Soil and water conservation in Georgia : protecting, conserving, and improving the state's soil and water resources

Map of Soil and Water Conservation Districts in Georgia
Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission State Board Phone: (706) 552-4470 Email: gswcc@gaswcc.org Garland Thompson (Chairman) Douglas, Georgia Dennis T. Brown (Vice Chairman/NACD Representative),
Commerce, Georgia Carl E. Brack, Carrollton, Georgia David T. Hays, Covington, Georgia William H. "Hal" Haddock Jr., Damascus, Georgia GSWCC Executive Staff Brent Dykes (Executive Director), Athens, Georgia
Email: bdykes@gaswcc.org Dave Eigenberg (Deputy Executive Director), Dawson, Georgia
Email: deigenberg@gaswcc.org Georgia Association of Conservation District Supervisors Danny Hogan (President) Central Georgia SWCD Dan Bennett (Vice President) Walton County SWCD Martin McLendon (Secretary-Treasurer) Flint River SWCD

Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Districts 40 Districts - 370 District Supervisors

District Alapaha (12 Supervisors) Altamaha (10 Supervisors) Blue Ridge Mountain (8 Supervisors) Brier Creek (10 Supervisors) Broad River (14 Supervisors) Catoosa County (5 Supervisors) Central Georgia (14 Supervisors) Clayton County (5 Supervisors) Coastal (10 Supervisors) Cobb County (5 Supervisors) Columbia County (5 Supervisors) Coosa River (16 Supervisors) DeKalb County (5 Supervisors) Flint River (18 Supervisors) Fulton County (5 Supervisors) Gwinnett County (5 Supervisors) Hall County (5 Supervisors) Henry County (5 Supervisors) Lamar County (5 Supervisors) Limestone Valley (10 Supervisors) Lincoln County (5 Supervisors) Lower Chattahoochee River (18 Supervisors) McDuffie County (5 Supervisors) Middle South Georgia (18 Supervisors) Ocmulgee River (18 Supervisors) Oconee River (8 Supervisors) Ogeechee River (12 Supervisors) Ohoopee River (10 Supervisors) Piedmont (14 Supervisors) Pine Mountain (10 Supervisors) Rockdale County (5 Supervisors) Roosevelt (6 Supervisors) Satilla River (16 Supervisors) Stephens County (5 Supervisors) Towaliga (12 Supervisors) Upper Chattahoochee River (10 Supervisors) Upper Ocmulgee River (6 Supervisors) Walton County (5 Supervisors) Warren County (5 Supervisors) West Georgia (10 Supervisors)

District Chair Owen C. Prince
Travis P. Cook John Wesley Kay
Art M. Rider Herman Wheatley Roger O. Bowman Jr.
Frank G. Wall Jr. Kyrishia Johnson
M.L. Coffer Fred W. Snell III Rick Crawford Jr. Charles Rutland Sr. Dell MacGregor Martin L. McLendon
Alan O. Toney Ellis R. Lamme Mike R. Haynes James D. Almand J. Paul Wallace
Don Keeter T. Olin Reed Hiram Bo Beard Donald F. Palmer Jr. Keith White James H. Willis William D. Johnson Fred G. Blitch Jr. Roy E. Gilder Patrick H. Hardy Sam T. Rigdon Sr. Fox McCarthy Joel David Keith William R. Alexander Roger Dale Sheppard Douglas G. Cawthon Leonard W. Ridings Phillip M. Standard Dan Bennett Edgar Joe Shurley Denney H. Rogers

Mission and Vision Georgia's 40 Soil and Water Conservation Districts are led by 370 elected and appointed District Supervisors. Along with Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission state staff, these local community leaders work in voluntary cooperation with private landowners to encourage the conservation of the state's natural resources that are the basis of economic growth and prosperity. Aided by the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service, this effort ensures productive lands and healthy ecosystems.
Healthy Soil and Clean Water Sustain Your Life Agricultural Water Meter program includes installation, inspection, and maintenance of meters on agricultural irrigation systems to obtain data for policy makers so they can make the best decisions about water policy.
Mobile Irrigation Lab assists farmers with in-field irrigation tests to improve the water efficiency of their ag water irrigation systems.
Soil Erosion and Certification program provides certification of individuals involved in urban land-disturbing activities, and the Urban Program assists districts with the review and approval of urban land development plans to protect water resources.
Flood Control Watershed Dams program protects lives and properties through the operation and maintenance of 357 dams in Georgia.
Education of Adults and Youth through Field Days, the Natural Resources Conservation Workshop and Envirothon teaches best management practices and an appreciation of the state's natural resources.
Water Quality Improvement Projects improve the quality of water in targeted areas by the installation of best management practices in agricultural operations to reduce nonpoint source pollution and reduce the costs to downstream municipal water filtration systems.
Partners in Conservation Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission http://gaswcc.georgia.gov
Georgia Association of Conservation District Supervisors http://www.gacds.org
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service http://www.ga.nrcs.usda.gov
National Association of Conservation Districts http://www.nacdnet.org

Soil and Water Conservation in Georgia
protecting, conserving, and improving the state's soil and water resources
Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission
http://gaswcc.georgia.gov/soil-water-conservation-fact-sheet

