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NCDA&CS
2017 Annual Progress Report (Crop
Year 2016) on the Tar-Pamlico
Agricultural Rule
(15A NCAC 02B .0256)
A Report to the Environmental Management Commission from the Tar-Pamlico
Basin Oversight Committee: Crop Year 2016
2
3
Tar-Pamlico NSW Strategy
The Environmental Management Commission
(EMC) adopted the Tar-Pamlico nutrient strategy in
2000. The management strategy built upon the
precedent-setting Neuse River Basin effort
established three years earlier, which for the first
time set regulatory reduction measures for
nutrients on cropland acres in the state. The NSW
strategy goal is to reduce the average annual load
of nitrogen to the Pamlico estuary by 30% from
1991 levels and to limit phosphorus loading to
1991 levels. Mandatory controls were applied to
address non-point source pollution in agriculture,
urban stormwater, nutrient management, and
riparian buffer protection. As of 2016, the Pamlico
estuary is still classified as impaired and is not
meeting its 30 percent nitrogen loading reduction
goals.
Summary
The Tar-Pamlico Basin Oversight Committee (BOC) received and approved crop year1 (CY) 2016
annual reports from the fourteen Local Advisory Committees (LACs) operating under the Tar-
Pamlico Agriculture Rule as part of the Tar-Pamlico Basin Nutrient Management Strategy. The
report demonstrates agriculture’s ongoing collective compliance with the Tar-Pamlico
Agriculture Rule and estimates further progress in decreasing nutrient losses. In CY2016,
agriculture collectively achieved an estimated 56% reduction in nitrogen loss compared to the
1991 baseline, continuing to exceed the rule-mandated 30% reduction. All fourteen LAC’s
exceeded the 30% reduction goal established by the BOC. Phosphorus tracking in the basin
indicates less risk of phosphorus loss during CY2016 than in the baseline year for 7 of the 9
qualitative indicators.
Rule Requirements and Compliance History
Effective September 2001, the Tar-Pamlico
Nutrient Sensitive Waters Management
Strategy (NSW) provides for a collective
strategy for farmers to meet the 30% nitrogen
loss reduction and no-increase phosphorus
goals within five years. A BOC and fourteen
LACs were established to implement the rule
and to assist farmers with complying with the
rule.
All fourteen Local Advisory Committees (LACs)
submitted their first annual report to the BOC
in November 2003, which collectively
estimated a 39% nitrogen loss reduction, and
10 of 14 LACs exceeded the 30% individually.
Collective reductions gradually increased in
succeeding years, and by CY2007 only one LAC
was shy of the 30% individually. As of CY2016
all LACs now exceed the 30% reduction individually.
Division of Soil and Water Conservation staff uses input from the LACs to calculate their annual
reductions using the Nitrogen Loss Estimation Worksheet (NLEW). All fourteen LACs met as
required in 2017, and based on their input the collective reduction of 56% exceeded the
mandated 30% in CY2016.
1 The 2016 crop year began in October 2015 and ended in September 2016.
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Scope of Report and Methodology
The estimates provided in this report represent whole-county scale calculations of nitrogen loss
from cropland agriculture adjusted for acreage in the basin. These estimates were made by
Division of Soil and Water Conservation staff using the ‘aggregate’ version of NLEW, an
accounting tool developed to meet the specifications of the Neuse Rule and approved by the
EMC for use in the Tar-Pamlico Basin. The development team included interagency technical
representatives of the NC Division of Water Resources (DWR), NC Division of Soil and Water
Conservation (DSWC), USDA-NRCS and was led by NC State University Soil Science Department
faculty. NLEW captures application of both inorganic and animal waste sources of fertilizer to
cropland. It is an “edge-of-management unit” accounting tool that estimates changes in
nitrogen loss from croplands, but does not estimate changes in nitrogen loading to surface
waters. An assessment method was developed for phosphorus, approved by the EMC, and is
described later in the report.
