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ODA Announces New Western Lake Erie Basin Assistance Programs

On February 26, Chris Henney, OABA president and CEO, joined ODA Director Dorothy Pelanda in announcing new assistance programs for the Western Lake Erie Basin. Ohio Senate Bill 299 will provide $23.5 million for soil and water conservation districts in the WLEB for nutrient management programs, distributed over three programs:  

  • The Ohio Working Lands Program will encourage producers to establish year around vegetative cover on eligible crop land. The program will promote the conversion, establishment and maintenance of forage/hay land on certain cropland acres. Also, there will be a new incentive payment to encourage producers to re-enroll acreage through the Lake Erie Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program. This will help reach the 67,000 acreage goal and increase conservation efforts.
  • The Nutrient Management Plan Development Program will be a partnership with the Ohio Agribusiness Association, in which producers are reimbursed for soil testing and nutrient management plans. This would help to ensure the 4R principles are put into place.
  • The Cost Share and Equipment Buy Down Program will provide producers with funds to purchase technological improvements to agricultural land, equipment and structures to reduce nutrient loss.      

Ohio AgriBusiness Association is proud of the role our members will play in the Nutrient Management Plan Development Program. In addition to the traditional support ag retailers provide, a new pilot program is being developed which will enable farmers who are full-service customers of a 4R certified ag retailer to qualify for the benefits of a nutrient management plan without having to compile a full plan. The one-year pilot will kick off this spring and will be limited in acres and scope, but will be a good first step toward a broader program.

For more details on the new programs, please read the release from the Ohio Department of Agriculture, available below. OABA is pleased to see these new assistance programs made available to WLEB farmers and we look forward to our part in supporting their implementation.

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From ODA: Ohio Department Of Agriculture Announces New Western Lake Erie Basin Assistance Programs

Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) Director Dorothy Pelanda announced new assistance programs for producers in the Western Lake Erie Basin funded by the passage of Ohio Senate Bill 299.

Signed in 2018, Ohio Senate Bill 299 provided $23.5 million for soil and water conservation districts (SWCD) located in the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB) for nutrient management programs. ODA has already distributed $3.5 million to 24 SWCDs in Northwest Ohio.

“Water quality is a top priority of our administration,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “Roughly three million Ohioans rely on Lake Erie for their drinking water. These programs are a good step toward promoting better water quality, and more will come.”

At the 2019 Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts Annual Meeting this morning, Director Pelanda announced plans for the remaining $20 million, to be spread across three new assistance programs:

  • The Ohio Working Lands Program will encourage producers to establish year-round vegetative cover on eligible crop land. The program will promote the conversion, establishment and maintenance of forage/hay land on certain cropland acres. Also, there will be a new incentive payment to encourage producers to re-enroll acreage through the Lake Erie Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program. This will help reach the 67,000 acre goal and increase conservation efforts.
  • The Voluntary Nutrient Management Plan Development Program will be a partnership with the Ohio Agribusiness Association, in which producers are reimbursed for soil testing and nutrient management plans. This would help to ensure the 4R principles are put into place.
  • The Cost Share and Equipment Buy Down Program will provide producers with funds to purchase technological improvements to agricultural land, equipment and structures to reduce nutrient loss.      

“This $20 million suite of practices will go a long way toward our clean water initiatives and helping us set the tone for water quality efforts statewide,” said Director Pelanda. “Our agency looks forward to working with producers to implement meaningful programs that make progress toward our common goals of soil and water conservation.”

“Ohio’s farmers are committed to doing their part to keep nutrients on our fields and out of our water and these programs will help us do that,” said Kris Swartz, Past President of the Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts and Northwest Ohio farmer. “I’m confident interest for these programs will be strong and I know our soil and water districts are ready to put them into practice.”

“Our members understand how important our role is helping farmers practice proper nutrient stewardship and the 4R’s,” said Chris Henney, President and CEO of the Ohio AgriBusiness Association. “We’re excited to be part of these programs and stand ready to help Northwest Ohio farmers.”

Producers located in the Western Lake Erie Basin are encouraged to contact their local soil and water conservation district office to learn more and sign up for these new programs.

Editor's Note: Soundbites and video from the announcement are available for download by clicking here.

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