by Louise Lawrence
The changes are designed to make the law workable for farmers while further protecting the environment. The package is the result of a six-month process initiated by Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. to garner recommendations from a wide range of stakeholders on ways to address concerns about the program, increase compliance, and maximize its effectiveness.
The proposals address enforcement of the law by replacing the contentious “right-of-entry” signature requirement with a verification process under which the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) retains enforcement authority. Further, the availability of financial assistance through any MDA cost-share program would be contingent upon the operation having met its nutrient management requirement.
To streamline the program and reduce paperwork, the plan proposes that farmers submit a report at the end of a growing season that summarizes information about their farms and how the plans were implemented. Records could be kept on-farm with review by MDA. Requirement currently call for pre-planting reporting of each farmers’ intentions and plan updates when changes occur during the season.
In addition, the department may approve alternative technical standards to add flexibility for an operator to meet scientifically determined nutrient requirements for specific crop or production systems that are not currently accounted for in the standards.
Under the proposed package, technical and educational support would expand to qualify more farmers to develop and implement their own nutrient management plans, streamline the existing certification program, develop certification programs targeted to specialty industries such as greenhouses and nurseries and to increase the certification/licensing period from one to three years.
At present MDA has received nutrient management plans for 1,063, 289 acres from 5,164 farmers. An additional 1,522 farmers have verified to MDA that they are in the process of completing plans by submitting justification for delay forms for another 276,474 acres. When added together, compliance accounts for 85 percent of the agricultural land and 75 percent of the farmers who come under the auspices of the Water Quality Improvement Act of 1998.
MDA sponsored a “State of the Science” briefing in July and a Nutrient Management Summit in August as precursors to developing proposed modifications to the program. Over 300 farmers, representatives from farm organizations, nutrient management consultants, environmentalists, and government agency representatives presented their ideas and concerns during the summit. Over 50 recommendations were made and considered as an outcome.
