they called themselves “AGs United for Clean Power.” A better name would have been AGs United for More Power. To great media fanfare, they unleashed a series of broad subpoenas designed to intimidate dissenters from the Obama orthodoxy on climate change.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/schneidermans-climate-secrets-1472616000
Sid Salter: State budget woes harken to 2010
Clarion Ledger
STARKVILLE – Mississippi’s college football season isn’t the only thing that gets underway in earnest in September each year.
September also marks the beginning of the Mississippi Legislature’s formal budget preparation process, which starts months before the beginning of the 2017 regular session in January with legislative budget hearings.
Press Releases
Plum Creek Environmental Expanding in North Mississippi
Jackson, Miss. – Plum Creek Environmental, manufacturer and distributor of waste and recycling containers and equipment, is expanding in North Mississippi, investing $825,000 and creating 50 jobs.
“I appreciate the Plum Creek Environmental team for bringing 50 new jobs to the people of North Mississippi by expanding to accommodate the company’s growth,” Gov. Phil Bryant said. “When companies choose to expand in our state, they demonstrate to the world Mississippi has the competitive advantage needed for success in today’s dynamic marketplace.”
Founded in Columbus, Plum Creek Environmental is expanding into a larger facility previously occupied by Long Branch in West Point.
“We are excited to find a property in West Point that will greatly enhance our production capacity and allow us to tap into a skilled talent pool of production welders,” said Jim Wamble, president and CEO of Plum Creek Environmental Technologies. “We appreciate the assistance of the GTR LINK, the Golden Triangle Planning and Development District, the Mississippi Development Authority, Clay County Board of Supervisors and the city of West Point in supporting our development."
The Mississippi Development Authority is providing assistance for building and infrastructure improvements. The city of West Point and Clay County are providing 10-year ad valorem tax abatements.
“MDA is pleased to support Plum Creek Environmental as it expands its operations in West Point, creating new career opportunities for Mississippians in the region,” said MDA Executive Director Glenn McCullough, Jr. “We salute our economic development partners at the Golden Triangle Development LINK, the city of West Point, Clay County and the Golden Triangle Planning and Development District, who played an important role in this project.”
Plum Creek Environmental currently has 35 employees. The company expects to begin operations in its new West Point location by the beginning of 2017.
EPA Offers up to $80,000 to Communities to Develop Air Sensor Data Best Practices
By Ann Dunkin, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
SMART CITIES AIR CHALLENGE INFORMATION
- Application Deadline: October 28, 2016
- Announcement of Winners: Around December 1, 2016
- Initial award: Up to $40,000 each to two communities to deploy air sensors, share data with
the public, and develop data management best practices from sensors - Additional funding: Up to $10,000 each to the winning communities in 2017 based on their
accomplishments and collaboration.
I came to the EPA with a firm belief that data can make a difference in environmental protection. Since I’ve been here I’ve found that communities are leading the way by using data to understand local conditions and operate efficiently. That’s why I’m excited to announce EPA’s Smart City Air Challenge.
This new challenge encourages communities to install hundreds of air quality sensors and manage the resulting data. EPA is offering two communities up to $40,000 each to work with their residents to crowdsource air quality data and share it with the public online. The projects will give individuals a role in collecting the data and understanding how environmental conditions affect their health and their community.
Air quality sensors are becoming less expensive and people are beginning to use them to measure pollution levels in their neighborhoods and homes. They’re developing rapidly, but most sensors aren’t ready for regulatory use. However, by networking these devices, communities can better understand what is happening at the local level. Communities will figure out where to place the sensors and how to maintain the devices. It’s up to each community to decide what pollutants they want to measure.
The prize funds serve as seed money, so communities will need to partner with other parties, such as sensor manufacturers, data management companies and universities. These partners can provide resources and expertise in topics where communities lack experience. In doing so, communities will learn how to use data analytics, which can be applied to other aspects of community life.
What does EPA get out of this? We’ll learn how communities collect, store and manage large amounts of data. We’ll also get a better understanding of the quality of data communities collect using sensors for non-regulatory purposes. We’ll see how communities transfer data from sensors to databases and visualize the results. Finally, the sensors will produce as much as 150 gigabytes of open data a year —data anyone can use.
EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy often says communities are “incubators for innovation.” We’re hoping the challenge will inspire communities to come up with innovative approaches for managing data so their residents and other communities can benefit. Show us how it’s done.
