Northern San Joaquin Valley Farmers Eligible for $2.6 Million to Improve Water Quality...

Northern San Joaquin Valley Farmers Eligible for $2.6 Million to Improve Water
Quality and Create Habitat

Reps. Cardoza, Costa championed new Farm Bill partnership programs, enabling
coalition of growers and conservationists to secure funds

WASHINGTON, July 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Farmers in the Northern San
Joaquin Valley will be eligible for more than $2.6 million in funds this year
under two new farm bill conservation partnership programs this year to tackle
some of the region's most pressing environmental problems. The awards will be
renewable for several years, likely bringing the multi-year total up to $12.3
million for the partnerships.

The funds will be available to Northern San Joaquin Valley growers and dairies
for water quality improvement, reducing off-farm movement of pesticides and
sediment, and improving fish and wildlife habitat, using practices approved by
the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

The new partnership programs -- the Agricultural Water Enhancement Program
(AWEP) and Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI) -- will
make funds available to growers and dairies working cooperatively in the
Northern San Joaquin Valley to improve water quality and habitat on lands that
grow specialty crops (fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and
horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture). Eligible practices
will include installation of sediment basins and irrigation tailwater
recirculation systems, planting native shrub hedgerows for integrated pest
management, and creating features such as riparian buffers for erosion
control.

The AWEP and CCPI partnership programs were launched this year. They were
championed in the 2008 Farm Bill by U.S. Rep. Dennis Cardoza
(D-Merced/Modesto/Stockton), chairman of the House Agriculture Committee's
Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture, and U.S. Rep. Jim Costa
(D-Bakersfield/Fresno), a member of the House Agriculture Committee's
Subcommittee on Conservation.

"Congress is recognizing an important need of specialty crops farmers in
Northern San Joaquin Valley," says Parry Klassen, Executive Director of
Coalition for Urban/Rural Environmental Stewardship (CURES and
www.curesworks.org), the applicant for the AWEP program. "Making this funding
available during these tough economic times will help ensure that protections
for our valuable water resources can be put in place quickly."

"Congressmen Cardoza and Costa deserve credit for championing the programs
that will benefit both the environment and the economy," said Stacy Small,
Conservation Scientist for Environmental Defense Fund and a co-author on the
partnership proposals. "These conservation programs will put millions of
dollars directly into the hands of Northern San Joaquin Valley growers to help
solve environmental problems and offset the cost of meeting regulatory
requirements."

"I'm looking forward to encouraging regional growers to apply for the funds,"
says Cliff Ohmart, Sustainable Winegrowing Director with the Lodi Winegrape
Commission, who is coordinating the CCPI partnership in San Joaquin County.
"I'm particularly excited that this will provide new financial resources for
activities like upland habitat restoration that we had trouble getting funded
before, as well as soil erosion control."

"Producers in our region are eager to improve upon their current production
practices, as they realize the critical role they play in contributing to the
regions effort to improve water quality," says Sherman Boone, chairman of the
East Stanislaus Resource Conservation District (ESRCD), a CCPI and AWEP
partner that will be providing technical support and assistance to producers
applying for these funds. "However, improvements to production practices often
require costly infrastructure to be installed, which can be a difficult hurdle
for producers who have been hit hard by the poor economy. We are excited to
hear these funds have been made available to assist our local farmers and
dairymen implement conservation practices here in the Northern San Joaquin
Valley."

"Stanislaus County Farm Bureau co-founded the East San Joaquin Water Quality
Coalition and has been actively involved with trying to improve water quality
when it comes to agricultural inputs," said Wayne Zipser, Executive Manager of
the Stanislaus County Farm Bureau. "This available funding through the USDA
will go a long way in helping farmers make the essential improvements in their
management practices and infrastructure to help achieve water quality
standards for all of our watersheds."

The grants will come at a critical time for farmers and the environment along
the San Joaquin River and its tributaries. In addition to a faltering economy
and several years of drought placing additional burdens on growers, the San
Joaquin and Sacramento River Systems have been jointly declared to be
"America's Most Endangered River" by the non-profit group American Rivers.

Given this new infusion of federal dollars, farmers will be able to quickly
receive assistance to cut water pollution levels through on-farm irrigation
water management practices and improve habitat out of funds set aside
especially for this purpose from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program
(EQIP).

"These partnerships are a solid mix of agricultural groups, environmental
organizations, and government agencies working together to advance goals we
all share: supporting California agriculture, while also achieving state
objectives with respect to cleaner water and healthier landscapes," said Eric
Holst, managing director of the Center for Conservation Incentives at
Environmental Defense Fund. "We believe these new initiatives hold tremendous
promise and will jump start many similar projects -- multi-stakeholder efforts
that ensure that growers have the assistance they need to successfully address
local, state, and regional conservation priorities -- in California and across
the country."

To receive funding for the environmentally beneficial practices identified for
these programs, growers should apply under the partnership in their area by
contacting their local NRCS office: Stanislaus County, (209) 491-9320; San
Joaquin County, (209) 472-7127. For a listing of offices statewide see
http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?state=CA.

Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization,
represents more than 700,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund
has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships
to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems.
For more information, visit www.edf.org.

Contacts:
Sean Crowley, Environmental Defense Fund, 292-572-3331, scrowley@edf.org
Parry Klassen, Coalition for Urban/Rural Environmental Stewardship (CURES),
559-288-8125, pklassen@unwiredbb.com
Cliff Ohmart, Lodi Winegrape Commission, 209-608-1871, cliff@lodiwine.com
Melanie Fisher, East Stanislaus Resource Conservation District, 209-491-9320
x122, Melanie.Fisher@ca.nacdnet.net

SOURCE Environmental Defense Fund

Sean Crowley, Environmental Defense Fund, 292-572-3331, scrowley@edf.org;
Parry Klassen, Coalition for Urban/Rural Environmental Stewardship (CURES),
559-288-8125, pklassen@unwiredbb.com; Cliff Ohmart, Lodi Winegrape Commission,
209-608-1871, cliff@lodiwine.com; Melanie Fisher, East Stanislaus Resource
Conservation District, 209-491-9320 x122, Melanie.Fisher@ca.nacdnet.net