Annual Estimates of N Loss and the Effect of NLEW Refinements
The NLEW software is periodically revised to incorporate new knowledge gained through
research and improvements to data. These changes have incorporated the best available data,
but changes to NLEW must be considered when comparing nitrogen loss reduction in different
versions of NLEW. Further updates in soil management units are expected as NRCS produces
updated electronic soils data. The small changes in soil management units are unlikely to
produce significant effects on nitrogen loss reductions. Figure 1 represents the annual percent
nitrogen loss reduction from the baseline for 2001 to 2016.
Figure 1. Collective Cropland Nitrogen Loss Reduction Percent 2001 to 2016, Tar Pamlico River
Basin.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%% ReductionYear
NLEW v5.02 NLEW v5.51 NLEW v5.52
NLEW v5.53a NLEW v5.53b NLEW v6.0
30% Reduction Goal
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The first NLEW reports were run in 2001, and agriculture has continued to exceed its collective
30% nitrogen reduction goal since that time. The first NLEW revision (v5.51) updated soil
management units and marked a significant change in the nitrogen reduction efficiencies of
buffers, so both the baseline and CY2005 were re-calculated based on the best available
information. The second (v5.52) and third (v5.53a) revisions were administrative and included
minor updates to soil mapping units and realistic yields. In April of 2011 the NLEW Committee
established further reductions (v5.53b) in nitrogen removal efficiencies for buffers based on
additional research. In 2016 NLEW software was updated (v6.0) from outdated software and
transferred to a web-based platform on NCDA&CS servers. Revised realistic yield and nitrogen
use efficiency data from NCSU was incorporated, and some minor calculation errors were
corrected for corn and sweet potatoes. Table 1 lists the changes in buffer nitrogen reduction
efficiencies over time.
Table 1. Changes in Buffer Width Options and Nitrogen Reduction Efficiencies in NLEW
Buffer
Width
NLEW v5.02*
% N Reduction
2001-2005
NLEW v5.51, v5.52, v5.53a
% N Reduction
2006-2010
NLEW v5.53b, v6.0
% N Reduction
2011-Current
20' 40% (grass) 30% 20% 75% (trees & shrubs)
30' 65% 40% 25%
50' 85% 50% 30%
70' 85% 55% 30%
100' 85% 60% 35%
*NLEW v5.02 - the vegetation type (i.e. trees, shrubs, grass) within 20' and 50' buffers determined reduction values.
Based on research results, this distinction was dropped from subsequent NLEW versions.
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Current Status
Nitrogen Reduction from Baseline for CY2016
All fourteen LACs submitted their sixteenth annual report to the BOC in September 2017. For
the entire basin, in CY2016 agriculture achieved a 56% reduction in nitrogen loss compared to
the 1991 baseline. This year all 14 LACs achieved the at-least 30% nitrogen loss reduction goal
set by the BOC. Table 2 lists each county’s baseline, CY2015 and CY2016 nitrogen (lbs/yr) loss
values, and nitrogen loss percent reductions from the baseline in CY2015 and CY2016.
Table 2. Estimated Reductions in Agricultural Nitrogen Loss from Baseline (1991) for CY2015 and
CY2016, Tar-Pamlico River Basin*
County
Baseline N
Loss (lb)*
CY2015 N
Loss (lb)
CY2015 N
Reduction (%)
CY2016 N
Loss (lb)
CY2016 N
Reduction (%)
Beaufort 9,178,262 4,244,911 54% 4,670,866 49%
Edgecombe 5,037,742 2,630,701 48% 2,793,610 45%
Franklin 2,183,680 445,045 80% 452,658 79%
Granville 890,371 128,408 86% 173,484 81%
Halifax 2,902,105 1,488,405 49% 1,462,668 50%
Hyde 5,501,161 2,335,580 58% 2,109,730 62%
Martin 782,152 564,012 28% 497,067 36%
Nash 4,693,868 1,430,501 70% 1,525,161 68%
Person 153,228 70,349 54% 54,137 65%
Pitt 6,229,921 2,391,709 62% 2,878,593 54%
Vance 419,485 96,401 77% 80,131 81%
Warren 535,517 108,974 80% 134,723 75%
Washington 939,912 432,816 54% 440,550 53%
Wilson 890,691 428,189 52% 445,830 50%
Total 40,338,095 16,796,001 58% 17,698,887 56%
*Nitrogen loss values are for comparative purposes. They represent nitrogen that was applied to agricultural lands in the basin
and neither used by crops nor intercepted by BMPs in a Soil Management Unit, based on NLEW calculations. This is not an in-
stream loading value.