For more information: http://www.challenge.gov/challenge/smart-city-air-challenge/
For more information: https://blog.epa.gov/blog/2016/08/smart-cities-air-challenge
EPA and Partners Join White House Officials to Convene First Clean Energy Savings for All Summit and Kick-off Redevelopment of Former Landfill into a Solar Farm in Spartanburg, S.C.
Contact Information: Davina Marraccini, 404-562-8293 (direct), 404-562-8400 (main), marraccini.davina@epa.gov
ATLANTA – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and senior Obama Administration officials convened in Spartanburg, S.C., to host a Clean Energy Savings for All Summit – the first of a series planned across the country. This event provided local officials, advocates, community organizations and members of the public an opportunity to interact directly with the Obama Administration and local leaders to learn about current efforts to reduce air pollution, deploy clean energy and energy efficiency, and build an inclusive clean energy economy that engages low-income communities. The Summit featured a ceremony marking the kickoff of the Arkwright Solar Power Facility Development, a solar farm that will be built over the now capped Arkwright landfill, a former source of pollution and contamination in the community.
Last year, the Obama Administration announced a set of actions to increase access to solar and create a more inclusive workforce. In July 2016, the Administration announced a new cross government partnership – the Clean Energy Savings For All Initiative – between EPA and the Departments of Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture, Health and Human Services and Veteran’s Affairs to increase access to solar energy and promote energy efficiency across the United States, and in particular in low- and moderate- income communities.
“Spartanburg is undergoing a transformation from a contaminated, low-income area into a livable and vibrant community,” said Mustafa Ali, EPA’s Senior Advisor on Environmental Justice. “This type of community-driven revitalization is a model that can be replicated across the country in our overburdened communities. Through today’s Summit, I’m thrilled to see this community lifted up as an example of what can happen when government partners enter a dialogue with communities and help turn their vision into reality.”
As a part of this initiative, the Administration, in collaboration with state agencies, announced a new goal to bring one gigawatt of solar to low- and moderate- income families by 2020. This goal is a 10 fold increase and an expansion of the initial target President Obama set in his Climate Action Plan to install 100 megawatts of renewable energy on federally-assisted affordable housing by 2020. The Clean Energy Savings for All Summits will help achieve the goal by promoting innovative financing mechanisms, bolstering technical assistance for states and communities, and bringing stakeholders together to share best practices on how to finance and overcome barriers to creating healthier communities.
EPA and the White House hosted the first of the Clean Energy Savings for All Summit in Spartanburg to highlight the successful partnership created by the ReGenesis Project, a nonprofit organization that has partnered with Duke Energy, Solvay, the City of Spartanburg, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and others to develop a solar farm on the Arkwright Dump site. The former Superfund site is a 30-acre property located at the north end of Hilltop Lane in the Arkwright neighborhood, immediately south of the city boundary of Spartanburg. What once was a source of pollution and blight, the former Arkwright landfill has been remediated. Plans call for the installation of 12,000 solar panels that will bring jobs and a source of clean energy that will power almost 500 homes in the surrounding neighborhood.
The solar farm is a major achievement of the work that the ReGenesis Project has done to promote the cleanup of and reinvestment in the Arkwright and Forest Park neighborhoods in Spartanburg. Over the last 15 years, ReGenesis has leveraged an initial grant of $20,000 from the EPA's Office of Environmental Justice into $270 million worth of community-driven investments, including: the development of over 500 new affordable housing units; the establishment of the ReGenesis Community Health Center; the establishment of the C.C. Woodson Community Center (a green recreational facility); and the creation of job opportunities for neighborhood residents in both construction and at the nearby Solvay plant.
President Obama is committed to ensuring that every American family can choose to go solar and to cut their energy bills, and that every American community has the tools they need to tackle local air pollution and global climate change. Since President Obama took office, solar electricity generation has increased 30 fold and solar jobs are growing 12 times faster than the rest of the economy.
*Fish and Wildlife Service Conducting Five-Year Status*
*Reviews of 22 Southeastern Species*
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will conduct five-year status reviews of
15 endangered and seven threatened species occurring across the southeastern United States. The public is invited to provide information and comments concerning these species on or before October 31, 2016.
These reviews will ensure listing classifications under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) reflect the latest available information and data. In addition to reviewing the classification of these species, a five-year review presents an opportunity to track the species’ recovery progress, and may benefit species by providing valuable information to guide future conservation efforts.
Information gathered during a review can influence funding decisions, considerations related to reclassifying species status, conducting interagency consultations, making permitting decisions, and determining whether to update recovery plans and other actions.
