USDA to Survey Conservation Practices in Chesapeake Bay Watershed

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) announced it will begin conducting a survey for the 2011 National Resources Inventory Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP). The survey will collect information from producers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed about farming and conservation practices on cultivated cropland.

A CEAP study for the Great Lakes and their associated waterways released in October 2011 estimates that the use of conservation tillage and other conservation practices has resulted in a 50% decline in sediment entering rivers and streams, along with 36% and 37% declines, respectively, in phosphorus and nitrogen loading.

"CEAP is one of the strongest and most advanced conservation tools used in American agriculture because it helps farmers and ranchers understand how to improve farming and management activities that help protect soil and water resources," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "The information gathered on conservation practices in the Chesapeake Bay watershed will help contribute to the region's sustainability, supporting those who rely on the land and water for livelihoods and recreation."

Since the CEAP survey was last conducted in the region, farmers have adopted many agricultural BMPs using publicly available technical and financial assistance from conservation programs and through their own initiative and at their own expense. This survey will capture all of those on-farm conservation accomplishments.

Source: USDA