Nitrogen loss reductions were achieved through the combination of fertilization rate decreases,
cropping shifts, BMP implementation, and cropland acreage fluctuation. In addition to wet
weather which has significantly reduced wheat acres over the past three years, the most
significant factor is shifts from crops which require high nitrogen inputs to crops which require
little or no nitrogen. Overall, NLEW estimates the following factors contributed to the total
nitrogen loss reduction according to the percentages shown in Table 3.
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Table 3. Factors that Influence Nitrogen Reduction by Percentage on Agricultural Lands, Tar-
Pamlico River Basin*
Factor
CY2013 NLEW
v5.53b
CY2014 NLEW
v5.53b
CY2015 NLEW
v6.0
CY2016 NLEW
v6.0
BMP implementation 8% 12% 14% 14%
Fertilization Management 20% 18% 15% 17%
Cropping shift 6% 10% 17% 14%
Cropland converted to
grass/trees 5% 5% 5% 5%
Cropland lost to idle land 1% 5% 6% 5%
Cropland lost to development 1% 1% 1% 1%
TOTAL 41% 51% 58% 56%
*Percentages are based on a total of the reduction, not a year-to-year comparison.
BMP Implementation
As illustrated in Figure 2, CY2016 yielded an increase of 900 acres affected by water control
structures and an increase of 729 acres of nutrient scavenger crops from CY2015, while buffer
acres remained the same.
The Division of Soil and Water Conservation, Soil and Water Conservation Districts and Natural
Resources Conservation Service staff continue to make refinements to the NLEW accounting
process as opportunities arise. The BMP data is collected from state and federal cost share
program active contracts, and in some cases BMPs that were installed without cost share
funding. While there is some opportunity for variability in the data reported, LACs are including
data that is the best information currently available. As additional sound data sources become
available, the LACs will review these sources and update their methodology for reporting if
warranted.
Overall, the total acres of implementation of BMPs have increased since the baseline, as
illustrated in Figure 2. When actual acres of BMPs installed through federal, state and local cost
share programs are compared to the total cropland (593,530 acres), over half of all reported
cropland receives some kind of BMP treatment. The treatment estimate is probably greater,
however, because it does not take into account the entire drainage area treated by buffers in
the piedmont, which is generally 5 to 10 times higher than the actual acres of the buffer shown
in Figure 2.2
From 2001 through 2006, the NLEW program captured buffers 50’ and wider as one category.
After the 2007 update, categories for 70’ and 100’ buffers were added. In CY2006 the buffers
2 Bruton, Jeffrey Griffin. 2004. Headwater Catchments: Estimating Surface Drainage Extent Across North Carolina and
Correlations Between Landuse, Near Stream, and Water Quality Indicators in the Piedmont Physiographic Region. Ph.D.
Dissertation. Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
27606.http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/theses/available/etd-03282004-174056/
8
larger than 50’ were redistributed into these new categories. In CY2011 50’ and 70’ buffers
were combined into a single category for everything larger than 50’ but less than 100’.