The notice covers 15 endangered mussels, mice, plants, snails, a fish, and a woodrat listed here: Alabama beach mouse, Choctawhatchee beach mouse, Key Largo woodrat, Boulder darter, Oyster mussel, Turgid blossom, Georgia pigtoe, Interrupted rocksnail, Rough hornsnail, Alabama leather flower, Appalachicola rosemary, Crenulate lead-plant, Black-spored quillwort, Mat-forming quillwort, and Gentian pinkroot.
It also includes seven threatened species including a mussel, a snail, and plants identified here: Louisiana pearlshell, Tulotoma snail, Little amphianthus, Lyrate bladderpod, Godfrey’s butterwort, Garber’s spurge, and Seabeach amaranth.
Specifically, this review seeks information on: (1) species biology, including population trends, distribution, abundance, demographics, and genetics; (2) habitat conditions, including amount, distribution, and suitability; (3) conservation measures that have been implemented; (4) threat status and trends; and, (5) other new information, data, or corrections, including taxonomic or nomenclatural changes; identification of erroneous information contained in the ESA list; and improved analytical methods.
Comments and materials received will be available for public inspection by appointment.
The *Federal Register* notice announcing the status review of these 22 federally listed species is available on-line at https://www.fws.gov/policy/ frsystem/default.cfm.
Written comments and information on the specific species may be e-mailed, faxed, or sent via regular mail to:
*Mammals*
*Alabama beach mouse:* Alabama Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1208-B Main Street, Daphne, Alabama, 36526; fax 251-441-6222. For information, contact Bill Lynn at the Ecological Services Field Office by telephone at 251-441-5181, or by e-mail at william_lynn@fws.gov.
*Choctawhatchee beach mouse:* Panama City Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1601 Balboa Avenue, Panama City, Florida, 32405; fax 850-763-2717. For information, contact Kristi Yanchis at the Ecological Services Field Office by telephone at 850-769-0552, or by e-mail at kristi_yanchis@fws.gov.
*Key Largo woodrat:* South Florida Ecological Services Field Office, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, 1339 20th Street, Vero Beach, Florida, 32960; fax 772-469-4265. For information, contact Sandra Sneckenberger at the Ecological Services Field Office by telephone at 772-469-4321, or by e-mail at sandra_sneckenberger@fws.gov.
*Fishes, Clams, and Snails*
*Boulder darter, Oyster mussel, and Turgid blossom:* Tennessee Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 446 Neal Street, Cookeville, Tennessee, 38501; fax 931-528-7075. For information, contact Stephanie Chance at the Ecological Services Field Office by telephone at 931-528-6481, ext. 211, or by e-mail at stephanie_chance@fws.gov.
*Louisiana pearlshell:* Louisiana Ecological Services Field Office, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, 646 Cajundome Blvd., Suite 400, Lafayette, Louisiana, 70506; fax 337-291-3139. For information, contact Monica Sikes at the Ecological Services Field Office by telephone at 337-291-3118, or by e-mail at monica_sikes@fws.gov.
*Georgia pigtoe, Interrupted rocksnail, Tulotoma snail, and Rough
hornsnail:* Alabama Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1208-B Main Street, Daphne, Alabama, 36526. For information, contact Jennifer Grunewald at the Ecological Services Field Office by telephone at 251-441-6633, or by e-mail at Jennifer_Grunewald@fws.gov
*Plants*
*Alabama leather flower:* Mississippi Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 6578 Dogwood View Parkway, Jackson, Mississippi, 39213; fax 601-965-4340. For information on these species, contact Scott Wiggers at the Ecological Services Field Office by telephone at 601-965-4900, or by e-mail at marion_wiggers@fws.gov.
*Appalachicola rosemary, Godfrey’s butterwort, and Gentian pinkroot: * Panama City Ecological Services Field Office, Panama City Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1601 Balboa Ave., Panama City, Florida, 32405; fax 850-763-2717. For information, contact Vivian Negron-Ortiz at the Ecological Services Field Office by telephone at 850-769-0552, or by e-mail at vivian_negron-ortiz@fws.gov.
*Crenulate lead-plant and Garber’s spurge:* South Florida Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1339 20th Street, Vero Beach, Florida, 32960; fax 772-469-4265. For information, contact David Bender at the Ecological Services Field Office by telephone at 772-469-4294, or by e-mail at david_bender@fws.gov.
