| |
EPA has released species
specific brochures to explain Environmental
Stewardship as it applies to Beef, Dairy,
Poultry and Swine. They can be found at
http://www.epa.gov/agriculture/anafobrochure.html
They are currently only available on the
Internet.
CAFO Rule Breakdown: No
matter what size your operation is, if it is
an AFO, it may be designated as a CAFO upon
inspection by your state's permitting
authority.
An AFO (Animal Feeding
Operation) is defined as: An operation that
has confined animals for at least 45 days in a
12-month period and there's no
grass or other vegetation in the confinement
area during the normal growing season.
|
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS,
LLC FORMS PARTNERSHIP WITH USDA-NRCS
DES MOINES, Iowa –
Environmental Management Solutions, LLC (EMS
LLC) has signed a historic five-year
memorandum of understanding with the United
States Department of Agriculture’s Natural
Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS).
The agreement establishes a working
partnership with NRCS for EMS, LLC to
provide training and certification for
technical service providers who will help
producers adopt sound solutions that work
for the environment and their businesses.
 EMS, LLC is the first private sector company
to establish a working partnership with the
NRCS to provide training and certification
of qualified planners of livestock manure
and wastewater handling and storage, and
other resource management plans. Qualified
planners will work with livestock producers
to develop Comprehensive Nutrient Management
Plans (CNMP), Conservation Plans and
Nutrient Management Plans (NMP). EMS, LLC
will also assist the NRCS in delivering
associated conservation services and
technical assistance which may include
assisting livestock producers in contracting
for Environmental Quality Incentives Program
(EQIP) cost-share funding. All work must
meet USDA standards and specifications.
“The signing of the memorandum of agreement
with the NRCS paves the way for EMS, LLC to
train and certify individuals as qualified
NRCS planners of livestock manure management
plans and other environmental resource
management plans,” said Earl Dotson, EMS,
LLC president and CEO. “EMS, LLC is
committed to helping NRCS and producers find
and adopt sound solutions that work for the
environment.”
 Bruce Knight, NRCS chief, said, “I’m
especially enthusiastic about the EMS, LLC
rigorous certification procedure. It
guarantees U.S. farmers and ranchers will
receive quality technical assistance with
their animal residue management, CNMPs and
nutrient management plans. In most regions
of our nation, farmers and ranchers need
effective CNMP and nutrient management
assistance to ensure their operations remain
profitable.”
Congress recognized the big environmental
challenge facing producers when it passed
the 2002 Farm Bill. The 2002 Farm Bill
authorized the use of third parties, called
technical service providers, to assist the
NRCS in delivering conservation technical
assistance to farmers and ranchers.
“EMS, LLC expertise becomes even more
critical to the NRCS in view of the recently
released U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency standards for Concentrated Animal
Feed Operations (CAFO). These new standards
expand the number of livestock operations
required to obtain National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System permits,“ said
Knight.
 “The environmental challenges facing
livestock producers and farmers today are
too large and complicated for any single
governmental agency to provide all the
technical assistance needed,” said Dotson.
“It takes a team effort and some of the
skills needed are definitely able to be
found outside the public sector. We see our
memorandum of understanding with the NRCS as
just another example of the innovative ways
that NRCS continues to provide leadership in
making sure producers get the assistance
they need. EMS, LLC welcomes the opportunity
to be partners with the NRCS and producers
in protecting our private lands and the
environment.”
Environmental Management Solutions, LLC is
the nation’s leading information source and
technical service provider for livestock
producers wanting science-based business
solutions to environmental situations. EMS,
LLC has been a leader in helping producers
develop effective voluntary environmental
programs, which helps reduce the need for
costly regulatory approaches. EMS, LLC staff
members respond to livestock producer needs
by conducting independent on-farm
environmental assessments, educational
programs, and environmental training,
marketing and systems development. The EMS,
LLC network of 350 trained, certified
professional environmental assessors and
comprehensive nutrient management program (CNMP)
planners are located in 33 states and
address the needs of livestock producers
throughout the United States. For more
information on EMS, LLC, go to
www.emsllc.org on the Internet.
Click here to download the NRCS / EMS MOU
signing audio file*.
*This file requires an
mp3 audio player.
Download one free here. |
Producers who have gone
through the On-Farm Assessment and
Environmental Review (OFAER) Program prior
to May 27, 2003 in the state of IL will be
awarded 15 points on their application for
EQIP funding regarding their operation.
OFAER constitutes 15 of the 20 recognized
educational EQIP points on IL’s application.
EMS, LLC and the OFAER
Program is excited about these new types of
opportunities that exist for producers to
gain additional benefits based on their
OFAER experience. For more information on
the OFAER program, click on the button with
the program title to the left. For more
information on the IL EQIP Program, please
go to <http://www.il.nrcs.usda.gov/NRCShome/eqip/index.html>
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) has published a guide to help producers comply with
the revised Clean Water Act regulations for Concentrated
Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). EPA will be
printing the guide and making it available through its
regional offices, state agricultural agencies and other
sources. The guide will also be available on the
Internet at:
http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/afo/cafofinalrule.cfm
Environmental Management Solutions,
LLC is pleased to announce that effective Monday, December
1, 2003 we can be found at our new office. That
address is: 10654 Justin Drive, Urbandale, Iowa. Our
phone number and PO Box will remain the same.
Dairy & Livestock Producers: Need
Another Set of Eyes? Dairy Herd Management
magazine has published an excellent article about the On
Farm Assessment and Environmental Review Program.
The article overviews the program and interviews dairy and
hog producers who have participated. It also
discusses the benefits to the livestock industry and tells
producers how to get involved.
(click here to read
story)
Iowa NRCS Technical Service
Provider Trainings
Nutrient Management
Workshop & Environmental Quality Incentives
Program Workshop |
|