Figure 2: Nutrient Reducing BMPs Present on Agricultural Lands for Baseline (1991) and
Installed from 2013-2016, Tar-Pamlico River Basin*
*The acres of buffers listed represent actual acres. Acres affected by the buffer could be 5 to 10 times larger in the
Piedmont than the acreage shown above1
Additional Nutrient BMPs
At the field level, a number of BMPs contribute to nutrient reduction and subsequent water
quality improvement. Not all BMP types are tracked by NLEW. These include: livestock-related
nitrogen and phosphorus reducing BMPs, BMPs that reduce soil and phosphorus loss, and BMPs
that do not have enough scientific research to support estimating a nitrogen benefit. The BOC
believes it is worthwhile to recognize these practices. Table 4 identifies BMPs not accounted
for in NLEW and tracks their implementation in the basin since CY2013.
Increased implementation numbers are evident in CY2016 across all BMP types since the
baseline. Some of these BMPs will yield reductions in nitrogen loss that are not reflected in the
NLEW accounting in this report but will benefit the estuary.
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
100,000
Scavenger
Crop
20' Buffer 30' Buffer 50' Buffer 100' Buffer Water Control
StructureAcres
BMPs
Baseline 2013 2014 2015 2016
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Table 4: Nutrient-Reducing Best Management Practices Not Accounted for in NLEW, 2013-2016,
Tar-Pamlico River Basin*
BMP Units 2013 2014 2015 2016
Diversion Feet 425,596 428,696 433,166 440,614
Fencing (USDA Programs) Feet 256,384 256,384 261,884 262,519
Field Border Acres 1,284 1,289 1,297 1,303
Grassed Waterway Acres 2,518 2,524 2,569 2,587
Livestock Exclusion Feet 238,676 238,676 239,281 239,868
Sod Based Rotation Acres 70,456 70,596 80,836 90,911
Tillage Management Acres 52,185 52,428 55,878 62,151
Terraces Feet 371,936 371,936 371,936 371,936
*Values represent active contracts in State and Federal cost share programs.
Fertilization Management
Better nutrient management has resulted in farmers in
the Tar-Pamlico River Basin reducing their nitrogen
application from baseline levels. Figure 3 indicates
that nitrogen rates for the major crops in the basin
have reduced from the baseline period.
In CY2016 nitrogen rates were stable for corn,
soybeans, tobacco, and wheat, increased for cotton,
and decreased for bermuda and fescue compared to
CY2015. Most pastures are under-fertilized
throughout the Tar-Pamlico basin. Pasture and
hayland are typically not supplemented with inorganic
fertilizers.
Due to lower commodity prices, there has been an
economic incentive for producers to consider more
efficient nitrogen rates, timing, and placement
alternatives. Fertilizer rates and standard application
practices are revisited annually by LACs using data from farmers, commercial applicators and
state and federal agencies’ professional estimates.
Factors Identified by LACs Contributing to
Reduced Nitrogen Rates since the Baseline
Year
➢ Economic decisions and fluctuating farm
incomes.
➢ Increased education & outreach on
nutrient management (NC Cooperative
Extension held nutrient management
training sessions, since 2004 approximately
2,000 farmers and applicators received
training)
➢ Mandatory waste management plans
➢ The federal government tobacco quota
buy-out reducing tobacco acreage.
➢ Neuse & Tar-Pamlico Nutrient Strategies.
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Figure 3. Average Annual Nitrogen Fertilization Rate (lb/ac) for the Major Agricultural Crops for
the Baseline (1991) and 2013-2016, Tar-Pamlico River Basin
Cropping Shifts
The LACs calculated the cropland acreage by utilizing crop data reported by farmers to the
USDA-Farm Service Agency. Each crop requires different amounts of nitrogen and utilizes the
nitrogen applied with different efficiency rates. Changes in the mix of crops grown can have a
significant impact on the cumulative yearly nitrogen loss reduction. The BOC anticipates that
the basin will see additional crop shifts in the upcoming year based on changing commodity
prices and wet weather.
Figure 4 shows crop acres and shifts for the last four years compared to the baseline. Some
crops have remained relatively stable, while others show more volatility. Cotton prices have
fallen almost 56% from a 2011 peak, so cotton acreage continued a steady decline in CY2016.
