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| Money matters for conservation |
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| Written by Jonathan Partridge | Patterson Irrigator | |
| Friday, 30 May 2008 | |
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At a Glance
WESTLEY — A handful of growers, regulators and agency representatives on Wednesday voiced opinions about how money should be spent on an environmental stewardship program funded by the federal Farm Bill. About five people gathered at the Westley fire station with local staff of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to discuss priorities for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. The 11-year-old EQIP program provides cost-sharing opportunities through various conservation programs. In Stanislaus County, it has been used for confined animal feeding operations and air quality and water quality programs among others. “The primary purpose is really to help the people help the land,” said Christopher Hartley, district conservationist with the NRCS Modesto field office. In Stanislaus County, $3.2 million was spent on 89 projects through the EQIP program in 2007. Attendees on Wednesday discussed courses in irrigation management, reduced-risk pest management and other water-related measures as potential priorities. Pest management particularly could become an issue, attendees said. The state Department of Pesticide Regulation is in the process of tightening regulations on pesticide use in the San Joaquin Valley, Ventura County and the Imperial Valley, in accordance with a court order. Fumigant limitations likely will be required in the San Joaquin Valley starting next year. Volatile organic compounds, which are the target of the regulations, are substances that easily evaporate and contribute to smog. “In agriculture around here, fumigants are a huge elephant in the room,” said Patricia Matteson, associate environmental research scientist for the state Department of Pesticide Regulation. Attendees talked about pesticide spray applicators with electric sensors that help spray directly onto plants, but they said the technology is still costly. Matteson said pesticide regulation officials were willing to work with growers through voluntary programs. Water efficiency also was a priority expressed at the meeting. One attendee said many growers are missing out on cost-savings benefits by flooding their fields when only a couple of inches of water will do the trick — if, that is, it’s implemented properly. Some projects that are eligible for EQIP funding will not be in the future, because the program will not cover things that are mandated by law, Hartley explained. For instance, a program that pays nut tree growers to prevent outdoor wood burning will end in 2010, when such burning becomes illegal. Hartley said there still are many unknowns about how what programs will be funded through EQIP this year. “With the new Farm Bill, a whole lot of things will be adjusted,” he said. The NRCS will have two more meetings in Stanislaus County — one in Turlock and one in Oakdale. A work group will make recommendations on local priorities for the EQIP program in August. Hartley said he hopes to know by September how much EQIP money will be allocated to Stanislaus County. To reach Jonathan Partridge at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
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