Sec. Vilsack announces funds to protect water quality
WASHINGTON,
June 19, 2012—Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that $8.4
million in financial assistance is available to support 23 new partnership
projects in several Mississippi River Basin states under USDA's Mississippi
River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI). These projects will fund
producer activities that will avoid, control and trap sediment and nutrient
runoff from agricultural lands, improving water quality throughout their
operations.
"We
are building on our Mississippi River actions from previous years by continuing
to target priority conservation practices in priority watersheds to improve
water quality in the basin," Vilsack said. "USDA is committed to
working cooperatively with agricultural producers, partner organizations and
state and local agencies to improve water quality and the quality of life for
the millions of people who live in the Mississippi River Basin."
The
MRBI was first announced in September 2009 and provides financial assistance
for voluntary projects in priority watersheds in Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee and
Wisconsin. MRBI is helping producers implement conservation and management
practices that prevent, control and trap nutrient runoff from agricultural
land. Selections were based on the potential for managing nitrogen and
phosphorus -- nutrients associated with water quality problems in the Basin --
while maintaining agricultural productivity and benefiting wildlife. USDA's
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) manages the initiative.
The
23 selected projects are located in Arkansas,
Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, South Dakota and
Wisconsin.
Below
are examples of selected projects and the financial assistance available for
their implementation in fiscal year 2012:
•
Middle
Cache River Project (Arkansas) - $222,900 to improve water quality, reduce
sediment and enhance wildlife habitat in a watershed near the Cache River
National Wildlife Refuge. This project supports the America's Great Outdoors
Initiative, a commitment by federal, state, and local entities to preserve and
protect the nation's natural and cultural heritage. Sponsor: the Jackson County
Conservation District.
•
Upper
Minnesota River Project (South Dakota) - $247,287 to improve water quality by
helping landowners avoid, control and trap nutrient and sediment runoff from
private and Tribal lands. Sponsors: the Roberts Conservation District, the
Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe and others.
•
Lindsey-Honey
Creek Watershed Project (Iowa) - $329,000 to reduce nitrogen entering the
Mississippi River from the Maquoketa River Basin. Sponsor: The Delaware County
Soil and Water Conservation District.
•
Middle
Fork of Salt River Watershed Project (Missouri) - $366,188 to improve and
monitor water quality and agricultural productivity. Sponsor: Randolph County
Soil and Water Conservation District.
The
projects are funded through NRCS's Cooperative Conservation Partnership
Initiative (CCPI), which engages local partners to help provide outreach and
technical assistance to agricultural producers. CCPI funds both new and
existing projects each year. Earlier this year, NRCS provided nearly $64
million in financial assistance through Farm Bill conservation programs to
support the 95 existing MRBI projects first funded in 2010 and 2011.
Learn
more about the CCPI and the MRBI at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs.
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