Due to a temporary price increase in the winter and spring of 2016 corn increased by
approximately 43,862 acres, with some of the increase likely resulting in a soybean decrease of
14,001 acres. In addition, several consecutive extremely wet falls prevented many farmers
from accessing their fields in time to plant a crop of winter wheat. In most cases wheat acres
are “double cropped” with soybeans, which means that wheat acres are planted on the same
acreage before a spring soybean crop. In CY2016, soybean acreages were accounted for in
these double cropped systems, but some of those acres were not fertilized over the winter
months because a wheat crop was not planted. This resulted in an overall decrease of over
26,000 wheat acres between CY2015 and CY2016, continuing a trend since CY2014. A host of
factors from individual to global determine crop choices.
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Bermuda Corn Cotton Fescue Soybeans Tobacco WheatNitrogen Rate (lbs/acre)Crops
Baseline 2013 2014 2015 2016
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Figure 4. Acreage of Major Crops for the Baseline (1991) and 2013-2016, Tar-Pamlico River
Basin
Land Use Change to Development, Idle Land and Cropland Conversion
The number of cropland acres fluctuates every year in the Tar-Pamlico River Basin due to
cropland conversion, idle land and development. Each year, some cropland is permanently lost
to development or converted to grass or trees and likely to be ultimately lost from agricultural
production. Idle land is agricultural land that is currently out of production but could be
brought back into production at any time. Currently it is estimated that over 12,000 acres have
been permanently lost to development in the basin and more than 47,134 acres have been
converted to grass or trees since the 1991 baseline. For CY2016 it is estimated that there are
approximately 46,117 idle acres. There is a total of 593,530 NLEW-accountable acres of
cropland (see Fig. 5). In addition to these changes, LACs have noted that over 2,500 cropland
acres have been lost to newly leased and constructed solar facilities. This total will be updated
in future years, but it is uncertain if this should be considered a permanent or temporary loss of
cropland. All of the above estimates come from the LAC members’ best professional judgment,
USDA-FSA records and county planning department data. The total crop acres are obtained
from USDA-FSA and NC Agricultural Statistics annual reports. Cropland acres have continued to
decrease from the baseline period (see Figure 5).
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
Hay Corn Cotton Soybeans Tobacco WheatAcres
Crops
Baseline 2013 2014 2015 2016
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Figure 5. NLEW-Accounted Cropland Acres in the Tar-Pamlico River Basin, Baseline (1991) - 2016
*Some of the acres represented here are acres counted twice due to double-cropping on the same field.
Some acreage reduction represents double-cropped wheat-soybeans converted to a full-season soybean
crop.
Phosphorus
Phosphorus Indicators for CY2016: The
qualitative indicators included in Table 5 show
the relative changes in land use and management
parameters and their relative effect on
phosphorus loss risk in the basin. This approach
was recommended by the Phosphorus Technical
Advisory Committee (PTAC) in 2005 due to the
difficulty of developing an aggregate phosphorus
tool parallel to the nitrogen NLEW tool and was
approved by the EMC. Table 5 builds upon the
data provided in the 2005 PTAC report, which
included all available data at the time ending
with data from 2003. This report adds
phosphorus indicator data for CY2013 through
CY2016. With the exception of animal waste P
and soil test P, all other parameters indicate less
risk of phosphorus loss than in the baseline year.
