regionalagstrategyfy1011.docx

regionalagstrategyfy1011.docx

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regionalagstrategyfy1011

REGIONALAGRICULTURESTRATEGY

U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgencyRegion4

FiscalYears2010-2011

Purpose

TheEPARegion4AgricultureStrategyprovidescoordinationwithEPA’sNationalStrategyforAgriculture,summarizestheRegion’spriorityactivitiesrelatedtoagriculture,anddescribestheRegion’sapproachforworkingwithagriculturalintereststo

（1）reduceanyadverseimpactsfromagriculturalactivitiesontheenvironment;

（2）improvecommunicationswithagriculturalinterestsregardingpolicies,rules,requirements,andprograms;and（3）increasetheRegion’sunderstandingofagriculturalperspectivesonenvironmentalissues.

Vision

EPARegion4willworkwithagriculturalinterests,otherfederalagencies,states,tribes,andotherinterestedpartiestoachievecontinualenvironmentalimprovementandpromotesustainableproductionofsafe,abundantsuppliesoffood,fiber,horticultural,andenergyproducts.

Background

EPARegion4servesthecitizensofeightsoutheasternstates;Alabama,Florida,Georgia,Kentucky,Mississippi,NorthCarolina,SouthCarolinaandTennessee,andsixfederallyrecognizedNativeAmericantribes.Areasinthesestatesandtribesrepresentverydiverselandscapesandresourcetreasures.ThebluegrassofKentucky,theGoldCoastoftheGulfofMexico,thebarrierreefofftheFloridaKeysandtheblack-waterswampsoftheOkefenokeearejustafewofthesecherishedtreasures,allworthyofprotection.

Agriculture

Agricultureisavitalpartoftheeconomy,culture,andhistoryoftheSoutheast.Fromaneconomicperspective,farmersandranchersprovidefood,feed,fiber,andsomefuelusingplants,animalsandtheirby-products.

Figure1.2007CashReceiptsfromagriculturecommoditiesproducedinRegion4States.

ThedirectandindirecteconomicimpactsofagriculturalproductionintheSoutheastaresignificant,

totalingover$44billioninsalesin2007（Figure1）.Southeastgrowersproducemorechickenmeat,catfish,oranges,sweetpotatoesandthoroughbredhorsesthanproducersinanyotherregionandaresecondinhogproduction.StatesinRegion4alsoprovideawiderangeoffruitsandvegetables,sugarcane,soybeans,cotton,peanuts,horticulturalproductsandturfgrasses.

AgriculturealsoconstitutesthelargestlanduseintheSoutheast,including107millionacresincropland（9.4percent）,147millionacresinpastureandhayfields（12.9percent）,and528millionacresinprivateandpublicforests（46.4percent）.

TheagriculturesectorinRegion4hasagreatopportunitytobealeaderinrenewableenergyproductionandclimatechangemitigation.Myriadagriculturefeedstocksareavailableforrenewableenergyproductionandincludechickenlitter;chicken,dairyandswinemanure;algae;fruitandvegetablewastage;sweetpotatoes,sweetsorghumandpeanuts;inadditiontothetraditionalcornandsoybeans.Theagriculturediversitymakescommunity-levelrenewableenergyproductionveryattractive.LocallyproducedenergyforlocaluseisasustainablemodelfortheSoutheast.Thesefeedstockscanbeusedtoproducebio-gas,bio-oil,biodieselandethanol;manyoftheprocessesalsogeneratethermalpower.Additionalco-productsincludeanimalfeed,organiccompostandfertilizer.

Withover45percentofthelandinRegion4dedicatedtoprivateandpublicforests,theagriculturesectorcanservetomitigategreenhousegas（GHG）emissionsfromindustrialandothersources.TheEPArecentlyreleasedtheProposedGreenhouseGasReportingRule.Inthenearfuture,itislikelythatGHGswillberegulated.Manyindustrialemittersmaybeinterestedinworkingwiththeagriculturesectortogainaccesstothelowercostcarbonoffsetsagriculturecanprovide;includingoffsetsfromforestry.Forestlandscanbemanagedtoincreasetheirremovalofcarbonfromtheatmosphere,whileprovidingwildlifehabitatandconservingandprotectingwaterquality.PrivateforestscanbeaneffectivetoolforaddressingclimatechangeastheNationmovestoalow-carboneconomy.

AstheSoutheastcontinuestogrowandurbanize,thislandbaseisshrinking.Landconversioncanhavesignificantenvironmentalimpacts.Inadditiontothelossoffood,fiber,feedandfuelproductioncapabilities,conversionmayalsodiminishmyriadotheramenities,suchasopenspace,wildlifehabitat,biodiversityandcarbonstorage.Maintaininghealthyfarmlands,ranchlandsandforestsisvitaltotheRegion’senvironmentalandeconomicfuture.

ResourceConcerns

Agriculturalproductioncanhavepotentialadverseimpactsonwaterqualityandquantity,nativeecosystems,airquality,landresources,andfarmworkers.AcrosstheRegion,agriculturalproducershavetakensignificantstepstoreducetheseadverseimpacts;however,challengesremain.

