Western New York farmers receive funding to combat agricultural runoff

Western New York farmers receive
funding to combat agricultural runoff

Over $319,400 in funding has been awarded for three projects in Orleans, Genesee and Monroe counties to help farmers protect the state's soil and water resources from agricultural runoff. The funding is available through the New York State Agricultural Non-point Source Abatement and Control Program (ANSCAP).

Funding is for the following projects:

Genesee County Soil and Water Conservation District - $10,050 - For implementation of a comprehensive nutrient management plan on a farm located in both the Tonawanda Creek and Oak Orchard Creek Watersheds. The project will identify and prioritize necessary best management practices to reduce potential sources of pollutants entering the watersheds.
Genesee County Soil and Water Conservation District - $24,590 - For implementing of an agricultural environmental management project, addressing high priority water quality issues on two dairy farms in the Tonawanda Creek Watershed. Both farms will install barnyard water management systems and exclusion fencing systems.
Orleans County Soil and Water Conservation District - $284,763.65 - For implementation of best management practices on four Confined Animal Feeding Operations in the Oak Orchard Watershed. Manure and barnyard management systems along with silage leachate control systems are slated for installation to help prevent nutrient wastes from entering surface waters in the watershed when the ground is frozen, snow covered, or saturated.
Monroe County Soil and Water Conservation District - $491,297.90 - Implementation of BMPs on twelve priority farms in this multi-watershed, multi-county project to help reduce nutrient runoff to the nearby waterbodies. Six barnyard runoff management systems, five manure storage systems, and five silage leachate management systems will be implemented.

ANSCAP is a competitive grant program that is administrated by the State Soil and Water Conservation Committee and the State Department of Agriculture and Markets. It awards cost-share funding to county Soil and Water Conservation Districts to address water quality challenges facing farms around the state. Funding for ANSCAP is provided through the state's Environmental Protection Fund.