Florida Agriculture launches new Clean Water Initiative

Last week, Florida officials announced that the state’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) is launching a new Clean Water Initiative to better protect its natural resources.

The FDACS’s Office of Agricultural Water Policy will be heading the initiative, working amid the state’s water issues such as red tide, blue-green algae blooms, record manatee deaths and the Piney Point phosphogypsum spill.

As part of its Clean Water Initiative, the FDACS Office of Agricultural Water Policy is:

• Updating Florida’s Agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs) with the latest research, data, and technologies available;
• Prioritizing high-value projects within the Cost-Share program to get the greatest bang for the buck as our farmers continue to employ more efficient nutrient and water usage practices as stewards of the land;
• Supporting multi-faceted practices such as cover crops and no till drills that provide significant climate mitigation and carbon sequestration benefits;
• Conducting in-person site visits in cooperation with our agricultural stakeholders rather than relying on voluntary self-reporting when it comes to compliance;
• Working with producers on corrective action plans and referring cases of non-compliance to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for enforcement;
• Collecting and aggregating detailed records of the nutrients being applied by agricultural producers on the production landscape; and
• Increasing transparency and coordination with the public, stakeholders, the agriculture industry, and our agency partners through enhanced education and training outreach, including in-person and online resources.

The FDACS Office of Agricultural Water Policy works with agricultural producers, industry groups, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the university system, and the Florida water management districts to develop and implement Agricultural best management practices (BMPs) addressing both water quality and water conservation. BMPs are practical, cost-effective actions that agricultural producers can take to conserve water and reduce the amount of pesticides, fertilizers, animal waste, and other pollutants entering our water resources. The updated manuals will be individually released as each one is completed.

SOURCE: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services