*Lyrate bladderpod:* Alabama Ecological Services Field Office, Alabama Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1208-B Main Street, Daphne, Alabama, 36526; fax 251-441-6222. For information, contact Shannon Holbrook at the Ecological Services Field Office by telephone at 251-441-5181, or by e-mail at shannon_holbrook@fws.gov.
*Little amphianthus, black-spored quillwort, mat-forming quillwort:* Georgia Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
105 Westpark Drive, Suite D, Athens, Georgia, 30606; fax 706-613-6059. For information, contact Deborah Harris at the Ecological Services Field Office by telephone at 706-613-9493, ext. 224, or by e-mail at deborah_harris@fws.gov.
*Seabeach amaranth*: Raleigh Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 33726, Raleigh, North Carolina 33726; fax 919-856-4558. For information, contact Dale Suiter at the Ecological Services Field Office by telephone at 919-856-4520, ext 18, or by e-mail at dale_suiter@fws.gov.
Proposed Policy will Help Address Impacts of Development on Nation’s Most At-Risk Species, Preserve Environmental Legacy for Future Generations Compensatory mitigation policy provides mechanisms to help further protect endangered or threatened species and their habitats while allowing economic activity to continue
August 31, 2016
*Contact(s):*
Gavin Shire, 703-358-2649, gavin_shire@fws.gov
Answering President Obama’s call to ensure economic development, infrastructure and national security goals are compatible with environmental preservation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced a proposal to effectively and sustainably offset adverse impacts of development activities to the nation’s most at-risk species and their habitats.
In his November 2015 memorandum, the President directed the Department of the Interior to update its existing mitigation policy and craft a new policy that addresses mitigation of impacts on species that are listed, or may soon need to be listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
As a result, the Service released a proposed revised Mitigation Policy <https://www.fws.gov/endangered/improving_esa/cmp.html> in March 2016 and is now proposing a draft Compensatory Mitigation Policy (CMP). The CMP provides clear and consistent measures to address anticipated but unavoidable adverse impacts of proposed actions on listed species and other resources of concern. Most significantly, the draft policy moves the Service from project-by-project mitigation to strategic mitigation planning at the landscape level. It also sets standards and provides criteria that mitigation programs and projects can meet to achieve conservation goals.
“Despite our best efforts to avoid and minimize impacts on the environment, there will almost always be some impacts that are unavoidable. Where at-risk species are concerned, we must ensure to the greatest extent possible that those impacts are compensated for,” said Gary Frazer, the Service’s Assistant Director for Ecological Services. “This policy takes a landscape-level approach to mitigation that will assist the Fish and Wildlife Service in modernizing our compensatory mitigation practices and meeting the challenges posed by a growing human population, climate change and other human-induced threats, while still being compatible with today’s vital economic activity.”
The proposed CMP is the first comprehensive treatment of compensatory mitigation under authority of the ESA to be issued by the Service. The policy replaces previous policies and guidance documents and expands coverage to all compensatory mitigation mechanisms recommended or supported by the Service when implementing the ESA including: permittee-responsible mitigation, conservation banking, in-lieu fee programs, habitat credit exchanges and other third party mitigation arrangements. The benefits provided by these mitigation programs will encourage and incentivize federal agencies and applicants to develop proposed actions that compensate for adverse impacts to affected species.
The CMP adopts the guiding principles from the proposed revised Mitigation Policy <https://www.fws.gov/endangered/improving_esa/cmp.html>, including the goal of ensuring that, at a minimum, an action results in no net loss toward achieving conservation outcomes for affected resources, or a net benefit in conservation outcomes, whenever the situation merits and doing so is allowed by law.
The proposed policy will publish in the *Federal Register* on September 2, 2016. Written comments and information concerning this proposal can be submitted by one of the following methods:
- Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments to Docket No. [FWS-HQ-ES-2015-0165];
or
- U. S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, Attn:
[FWS-HQ-ES-2015-0165]; Division of Policy, Performance and Management
Programs; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 5275 Leesburg Pike - MS: BPHC
Falls Church, VA 22041-3808.
Comments must be received within 45 days, on or before October 17, 2016.
The Service will post all comments on http://www.regulations.gov. This generally means the agency will post any personal information provided through the process. The Service is not able to accept email or faxes.
The mitigation principles and compensatory mitigation standards identified in this draft policy are part of the Service’s efforts to improve the implementation of the ESA. For more information: https://www.fws.gov/ endangered/improving_esa/cmp.html.
