Greater Spokane River RCPP: Finding Common Ground between Environmental and Agricultural Interests

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1 Greater Spokane River RCPP: Finding Common Ground between Environmental and Agricultural Interests Walt Edelen, Water Resources Program Manager Ty Meyer, Production Ag Manager

2 Spokane Environmental Challenges Non-Point Source Pollution Local TMDLs Ag land erosion and nutrient runoff Conflict over buffers and widths Balancing environmental regulation with agricultural viability & reality Negative publicity, loss of public trust

3 Common Goals Maintaining Ag viability Protecting the natural resources Caring for the land Utilizing programs to help mitigate the impacts of implementing BMPs Efforts to resolve issues

4 Muddy waters: Hangman Creek cleanup essential to Spokane River health

5 Riverkeeper sues over Hangman Creek cleanup

6 Negative Publicity Local Agenda Public Perception of Ag

7 Pseudo Science - No QAPP - Snapshot data - Assumptions High turbidity is the result of thousands of tons of sediment due to poor agricultural practices

8 Fine, clay soils in upper watershed

9 Coarse, sandy soils in lower watershed

10 Date Sediment Discharge (tons/day) Estimated Bedload (tons/day) Total Sediment (tons/day) 2/20/ /21/ /22/ /23/ /24/ /25/ /26/ /27/ /28/

11 Pseudo Science - No QAPP - Snapshot data - Assumptions Nitrates in Hangman Creek may originate from fertilizer allowed to run off farmland

12 Conservation tillage vs: Conventional

13 Pseudo Science - No QAPP - Snapshot data - Assumptions High water temperatures are caused by lack of shade plants

14 Typical ponded reach

15 Typical canyon reach

16 Farm impacted reach

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18 These data show that Ecology rarely uses their regulatory ability and agricultural pollution violations continue to go unaddressed in Washington State. Riverkeeper office

19 This inaction has created a norm in which agricultural industry breaks the law with impunity and virtually ignores water quality concerns. Ultimately, this inaction has sent a clear message that actual protection of the public s surface water is not a priority for WDOE and emboldened polluters with the message that absolutely no enforcement is forthcoming for violators. In our watershed, as across the State, lawful behavior has broken down and as a result, the public is knowingly being deprived of clean water

20 Regional Conservation Partnership Program Address non-point source pollution issues in Spokane River Basin (bi-state proposal) Nationwide competition for funds (284 apps) Innovative programs encouraged Requested $10 million and were awarded $7.7 million (1:1 Match leverage) Once in a lifetime opportunity!

21 RCPP Partners Partners from former watershed groups and many new ones (over 20 partners) Spokane and CDA Tribes Idaho Dept. of Lands Conservation CDs Lands Council Pacific Northwest Direct Seed Association Many others

22 Project Area 6,640 sq. miles 2,295 WA 4,345 ID 4,249,600 acres

23 Big Objectives Approximately 150,000 acres of conservation 120,100 acres of conservation tillage 20,000 acres of precision ag. 750 acres of riparian buffer/filter strips (commodity) 400 acres of conservation easements (ag and forest) 8,750 acres of forest stand improvements Reduction of 600,000 tons of soil erosion by Improve water and air quality, soil health, and habitat. Timeline 2016 through 2021

24 RCPP Programs Conservation Stewardship Program CSP provides financial and technical assistance to promote the conservation and improvement of soil, water, air, energy, plant and animal life, and other conservation purposes on tribal and private working lands. Contracts (five years in length with the option of extension) are based on meeting or exceeding a stewardship threshold." Environmental Quality Incentives Program EQIP provides financial and technical assistance to producers and land owners to plan and install structural, vegetative, and land management practices on eligible lands to alleviate natural resource problems.

25 RCPP Programs Agricultural Conservation Easement Program ACEP provides financial and technical assistance through two types of easements: agricultural land easements that limit non-agricultural uses on productive farm or grass lands, and wetland reserve easements that protect and restore wetlands. Agricultural Land Easements (ALE) Wetland Reserve Easement (WRE) Healthy Forests Reserve Program HFRP assists landowners in restoring and enhancing forest ecosystems using 10-year agreements, 30-year contracts, 30-year easements, and permanent easements.

26 RCPP Innovation Edge of Field Monitoring Research on farms provides an important link between plot and watershed scale research. Also a way to actively engage farmers in discussions on local water quality issues. Some of the critical issues are effective monitoring and identifying the best approaches to monitoring from individual farms.

27 RCPP Innovation Drone Services Qualitative and quantitative imaging Precision Ag services

28 RCPP Innovation The Commodity Buffer Buffers are a foul-tasting medicine producers have to swallow in order to protect water quality. They are contentious due to loss of most productive bottom land. Our effort is to reverse the thought process from I can t do buffers to Why wouldn t I buffer the stream?

29 Commodity Buffer SCD research shows that buffers work better in a system than stand alone. Our new program CAN do the following! Fairly compensate a producer annually for value of buffer area out of. Protect a producer s bottom line. Make the buffer an asset instead of a liability.

