ISSUE

Water Quality/Land Protection

PLACE IN FOOD CYCLE

Natural/Human Resources

POLICY

US EPA Clean Water Act, Section 319

POLICY TOOL

Grants to nonprofit organizations, municipalities, and regional planning agencies

SCALE

National, State, local

ACTORS

EPA, VT DEC, nonprofit organizations, regional planning commissions, individuals

PROBLEMS ADDRESSED

Congress amended the Clean Water Act (CWA) in 1987 to establish the section 319 Nonpoint Source Management Program because it recognized the need for greater federal leadership to help focus State and local nonpoint source efforts. Under section 319, States, Territories, and Indian Tribes receive grant money which support a wide variety of activities to address NPS. Section 319 received funding boost in 1999 and since 2000, State of VT has received incramental funding through section 319, which supports a variety of programs, including those administered by VT DEC and VAAFM to address NPS. VT DEC, for example, makes 319 grants available to nonprofits which can implement projects on private land to address NPS, specifically when farmer is not eligible for other programs offered by USDA NRCS (i.e. Farm Bill programs). Projects might include riparian buffer restoration, streambank stablilization, & stream restoration (protecting farmland by preventing erosion).

POLICY GOALS IMPLICATED

Equity - Nonprofits can use 319 grants to assist farmers with the implementation of measures that will address water quality. Usually these are farmers who are not eligible for assistant through other programs and/or need dire help. However, limited funds means that not everyone receives assistance. Security - Grants seek to protect water quality for public good (often benefitting farmer by helping to implement remedies that make farm practice more efficient, such as a stream crossing).

TOOL CHARACTERISTICS

Directness - 319 Grants are indirect tool; Federal program managed at state level by VT DEC--gives state discretion to determine who receives funding depending on state prioritires (as well as national). Coercion - 319 grants are entirely voluntary so they are not coercive in this sense; however, recipients of grants (mostly nonprofits) may have to make their projects "match" the priorities of VT DEC. Automaticity - an administrative system is in place to administer the grants so it is fairly automatic from this perspective. Visibility - this grant program is visible in VT among certain recipients (i.e. watershed organizations), but whether the greater community is aware of it, including farmers whom might partner with nonprofits to receive funding, is unknown.

EXTENT POLICY SUPPORTS/HINDERS

Supports - Section 319 grants support local agriculture because they are often used by nonprofit organizations to assist farmers who might not be eligible for other programs. They are often used to conduct outreach and share information about other voluntary practices (i.e. Best Management Practices) that can be used to improve water quality. Grants also used on non-farmland which means they are used to improve water qualtiy in general, which everyone benefits from.

ADDITIONAL LINKS

http://epa.gov/nps/agriculture.html
http://www.anr.state.vt.us/dec/grants.htm
http://www.epa.gov/nps/Section319/grts.html