Agriculture, Food, Environmental Leaders Launch Effort to Support Farmers, Strengthen Conservation in Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska
Midwest Row Crop Collaborative Founding Members Include Cargill, Environmental Defense Fund, General Mills, Kellogg Company, Monsanto, PepsiCo, The Nature Conservancy, Walmart, World Wildlife Fund
Nature Conservancy
BOONE, Iowa | August 31, 2016
For the first time ever, leading food and agriculture supply chain companies and conservation organizations have formed an “end-to-end” partnership to support farmers in the improvement of soil health and water quality. The collective announced today the launch of the Midwest Row Crop Collaborative — a broad-based effort to support, enhance, and accelerate the use of environmentally preferable agricultural practices already underway in Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska.
As part of this effort, the Collaborative has committed to raising $4 million over five years to help accelerate the Soil Health Partnership, a farmer-led initiative of the National Corn Growers Association. With 65 farm sites already a part of the effort, the Soil Health Partnership’s goal is to enroll 100 farms for field-scale testing and measuring management practices that improve soil health. Such practices include growing cover crops, implementing conservation tillage like no-till or strip-till, and using adaptive, innovative, and science-based nutrient management techniques.
The Soil Health Partnership’s research is quantifying the economic benefits of these practices, equipping farmers and agronomists with information on how healthy soil benefits both their bottom line and our natural resources.
The Midwest Row Crop Collaborative’s founding members include Cargill, Environmental Defense Fund, General Mills, Kellogg Company, Monsanto, PepsiCo, The Nature Conservancy, Walmart, and World Wildlife Fund.
“As an agricultural and food company, Cargill sees the MRCC as a way to support and accelerate the adoption of existing conservation programs set up by farmers and work with customers and organizations that share sustainability goals with the ag community,” said David MacLennan, chairman and CEO of Cargill.
“This collaboration between environmental organizations and some of the world’s largest agriculture-based companies should lead to significantly ramped-up water conservation in the Midwest,” said Mark R. Tercek, president and CEO of The Nature Conservancy. “TNC is eager to use our science and expertise to accelerate solutions that match the scale of the challenges we face in that region, such as improving water quality across the Midwest and addressing the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.”
The Collaborative plans to initially focus on optimizing soil health practices outcomes, reducing nutrient losses — chiefly nitrogen and phosphorus — into the rivers and streams of the Mississippi River Basin, maximizing water conservation to reduce pressure on the Ogallala Aquifer, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Most importantly, the Midwest Row Crop Collaborative is committed to working with others — farmer organizations, environmental groups, and state and local watershed partnerships — to achieve the goals outlined in the Gulf Hypoxia Taskforce action plan and respective state nutrient and water loss reduction plans. Those common goals include:
· By 2025, 75 percent of row crop acres in Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska are engaged in the sustainability measures that will result in optimizing Field to Market Fieldprint® analyses and soil health practices outcomes.
· By 2025, reduce nitrogen loading from Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska by 20 percent as a milestone to meet agreed upon Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force goal of 45 percent reduction in nitrogen and phosphorus loading.
· By 2025, 50 percent of all irrigation units used in Nebraska will maximize water conservation to reduce pressure on the Ogallala Aquifer.
· By 2035, Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska have met the 45 percent nutrient loss reduction goal, and partnerships and goals are established to expand the Collaborative across the Upper Mississippi River Basin.
The Collaborative will employ four strategies to improve positive environmental and social outcomes in the Upper Mississippi River Basin. These strategies are:
· Building the Business Case: build data and engage farmers via the Soil Health Partnership;
· Sustainable Agriculture Resource Center: provide training and technical support for ag retailers and crop advisors to help scale conservation practices such as fertilizer optimization and cover crop adoption;
· Policy Engagement: plan for and understand drivers and incentives for in-field, edge-of-field, and landscape conservation practices; and,
· Communications: catalyze change in the region and help consumers understand these efforts by highlighting the innovation of farmers making measurable progress.
The Midwest Row Crop Collaborative has partnered with the Keystone Policy Center to facilitate its work.
About Midwest Row Crop Collaborative
The Midwest Row Crop Collaborative is a diverse partnership working to scale agricultural solutions that protect air and water quality and enhance soil health while remaining committed to producing enough food to feed the growing global population. These leading companies and conservation groups are all committed to building a broad partnership in three pilot states: Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska. This group will measure and deliver improved environmental outcomes through cross-sector collaboration and continuous improvement throughout the Upper Mississippi River Basin.
http://www.nature.org/newsfeatures/pressreleases/midwest-row-crop-collaborative-announced.xml
