Agriculture 



Staff person to promote use of the state's erosion and sedimentation enabling legislation in 

 all of the towns in the state. Conservation Districts conduct annual seedling sales to 

 generate funding, and solicit funding from municipalities to which they provide technical 

 assistance. Occasionally, workshop revenues exceed costs, contributing minimal 

 supplemental funding. 



US. Dept. of Agriculture (SCS and ASCS) 



Through the Conservation Districts, SCS provides technical assistance to landowners 

 and others in many forms: evaluating soil suitability for various uses; planning and carrying 

 out long-term conservation programs; evaluating alternative land uses and treatments for 

 controlling runoff, erosion, and sedimentation; determining where conservation practices 

 are practical and necessary; preparing conservation plans; and designing and laying out best 

 management practices. For landowners and operators, SCS also inspects and certifies 

 proper installation of the practices. 



SCS assists local governments in carrying out nattual resource inventories, planning 

 resource use, evaluating the potential and limitations of soils for various uses, setting up 

 non-point source control programs, and implementing cross-jurisdictional Resource 

 Conservation and Development programs. 



Technical assistance is also available through the Resource Conservation and 

 Development Program (RC&D), another U.S.D.A. affiliated pro-am. Through the Rhode 

 Island Resource Conservation and Development Council, located in East Greenwich, 

 towns can obtain assistance from environmental review teams whose membership includes 

 experts from the federal and state governments and academics. Towns have drawn on the 

 RC&D program to provide assistance in evaluating large developments, and in addressing 

 the needs of critical areas. Each RC&D area has its own goals, but most provide a wide 

 variety of assistance in conservation and community development Training programs are 

 also offered. The Rhode Island RC&D recentiy offered a much-needed program on state 

 weUand and coastal regtilations for building inspectors and planning departments. 



The Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS) allocates roughly 

 $100,000 per year to agriculture-related resource conservation and non-point source control 

 through ongoing or special projects. A majority of that allocation is directed through the 

 ASCS Agriculmral Conservation Program (ACP). The ACP offers cost sharing for soil, 

 water, and forestry practices of long-term benefit. Since 1983, when the most extensively 

 used practices were cover crop and other management practices, the ASCS and SCS have 

 placed increasing emphasis on permanent conservation practices. 



Cooperative Extension Service - County Offices 



Finally, county offices of the Cooperative Extension Service provide technical 

 assistance to landowners regarding agricultural and horticultural practices. In recent years, 

 due to rapid suburbanization and the decline in numbers of working farms, Rhode Island 

 Extension offices have placed increasing emphasis on assistance to homeowners, rather 

 than to the agricultural community. Cooperative Extension Service assistance to 

 agricultural operators is now generally provided by Extension specialists at the University 

 of Rhode Island. 



102 



