College of Agricultural Sciences Environment and Natural Resources Institute

Transcription

1 College of Agricultural Sciences Environment and Natural Resources Institute

2 Created in 2005 by Dean Steele in response to a faculty led initiative to promote, facilitate, and catalyze interdisciplinary research, education, and outreach on high priority environmental and resource issues Increase College engagement in environmental problem solving Administrative home to the Environmental Resource Management major Home of the Agriculture and Environment Center

3 Engaging CAS science and outreach to address nutrient pollution is our #1 priority Nutrient pollution in the US is a top priority of the US EPA and many state environmental agencies, including PA DEP Chesapeake Bay Reducing nutrient loads from PA agriculture has been a policy goal since 1983 Local Water Quality Problems Agriculture is #1 source of local water quality impairments in PA (5,603 miles) Siltation is #1 cause of impairments in PA; nutrients are #4

4 A wicked problem Many sources Much from nonpoint sources Invisible contributions Uncertainty Who, where, how much, when? Best management practices? Policy development

5 Establish the College as a leader in facilitating integrated research, outreach, and engagement in solving water quality problems The AEC: Partners with stakeholders Integrates research and extension Enriches student experience with engaged scholarship Engages watershed communities

6 Agriculture in Balance (2008) Reforming Policy for Chesapeake Bay Restoration (2011) Manure de jour (2009/2010) Lower Susquehanna Green Infrastructure Forum (2013) Lower Susquehanna Land and Water Summit (2014) Solving the Wicked Nutrient Problem Seminar/Webinar Series (2014/2015) Centre County Watershed Summit (2014) National Conference on Nutrient Management Innovations (2016)

7 Ag 101 Homeowners Guide to Stormwater

8 Conewago Creek Initiative Little Conestoga Partnership Greening the Lower Susquehanna Lost Creek Partnership Sustainable Watersheds Program at Penn State

9 Farming systems Watershed based management Balancing local management with systems-level challenges Atmospheric deposition Nutrient mass balances at regional scales Economics Management costs, water quality benefits, ecosystem services

10 Policy support Water quality trading & other incentives BMP targeting and selection strategies Community preferences and engagement Clean water community attitudes; landowner preferences for green infrastructure Barriers to BMP adoption Mechanisms to facilitate adoption

11 Science for solutions Multidisciplinary Partnerships Shared discovery Engagement

12 One of 4 centers funded under the EPA-STAR program for National Centers for Innovative and Sustainable Water Research, Incorporating a Systems View of Nutrient Management Novel science to achieve sustainable and cost effective health and environmental outcomes Demonstration projects to support efficacy of water management systems with and beyond current technology and information at appropriate scales Community involvement in the design, acceptance, and implementation of nutrient management systems

13 Kevin Sellner, Chesapeake Research Consortium (Chair) Jennifer Reed Harry, Penn Ag Industries (Co-Chair) Marel Raub, Chesapeake Bay Commission Dan Dostie, USDA NRCS Lamonte Garber, Stroud Water Research Center Harry Campbell, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Andrew Zemba, PA DEP Don McNutt, Lancaster County (PA) Conservation District Kristen Saacke Blunk, Spring Creek Watershed Association Al Todd, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay Joanne Throwe, UMD Environmental Finance Center Dana York, Green Earth Connection LLC Robert Ensor, Howard County (MD) Soil Conservation District Karl Brown, PA State Conservation Commission Bill Neilson, PA Farm Bureau

14 Improved tools for nutrient management at multiple scales for multiple objectives Lessons for Chesapeake Bay nutrient management Stakeholder engagement processes for communitybased solutions