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| WAC Farm and Forest Participant Stories |
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| click to view stories |
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Programs That Work - 2007
New York City drinking water continues to meet national standards. The Environmental Protection Agency extends the Filtration Avoidance Determination (F.A.D.) another ten years, a testament to the successes of this international watershed model with urban/rural benefits.
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2005 -
“A great civic achievement”
The urban/rural partnership in the New York City watershed exemplifies
a model for the nation in conflict resolution and watershed management.
Word spreads about the Council’s successes and accomplishments.
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Conserving Open Space - 1998
A Conservation Easement Program is implemented to purchase the development
rights on watershed farms. This effort to create a permanent tool
for watershed protection keeps farmland intact and recognizes that
the survival of farming is important to keeping land out of residential
subdivision. |
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1996 -
Foresters Log On
Leaders in the forestry community identify the need to create a
complementary program modeled on Best Management Practices to train
foresters and loggers in preventing non-point source pollution.
With The Green
Book of policy recommendations, the Watershed
Forestry Task Force lays out a blueprint for the Watershed
Forestry Program. Outreach and Economic Development
Programs are put in place to support the efforts of the Watershed
Agricultural Council. |
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Sound Science - 1996
Research efforts test and validate best management practices and
study the source, fate and transport of pathogens and phosphorus. |
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| The program
met its sign-up goals through farmer-to-farmer kitchen meetings. |
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1994 -
Implementation
Phase II of the Watershed Agricultural Program begins with the development
of whole farm plans for watershed farms based primarily on nation-wide
USDA standards. A goal of 85% participation by farmers becomes a
milestone in the EPA’s Filtration Avoidance Determination (F.A.D.)
waiver for New York City Department of Environmental Protection.
Participation today is 93%. |
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| Changing
the course of agricultural runoff through a farm requires
heavy construction. |
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1992 -
Partners
Phase I of the Watershed Agricultural Program begins with Whole
Farm Planning on ten pilot farms dispersed geographically throughout
the Catskill/Delaware watersheds. |
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Collaboration - 1991
An Ad Hoc Task Force on Agriculture and New York City Watershed
Regulations convenes representing upstate and downstate interests.
A collaborative plan of policy recommendations called
The
Brown Book is created to protect water and “do no
harm” to farm operations in the watershed. Well-managed farms
are a preferred land use for water quality over denser,
residential septic subdivision. |
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Which land use is better for the water
consumer? |
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| By nature's
design, farmland in the watershed follows a stream through
the valley. |
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1990 -
Conflict
A discussion draft of watershed regulations is presented to upstate
watershed communities including language that affects agriculture
and puts the livelihood of farmers at risk. |
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