the-nutrient-loss-reduction-strategy---lurkins

Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy: What Does It MeanFor Illinois Ag?. Lauren Lurkins Director of Natural and Environmental Resources Illinois Farm Bureau... STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEME

Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy: What Does It Mean

For Illinois Ag?

Lauren Lurkins Director of Natural and Environmental Resources

Illinois Farm Bureau

WHY IS THE STRATEGY NEEDED?

• Gulf Hypoxia Task Force

• USEPA Guidance Memo in March 2011

Purpose: Encourage states to develop nutrient reduction strategies while continuing to develop numeric nutrient standards

Lays out 8 elements of a framework

• Federal litigation in Louisiana

STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT

Stakeholders met August 2013 – May 2014:

 Illinois Department of Agriculture, Illinois EPA

 University of Illinois Science Team

 Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois Pork Producers Association, Illinois

Fertilizer and Chemical Association, Illinois Corn Growers

Association, GROWMARK, Inc

 Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts

 University of Illinois Extension

 NRCS

 Sanitary Districts/Wastewater Treatment Plants

 Prairie Rivers Network, Environmental Law and Policy Center, Sierra Club

 Illinois Environmental Regulatory Group

STRATEGY IS FINAL…NOW GET TO WORK!

• NLRS was finalized and released in July 2015.

• Now work continuing to IMPLEMENT the NLRS.

SCIENCE ASSESSMENT

• February 2013 – Illinois EPA partnered with University of Illinois to develop the Science Assessment:

Current conditions in Illinois of nutrient sources and

export by rivers in the state from point and non-point sources

Methods that could be used to reduce these losses and estimates of their effectiveness throughout Illinois

Estimates of the costs of statewide and watershed level application of these methods to reduce nutrient losses to meet TMDL and Gulf of Mexico goals

• 8 major river systems used in estimating nutrient loads

• Gaging stations are upriver from the state boundary, so the

estimated area is smaller

• Rock River - Joslin

• Green River - Geneseo

• Illinois River – Valley City

• Kaskaskia River – Venedy Stn.

• Big Muddy River - Murphysboro

• Little Wabash River – Carmi

• Embarras River – Ste Marie

• Vermilion River - Danville

RIVERINE LOADS OF NITRATE-N AND TOTAL P

SCIENCE ASSESSMENT

Illinois contributes 20% of nitrate (410 M lbs) and

11% of phosphorus (37.5 M lbs) that makes it to the Gulf

STRATEGY TARGETS AND COSTS

• Baseline – Average annual loading of nitrate-N and P from the 1980-1996 levels

• Targets – (5 year running average)

 N: 15% by 2025, 45% ultimate

 P: 25% by 2025, 45% ultimate

• Estimated costs – over $800 million annually from point source and nonpoint source, with no new funding sources

N1 MRTN rate, spring-only N application, cover crops on 70

percent of tile-drained and 45 percent non-tiled acres,

bioreactors on 50 percent of acres, wetlands on 30percent

of acres, all ag streams have buffers

N2 MRTN rate, spring-only N application, cover crops on 100

percent of tile-drained and 70 percent of non-tiled acres,

bioreactors on 75percent of acres, perennial crops on

non-tiled acres, point source to 10 mg/L

45 33 4.67 858

N3 MRTN rate, cover crops on 100 percent of tile-drained and 70

percent of non-tiled acres, wetlands on 20 percent of acres,

perennial crops on non-tiled acres, all ag streams have

buffers, point source to 10 mg/L

45 24 4.48 830

N4 MRTN rate, spring-only N application, cover crops on 5

percent of tile-drained acres, bioreactors on 50 percent of

acres, wetlands on 15 percent of acres

20 0.3 3.00 246

N5 MRTN rate, cover crops on 35 percent of tile-drained acres,

bioreactors on 50 percent of acres, wetlands on 15 percent

of acres

20 2 3.00 246

N6 MRTN rate, cover crops on 75 percent of tile-drained and 55

percent of non-tiled acres

20 8 4.78 394

Name Combined practices and scenarios Nitrate-N

(percent reduction)

Total P (percent reduction )

Cost of reduction ($/lb)

Annualized costs (million

$/yr)

Table 3.15 Example statewide nitrate-nitrogen scenarios.