Challenge to Conservation: Fully Fund the Agricultural Act of 2014
Enacting the Agricultural Act of 2014 was a major victory coming after the expiration of the 2008 Farm Bill, but conservation programs contained in the bill can only be implemented if Congress fully funds the activities required by the legislation.
Under the new law, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), and Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) become the major conservation programs. The Small Watershed Rehabilitation Program is funded through the 2014 Farm Bill.
These programs need to be fully funded at levels that reflect the intent of Congress in the law. With the maximum number of acres allowed under the Conservation Reserve Program declining by 3.5 million acres by fiscal year 2018, it is important that the CRP be fully implemented at the authorized levels. Including the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) under EQIP makes it vital that EQIP be funded at its full level of $1.65 billion in FY 2015, as mandated by the new law. The conservation programs included in the new law can improve the nation's natural resources, but only if they are funded at levels that allow full implementation. With the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) operating with a reduced annual enrollment cap of 10 million new acres, it is important that CSP be funded to reach its annual cap each year. Congress should remain vigilant to ensure that USDA's rule-making process adheres to the Congressional intent of the 2014 Farm Bill.

Challenge to Conservation: EPA Regulations
Local Soil and Water Conservation Districts have proven that voluntary cooperation by private landowners has been the most effective approach in conserving and improving water resources in Georgia. Mandatory compliance can be counterproductive.
Defining EPA's jurisdiction over water. A proposed rule by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) arbitrarily defines the scope of waters protected under the Clean Water Act. If EPA implements this rule, it will obtain regulatory control over virtually all waters, which ignores the intent of Congress in the original legislation. Congress should oppose this rule change and not permit EPA to ignore the will and intent of Congress.
Setting Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs). EPA is seeking authority in the Chesapeake Bay region to set specific water quality standards for industry sectors, as well as setting timelines to meet these detailed allocations. If successful, EPA will have the authority to set their own mandates on industry stakeholders rather than work with local stakeholders within a state.
Setting mandates removes the incentive to work with local stakeholders in improving water quality in locations such as Lake Lanier in Georgia. This contradicts the experience of conservation districts in obtaining voluntary compliance to improve water quality standards.

Chart 1. The average age of a farmer in Georgia has risen from 57.8 years in 2007 to 59.9 years in 2012. Conservation districts educate farmers about
the many policies, laws, and rules affecting agriculture.
Data Source: 2012 Ag Census

14,000

12,000

10,000

8,000

6,000

4,000

2,000

0

Ages Ages 25 - Ages 35 - Ages 45 - Ages 55 - Ages 65 - Ages 75

Under 34

44

54

64

74 years

25 years

and over

Year 2007 Year 2012

Chart 2. The number of Georgia citizens receiving training in soil and water conservation best management practices from their local Soil and Water Conservation District is growing.
Data Source: GSWCC
250,000

200,000

150,000

100,000

50,000

0 FY 2010

FY 2011

FY2012

FY 2013

Challenge to Conservation: Deepening the Port of Savannah
The success of Georgia's soil and water conservation programs depends on the economic health of the state's agricultural producers, and many of these producers depend on the Port of Savannah to reach foreign markets. In fact, agricultural exports are the reason Savannah is one of the few ports in the nation with more exports than imports.
The state is ready to make the investment needed to deepen the harbor to accommodate larger vessels, but the federal government has not provided the appropriate authorization or construction funding for the $652 million project and won't let Georgia jumpstart the project by using its own money.
Investing in the state's water resources makes sense both for the state as well as for the nation, as the port represents $32.4 billion in state GDP (7.8% of Georgia's total GDP) and contributes $4.5 billion in federal taxes annually.
The federal roadblock should be removed. Congress needs to provide the federal construction funds needed for the deepening, and either reauthorize the project through the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) that contains billions of dollars for dam, harbor, and river improvements nationwide; or allow the State of Georgia's appropriated construction funds to be used to deepen the port while awaiting approval of WRDA.
Chart 3. Agriculture remains Georgia's number one industry. Total Farm Gate Value of Commodities in Georgia was $13.9 billion in 2012.
Data Source: University of Georgia
Poultry & Eggs = $5.7 billion Row & Forage Crops = $3.3 billion Livestock & Aquaculture = $1.5 billion Vegetables, Fruits & Nuts = $1.4 billion Other = $2.0 billion

Challenge to Conservation: GMO Labeling
One of the challenges of the 21st Century is to feed more people using existing water supplies on an ever-shrinking amount of farm land, as urban development squeezes out agricultural land. One solution is to produce crops bred with specific characteristics that require less water for growth and can produce more on smaller acreage. Farmers have been selectively breeding livestock and plant material for centuries to improve their yields, and genetically modifying animals and plants is merely an extension of this centuries-old practice.
The FDA has found no basis for concluding that bioengineered foods differ from other foods in any meaningful or uniform way.
Many localities are considering or implementing new rules affecting foods made with genetically modified ingredients rather than adhering to one national standard. In a global market, a 50-state patchwork of laws and regulations addressing genetically modified food ingredients confuses customers and does nothing to improve yields or food safety.
Congress should pass legislation that allows companies to voluntarily choose to label their products for the absence or presence of GMO food ingredients. By passing this federal legislation, farmers will have a consistent national regulation that allows them to produce and sell crops and livestock that make the best use of our existing soil and water resources.

Acres
450,000 400,000 350,000 300,000 250,000 200,000 150,000 100,000
50,000 0

Chart 4. The number of agricultural acres in Georgia benefiting from
conservation plans is increasing.
Data Source: GSWCC
FY 2009 FY 2010 FY 2011 FY2012 FY 2013