30 Commodity Buffer Funding The SCD Commodity Buffer Program does not currently fit within NRCS Programs. Washington State Conservation Commission has agreed to assist in financial assistance for WA. We need $ for Idaho Commodity Buffer Program.

31 Farmed Smart Sustainable Ag Certification

32 Offers farmers a promotable consumer brand for their adherence to defined conservation standards, certifies that they are utilizing sustainable practices, and develops markets for certified sustainable product

33 37 Criteria Evaluated in 6 Categories 1. Water Quality 2. Air Quality 3. Soil Health 4. Wildlife Habitat 5. Energy Conservation 6. Economic Sustainability Points are awarded on a best management practices rating scale that allows for a variety of management methods and equipment to be used a resultsoriented approach Cumulative score must be met with no disqualifying criteria

34 Key Criteria 1) Improve water quality Soil Tillage Index Rating Low disturbance <30 STIR Required usage of precision placement for applying fertilizer % reduction in chemical usage through overlap alone Use of soil tests to develop nutrient management plan Implement buffer strips along water sources

35 Buffers on a typical farm: 38.5 Acres using WA regulatory requirements for buffer widths

36 Tons/acre Sediment Delivery Average Annual STIR Rating Conventional with 35 Ft. Buffer Sed. delivery, t/ac/yr Average Annual STIR value

37 Enhanced Mulch Till Enhanced Mulch Till Mulch Till High Disturbance STIR 30 or Less + Farmed SMART Certified 30 or Less Ephemeral/ Short Term Intermittent (0-6 Months) Stream Order 1, 2 Intermittent (7-10 months) Stream Order 2, 3 Low Disturbance/High Residue Field is Buffer No Additional Setback Needed 10'+50% Max Payment 10 Ft. Setback (Filter Strip Standard) Low Disturbance/High Residue Field is Buffer No Additional Setback Needed 20'+50% Max Payment 20 Ft. Setback (Filter Strip Standard) Payment NA 20 Ft. Setback (Filter Strip Standard) 20' Max payment 35 Ft. Setback (Filter Strip Standard) Payment NA 35 Ft. Setback (Filter Strip Standard) 20' Max payment 50 Ft. Setback (Filter Strip Standard) Buffer Table Perennial (11+ Months) Stream Order 3, 4, 5 35'+50% Max Payment 35 Ft. Setback (Filter Strip allowing bank vegetation) 35'+50% Max Payment 35 Ft. Setback (Filter Strip allowing bank vegetation) 35' Max Payment 50 Ft. Setback (Filter Strip allowing bank vegetation) 35' Max Payment 75 Ft. Setback (Filter Strip allowing bank vegetation) Perennial Major Fish-bearing Stream Order 6+ 50'+50% Max Payment 50 Ft. Setback (Filter Strip allowing bank vegetation) 50'+50% Max Payment 50 Ft. Setback (Filter Strip allowing bank vegetation) 35' Max Payment 60 Ft. Setback (Filter Strip allowing bank vegetation) 35' Max Payment 75 Ft. Setback (Filter Strip allowing bank vegetation) Residue Thresholds None None Min 30% Cover Min 50% Cover

38 4.25 Acres 38.5 Acres

39 89% Reduction in Buffer Acres needed IF: Farmed Smart Certified Using the correct upland farming practices 4.25 Acres

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43 Commodity Buffer Payment Analysis Acres in Buffers (Determined by the Buffer Table) APH (Actual Proven History) Yields for the adjacent Crops Utilize RMA MPCI Crop Prices Projected price today is $5.45/Bushel for winter wheat Acres in buffers APH of 80 Bushels/acre - $5.45/Bushel BUT We are also giving a Productivity Boost on this land of 30% and a 50% Bonus increase in buffer acres!

44 Commodity Buffer Payment Analysis Productivity Boost = APH + 30% or 80 Bushels/acre + 24 Bu/acre = 104 Bu/acre APH Buffer Acre Bonus = 4.25 Actual Acres + 50% Bonus or 2.13 acres = 6.38 acres 6.38 Acres x 104 bu/acre APH x $5.45/bushel = $3,616 Gross Rev in Year 1 Adjustment for Variable Cost 35% $3,616 x 65% = $2,350 Net Income $2,350 Net Income / 4.25 Actual Acres = $552/acre payment for fall wheat

45 Commodity Buffer Payment Analysis Guarantee a minimum of $200/acre rental payment Market price increase: If the price of wheat is higher than the RMA MPCI projected price on October 15 th, 50% of the increase will be added to the RMA Price! Maintenance is required on all filter strips installed. This can include haying after the nesting period of July 1 st.

46 RCPP Next Steps First sign up was in November 2016 Working with landowner applications to complete interviews and ranking projects (5 contracts so far ) 0ver 44 acres of buffers (21 miles of waterways!) Complete NRCS Contract process Implement Commodity Buffer Program (on ground) Monitoring Plan development Continue Outreach Plan development

47 Spokane RCCP Website Project Contact: Walt Edelen Water Resource Manager , ext. 224