Explanation
Background
This ordinance authorizes an agreement between the City and the Delaware Soil and Water Conservation District for local practice payments ("LPP") for herbicide reduction provided for in the Ohio 2007/2008 Special Environmental Quality Incentive Program ("EQIP") for the Upper Big Walnut Creek Watershed established by the United States Department of Agriculture ("USDA").
The Upper Big Walnut Creek Watershed ("the Watershed") encompasses portions of Franklin, Delaware, Licking, Morrow, and Knox Counties in Central Ohio. The Watershed drains to Hoover Reservoir, a primary source of drinking water for Columbus.
In 2007, USDA established the EQIP to protect and improve water quality in the Watershed. The EQIP provides for incentive payments to farmers who enter into contracts that require the implementation of the following NRCS approved systems: 1. nutrient management; 2. soil loss; 3. pest management; 4. vegetated buffer; and 5. waste utilization. The 2007 EQIP provides for initial contract periods of 1-2 years and a contract period of 3-5 years for a second contract. A maximum of 8,000 acres will be enrolled in the EQIP, with a maximum of 500 acres per eligible farmer. The enrollment period for the EQIP began on April 27, 2007 and ended on November 2, 2007. The EQIP will terminate on September 30, 2012.
Under the pest management provisions of the EQIP, farmers enrolled in the EQIP are encouraged to reduce herbicide use on their corn crop during a contract term. Although the incentive payments for other approved systems are funded by USDA, the EQIP provides that the LPP incentive payments to farmers for not applying herbicides to the corn crop will be funded by local governments and/or agencies. The EQIP provides LPP herbicide incentive payments of $20 per acre of corn on which herbicide is not applied for implementation years two through five. Pursuant to an agreement with the USDA, the Delaware SWCD administers the EQIP and...
Click here for full text