AGRICULTURAL NONPOINT SOURCES

Livestock operations - BMPs included for:

 Land application of manure

 Runoff management from production areas

 Separate from the NLRS, we have new environmental rules for AFOs and CAFOs in Illinois

KEY NLRS COMPONENTS

• Extends ongoing regulatory and voluntary efforts.

• Identifies priority watersheds for nutrient reduction efforts.

• Lays out strategies for improving collaboration among government, non-profits and industry.

• Defines a process for regular review and revision.

• Creates 6 (and counting) ongoing working groups.

ONGOING WORKING GROUPS

1 Policy Work Group

2 Nutrient Monitoring Council

3 Nutrient Science Advisory Committee

4 Agricultural Water Quality Partnership Forum

5 Urban Stormwater Working Group

6 Point Source Working Group

• Summary of all these, meeting agendas, meeting minutes, etc available

on IEPA’s website:

http://www.epa.illinois.gov/topics/water-

quality/watershed-management/excess-nutrients/nutrient-loss-reduction-strategy/index

CURRENT IFB NLRS PRIORITIES

• Education and Outreach

• Research

• Implementation

• Evidence

EDUCATION AND OUTREACH

IFB:

• Iowa Issues Tour in August

• County Farm Bureau meetings

• FarmWeek, RFD radio, Partners magazine, social media

• Toolkit for CFBs (infographics, social media, handouts, resource guide)

• CBMP website – BMPs

• Conservation Story Map

• External meetings

CONSERVATION STORY MAP

• Living document, reviewed/revised every 5 years by the Policy Work

Group

• NREC – BMP

http://www.illinoisnrec.org/

• 2017 programming – STAY TUNED!!!

• Promotion of other programs

• USDA FSA - CRP/CREP

• USDA NRCS – CSP, EQIP

• Watershed-level - IEPA 319 grants

• Partnerships - RCPP

Bureau Lady Landowners Spring Seminar & 4R Field Day

Champaign First Steps I Can Do Video series

Clinton Influence of Manure Management and Cover Crops on Reducing Nutrient Losses Hancock & Adams Water Testing Program

Jo Daviess Cover Crops and Utilization of Nitrogen

Knox Saturated Buffer Field Demonstration

Macoupin Upper Macoupin Creek Watershed Project

Mason Nitrate Awareness and Water Testing Program

Massac, Pulaski-Alexander, Union Nutrient Management Seminar Series

McDonough Nutrient Sampling

Piatt Keeping Our Soil Outta Streams and Rivers

Pike Water Testing in Sny Island Levee and Drainage District

Rock Island, Mercer, Henry,

Whiteside

Early Adopters of Improving Soil Health Thru Nutrient Management

Stephenson, Winnebago-Boone Responsible Nutrient Management

Wayne, Crawford, Edwards,

Hamilton, Lawrence, Richland,

Wabash, White

Tile Drain Monitoring in the Wabash River Valley

PARTNERS

23 SWCDs, 12 NRCS offices, 1 FSA office, 5 Extension offices

2 County Farm Bureau Foundations (Two Rivers, Mason)

IL Department of Agriculture

Commodity Groups: IL Corn Growers, IL Pork Prod., IL Milk Prod., IL Beef Association FS: Ag View, Gateway, Stephenson Service Co., Southern, Prairieland, Wabash Valley Council on Best Management Practices (CBMP)

Colleges: Western IL University, John Wood Community College, Wabash Valley College Professional Labs: Key Agricultural Services, Waters Ag Lab

AgriEnergy, CHS, M&M Service

Terry Wysciskalla

Heartlands Conservancy, Lower Kaskaskia Stakeholders Inc (LKSI)

Maschhoff Pork

American Farmland Trust

Central IL Irrigated Growers Association

Sny Island Levee and Drainage District

Klingner and Associates, P.C.

Forest Preserves of Winnebago County, Boone County Conservation District

tissue testing programs

• Progress will be

reviewed and reported

to the public every 2 years ( FIRST REPORT JULY 2017 ).

• Point sources

• Non-point sources

• INPUTS/HUMAN:

• Ag Water Quality Partnership Forum

Baseline of BMP adoption: 2011 July 1 roll-out Questions about

2011 and 2015

• Adopt the BMPs that work for you on your farm

• Continuous improvement – 4Rs, cover crops, end of pipe practices

• Tell your neighbors! This will take something happening

on every acre.

• Be willing to talk about what you do.

• We are all in this together!