Thelackofbestmanagementpracticesorcroppingmarginalagriculturallandstogrowbiofuelfeedstockcanresultinsurfaceandgroundwaterqualityimpairment,primarilyresultingfromnutrientrichrunoffandsoilerosion.Surfacerunofffromerodingcroplandfieldsentersnearbystreamsandriverstodegradewaters.AlthoughpesticideuseintheSoutheastcanproducebeneficialresults,increasesinaccidentalexposureandmisusehavealsoresultedinenvironmentalandhumanhealthproblems.Moreover,livestockwasteandrunofffromanimalfeedingoperationsandassociatedsprayfieldscancontributetoimpairedwaterqualityandoffensiveodors.

WhiletheCleanWaterActexplicitlypreservestheauthorityofeachstatetoallocatewateramongusers,wateruseandwaterqualityissuesremaininextricablylinked.Agriculturalproductionisasubstantialuserofsurfaceandgroundwaterresources.InseveralsectionsofRegion4,theneedforwatertosupportagriculturalproductioncompeteswithotherusesforpotablewater.Intimesofwatershortage,agricultureproducershavereliedonirrigationtosustaincropyieldstherebyintensifyingthestrugglefortheremainingwaterresourcesamongcompetinguses.Theagriculturesectorcontinuestobechallengedtoimproveirrigationefficiencyandtoconserveasmuchofthispreciousresourceaspossible.

Reductionsinwaterqualityandwateravailabilitycanalsoadverselyaffectnativeaquaticecosystems.Inadditiontothousandsofmilesofriversandstreams,sixoftheeightRegion4stateshavecoastalareas.Overall,thefreshwater,marine,andestuarineecosystemscontainsomeofthehighestspeciesdiversityintheworld.Thecontinuedhealthandbiodiversityofthesesystemsdependsonthemaintenanceofhigh-qualityterrestrialandaquatichabitat.Lossanddegradationofthesehabitatsfromresidential,commercial,andindustrialgrowthanddevelopmentandchangesinproductionagricultureareamongthekeyenvironmentalchallengesfacingcoastalstates.

Region4ishometomorethan30percentofthenation’sremainingfreshwaterwetlands,includingtheEvergladesinsouthernFlorida,thesecondlargestwetlandintheworld.Theseareashaveimportanthydrological,chemical,biologicalandsocioeconomicfunctions,whichaddvaluetoplantandanimalhabitatsandhelpensureacleanwatersupply.Throughfederalfarmprograms,conversionofwetlandareasforagriculturalproductionhasbeenallbuteradicated,andinsomecases,wetlandsinagriculturalareasarebeingrestored.

Theagriculturesectoralsocontributestoairresourceconcerns.Dieselemissionsfromoff-roadequipment,includingfarmvehiclesandmachinery,canbeafactorinfineparticulatematterandairtoxicslevels.Dustgeneratedfromagriculturalactivitiesisalsohighinparticulates.Odorsassociatedwithlivestockoperationsandsprayfieldscontinuestoproducecomplaintsfromsomeresidents.Airbornechemicaldriftfromfarmingoperationshassometimesnegativelyimpactedthepublic,farmworkers,andnearbyaquaticandterrestrialecosystemsinRegion4states.

EPAResponsibilities

Region4recognizesthatfarmersandranchersmanagelargeparcelsofrurallands.Theymakedailydecisionsabouttillagepracticesandpesticideandnutrientuse.Asgoodstewards,farmersandranchershavegenerallydemonstratedtheircommitmenttoprotectlandandwaterresourcesandtheirwayoflifethroughimplementationofvoluntaryprograms.

Continuingeffortstostrengthenrelationswiththeagriculturecommunity,onOctober17,2007,EPAannouncedtheestablishmentoftheFarm,Ranch,andRuralCommunitiesFederalAdvisoryCommittee（FRRCC）.TheFRRCCconsistsofapproximately30membersrepresenting:

largeandsmallfarmers,rancherandruralcommunities;ruralsuppliers,marketersandprocessors;academicsandresearcherswhostudyenvironmentalissuesimpactingagriculture;environmental,conservationandcitizens’groups;andstate,localandtribalgovernments.TheyarecurrentlyadvisingtheAdministratoronlivestockandpoultryissues,climatechangeandotheremergingtopics.

EPAisresponsiblefortheeffectiveimplementationofnumerousenvironmentallawswhichapplytoagriculturalactivities.AmongthoselawsaretheCleanAirAct;CleanWaterAct;SafeDrinkingWaterAct;FederalInsecticide,FungicideandRodenticideAct;andFoodQualityProtectionAct.Wherenecessary,EPAdevelopspolicies,regulations,andguidancetoimplementthesestatutes.AdetailedmatrixoftheselawscanbefoundattheEPANationalAgricultureCenterwebsitelocatedat:

http:

//www.epa.gov/agriculture//llaw.html

Region4sharesregulatoryresponsibilitieswithstateandtribalgovernmentsbyauthorizingappropriateagenciestoimplementandenforceprogrammaticrequirements,inaccordancewithfederallaw.Stateenvironmentalandagricultureagenciesprovideday-to-dayimplementationofprogramsforpermittingagriculturalactivities;