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Help Needed in Washington DC

Help Needed in Washington DC. Proposal for ICCA Board Consideration. Activity Involving U.S. Agriculture. Climate Change: Cap and Trade USDA-NRCS: TSP Program Revision of Clean Water Act 2013 Farm Bill Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative Hypoxia in the Gulf.

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Help Needed in Washington DC

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  1. Help Needed in Washington DC Proposal for ICCA Board Consideration

  2. Activity Involving U.S. Agriculture • Climate Change: Cap and Trade • USDA-NRCS: TSP Program • Revision of Clean Water Act • 2013 Farm Bill • Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative • Hypoxia in the Gulf

  3. Involvement of CCA Program • Cap and Trade • Verifiers: Hired by aggregators for compliance • Planners: Determine farmer credits available • USDA-NRCS • Need for TSPs • EQIP: Environmental Quality Incentive Program • CSP: Conservation Stewardship Program

  4. Involvement of CCA Program • Revision of Clean Water Act • Involvement of non-point sources of pollution • NPDES permits • TMDLs • 2013 Farm Bill • Nutrient Management? • May be the “Green Bill” that has been anticipated

  5. Involvement of CCA Program • Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watershed Initiative • 320 Mil over 4 years • Focused at the farm gate for participation • Preferred farmer involvement

  6. As Written in MRBI • Providing information, education, and conducting outreach activities. • Forming agreements to provide staffing for technical assistance and education. • Assisting with monitoring, evaluation, and assessment.

  7. As Written in MRBI • Joining the State Technical Committee to help provide input for focus area and watershed selection. • Submitting proposals for CCPI, CIG and WREP or partnering with a group submitting a proposal. • Targeting your agency’s or organization’s programs toward the Initiative’s watersheds.

  8. Where Does the CCA Currently Stand? • CCA known within Ag groups • CCA well respected • Numbers speak • Current efforts have been “Table Stakes” • Need more time devoted to: • Issue tracking • Briefings and language contribution • Search for grant, gift, or other funding

  9. Option #1-Professional Consultant • Hire on an hourly basis • Hire only when needed • Connections to Hill already established • Costly “learning curve” • Sporadic Hill activity makes budgeting difficult

  10. Option #2 – Full-time Staff • Attention to programs continuous • Develop as a source of agronomic information • Make sure Certification program is included in legislation/regulation/voluntary program language • Good chance to find current connected staffer • Cost of full-time employee (benefits)

  11. How would we pay for DC help? • Refer to discussion about finance report • Move to a line-item in budget in 2011 by increasing International certification fee • Check with ASA to see if there can be a joint-effort to support the position.

  12. Who would manage the position • Under the guidance of Science Policy Director (Karl) • Major input from director of certification • Re-evaluate position in 2013 for effectiveness (3-year minimum trial period)

  13. Crystal Ball View of Next Five Years • Continued push for environmental accountability • Mandated, voluntary programs that are considered “incentive based” • Governmental agencies capturing field ag data and making management decisions for the ag industry • Close to the 7 Plagues?

  14. "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." Ralph Waldo Emerson

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