Chesapeake Bay Program PartnershipHow’s Pennsylvania Doing and How’s the Chesapeake Bay Responding?December 12, 2006: Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership How’s Pennsylvania Doing and How’s the Chesapeake Bay Responding? December 12, 2006


The Susquehanna River is Running Cleaner…Nutrient and Sediment Concentrations are Trending Down: The Susquehanna River is Running Cleaner…Nutrient and Sediment Concentrations are Trending Down Reducing Pollutants


Bay Grasses are Coming Back in the Upper Bay: Bay Grasses are Coming Back in the Upper Bay


Only A Third of the Bay has Sufficient Oxygen: Only A Third of the Bay has Sufficient Oxygen


Striped Bass are Abundant But Individuals are Unhealthy: Striped Bass are Abundant But Individuals are Unhealthy


Blue Crab Population is Still at Risk: Blue Crab Population is Still at Risk


Need to Break the High Flows/More Loads Habit: Nitrogen Loading Goal Need to Break the High Flows/More Loads Habit


Slide10: Estimated Nitrogen Loads by Jurisdiction-2005


Pennsylvania Estimated Nitrogen Loads by Sources Under Average Hydrologic Conditions: Pennsylvania Estimated Nitrogen Loads by Sources Under Average Hydrologic Conditions 27.3 million lbs/year reduction (53%) from agriculture from current levels


Estimated Phosphorus Loads by Jurisdiction-2005: Estimated Phosphorus Loads by Jurisdiction-2005


Pennsylvania Estimated Phosphorus Loads by Sources Under Average Hydrologic Conditions: Pennsylvania Estimated Phosphorus Loads by Sources Under Average Hydrologic Conditions 950 thousand lbs/year reduction (44%) from agriculture from current levels


Pennsylvania Agricultural BMPs Implementation: Progress to Date and Tributary Strategy Goals : Pennsylvania Agricultural BMPs Implementation: Progress to Date and Tributary Strategy Goals


Pennsylvania Agricultural BMPs Implementation: Progress to Date and Tributary Strategy Goals : Also, no implementation reported to-date:  Dairy Precision Feeding, goal = 75% of all dairy  Swine Phytase, goal = 98% of all swine  Ammonia Emission Reductions, goals = 25% dairy, 50% swine, 85% layers + broilers  Stream Restoration, goal = 6.3 miles Pennsylvania Agricultural BMPs Implementation: Progress to Date and Tributary Strategy Goals


Slide16: “To the greatest degree possible, Pennsylvania intends to rely upon currently proposed and existing regulations, and a combination of voluntary programs and incentives to achieve these nutrient reductions.” Pennsylvania’s Chesapeake Bay Tributary Strategy, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, January, 2005.


Will These Programs and Current Infrastructure Be Enough?: Will These Programs and Current Infrastructure Be Enough? Nutrient Trading Market-based initiatives to accelerate nutrient reductions and reduce compliance costs Growing Greener and Growing Greener II Watershed restoration programs Conservation easements CBF Pennsylvania Watershed Restoration Program – riparian forest buffers and wetlands CREP (Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program) Chesapeake Bay Implementation Grant Program Manure-to-Energy Programs Energy Harvest Grant Program Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard First Industries Farm Investment Fund Public-private partnership with PennAg Industries and Wenger Feeds Poultry litter gasification for industrial power production CAFO and manure and nutrient management regulation revisions


Will These Programs and Current Infrastructure Be Enough?: Will These Programs and Current Infrastructure Be Enough? ACRE (Preserving Agriculture, Communities and Rural Environments) Initiative Create an Agriculture Review Board Regulate a greater number and broader variety of farms Enhance enforcement Require best management practices for odor Address federal air quality mandates – air emission problems related to agriculture Close the manure "Export Loophole“ Ensure minimum buffers to streams Improve agriculture impaired streams Appropriate funding for efforts TMDL Program


Will These Programs and Current Infrastructure Be Enough?: Will These Programs and Current Infrastructure Be Enough? Ongoing Agricultural Programs Nutrient Management Plan Implementation Grant Program AgriLink (Agriculture Linked Investment Program) CWA (Clean Water Act) Section 319 Program Chesapeake Bay Targeted Watersheds Grant Program EPA Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants Program Federal Farm Bill Programs CSP (Conservation Security Program) EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) CRP (Conservation Reserve Program)


Conclusions: Conclusions Pennsylvania’s agricultural community is making a difference in local stream and river water quality. The Bay is responding to Pennsylvania’s efforts. While those efforts have been numerous and widespread, they have not been enough to yield large-scale improvements in tidal water and habitat quality. With current funding and existing infrastructure, Pennsylvania and the other watershed jurisdictions are decades away from achieving their tributary strategies, reaching their cap load goals and restoring their rivers and the Bay.


Questions for Consideration: Questions for Consideration What enhancements in infrastructure are needed to support accelerated implementation rates? If you are already working smarter, can you expect to reach your goals just doing more of the same? How can your watershed partners, your EPA colleagues and the Chesapeake Bay Program Office help you do what you do best?


Contact Information: Contact Information Rich Batiuk Associate Director for Science U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Chesapeake Bay Program Office 410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109 Annapolis, MD  21403 410-267-5731 batiuk.richard@epa.gov www.chesapeakebay.net (INVITE THIS GUY OUT INTO THE FIELD TO SEE WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON!)