Agriculture 



CONSERVATION DISTRICTS 



Findings and Concerns 



The Conservation Districts in the Bay basin provide critical institutional 

 linkages and perform numerous important functions in non-point source 

 control. The demands being placed on the districts are changing with urbanization. (See 

 Chapter 2.3 on Erosion, Sedimentation, and Stormwater Runoff.) Loss of working 

 farmland in the Basin, and increased municipal emphasis on control of development 

 impacts have required the districts to broaden the emphasis of their efforts. 

 Municipalities have become strongly dependent on the districts, relying on 

 district technical assistance in review of development plans and other 

 implementation efforts. 



Districts presentiy have no staff, other than part-time secretarial support District 

 Conservationists, who are SCS employees assigned to serve district needs, meet most of 

 the requests which come to the districts. However, they are prevented by the overall SCS 

 mandate from undertaking enforcement activities. Because of the longstanding close 

 working relationship which the districts have with farm operators, these quasi- 

 governmental organizations are in a unique position to effect positive change. Since the 

 formulation of the AWQMP, Rhode Island has placed considerable reliance on the 

 Districts, and plans to expand their role in upcoming implementation of broader non-point 

 source controls. In many other states, districts are well-funded and serve as the key local 

 focus for major programs. Rhode Island must develop district staff if new responsibilities 

 are to be met 



District funding is completely inadequate to meet increasing, and 

 increasingly diverse, demands. The ERICD, for example, solicits roughly $2000 

 total per year from municipalities to which it provides technical assistance, and is working 

 with those towns to develop methods to solicit funds from other sources. The other 

 Districts receive even less municipal funding. Given the importance of district activities, 

 funding must be increased. 



Recommendations to RIDEM/R.I. Dept. of Revenue 



Provide on-going funding for Conservation Districts which is sufficient to 

 enable the districts to inventory sources, provide technical assistance to 

 farmers, monitor BMP maintenance and effectiveness, and implement other 

 programs as necessary to meet their responsibilities in ensuring effective 

 control of agriculture-related non-point source pollution. 



Recommendations to Conservation Districts 



**In cooperation with the Division of Planning, complete an inventory of 

 existing municipal controls relating to sediment and erosion control, runoff 

 and drainage management, floodplain management, aquifer protection, open 

 space protection, and critical area protection. 



***Work with SCS/ASCS to promote installation of best management 

 practices on all Basin farms, giving priority to those in critical areas or 

 creating significant adverse impacts. 



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