Contributing to the reduced risk of phosphorus
loss is the increase of nutrient reducing BMPs in
the basin. As indicated in Table 5, the acres
affected in the basin by water control structures have steadily increased over the past three
years. It should also be noted that the soil test phosphorus median number reported for the
basin fluctuates each year due to the nature of how the data is collected and compiled. The soil
0
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
700,000
800,000
900,000
Baseline2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016Acres
Years
Phosphorous Technical Assistance
Committee (PTAC)
The PTAC’s overall purpose was to establish a
phosphorus accounting method for agriculture in
the basin. It determined that a defensible,
aggregated, county-scale accounting method for
estimating phosphorus losses from agricultural
lands is not currently feasible due to “the
complexity of phosphorus behavior and transport
within a watershed, the lack of suitable data
required to adequately quantify the various
mechanisms of phosphorus loss and retention
within watersheds of the basin, and the problem
with not being able to capture agricultural
conditions as they existed in 1991”. The PTAC
instead developed recommendations for
qualitatively tracking relative changes in practices
in land use and management related to
agricultural activity that either increase or
decrease the risk of phosphorus loss from
agricultural lands in the basin on an annual basis.
.
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test phosphorus median numbers shown in Table 5 are generated by using North Carolina
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) soil test laboratory results from
voluntary soil testing and the data is reported by the NCDA&CS. The number of samples
collected each year varies. The data only includes samples submitted for cropland. It does not
include soil tests that were submitted to private laboratories. The soil test results from the
NCDA&CS database represent data from entire counties in the basin, and have not been
adjusted to include only those samples collected in the river basin area.
Table 5. Relative Changes in Land Use and Management Parameters and their Relative Effect on
Phosphorus Loss Risk in the Tar-Pamlico
Parameter Units Source
1991
Baseline CY2013 CY2014 CY2015 CY2016
1991 -
2016
Change
CY2016
P Loss
Risk +/-
Agricultural
land Acres FSA 807,026 716,289 653,954 614,715 593,530 -26% -
Cropland
conversion (to
grass & trees)
Acres
USDA-
NRCS &
NCACSP
660 46,647 46,837 47,007 47,134 7042% -
CRP / WRP
(cumulative) Acres USDA-
NRCS 19,241 41,833 41,833 41,833 41,833 117% -
Conservation
Tillage *
(cumulative)
Acres
USDA-
NRCS &
NCACSP
41,415 52,185 52,428 55,878 62,151 50% -
Vegetated
buffers
(cumulative)
Acres
USDA-
NRCS &
NCACSP
50,836 218,236 218,419 218,440 218,440 330% -
Water control
structures
(cumulative)
Acres
Affected
USDA-
NRCS &
NCACSP
52,984 90,356 91,240 91,308 92,208 74% -
Scavenger crop Acres LAC 13,272 88,069 87,033 85,380 86,109 549% -
Animal waste P lbs of P/ yr NC Ag
Statistics 13,597,734 16,880,526 14,530,827 15,011,136 14,805,403 9% +
Soil test P
median P Index NCDA&
CS 83 85 81 79 84 1% +
* Conservation tillage is being practiced on additional acres but this number only reflects active cost share contract
acres, not acres where contracts have expired or where farmers have implemented conservation tillage without
cost share assistance. According to the 2012 Ag Census, conservation tillage (including no-till) was practiced on
420,550 crop acres in the Tar-Pamlico River Basin.3
Based on the these findings, the BOC recommends that no additional management actions be
required of agricultural operations in the basin at this time to comply with the “no net increase
above the 1991 levels” phosphorus goal of the agriculture rule. The BOC will continue to track
and report the identified set of qualitative phosphorus indicators to the EMC annually, and to
bring any concerns raised by the results of this effort to the EMC’s attention as they arise, along
with recommendations for any appropriate action. The BOC expects that BMP implementation
will continue to increase throughout the basin in future years, and notes that BMPs installed for
nitrogen, pathogen and sediment control often provide significant phosphorus benefits as well.
3 USDA NASS, 2012 Census of Agriculture, Census by Watershed (HUC 030201). Available at:
www.agcensus.usda.gov/ Publications/2012/Online_Resources/Watersheds/sag03.pdf
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Looking Forward
The Tar-Pamlico BOC will continue to report on rule implementation, relying heavily on Soil and
Water Conservation District staff to compile crop reports. The BOC continues to encourage
counties to implement additional BMPs to further reduce nutrient losses.
Because cropping shifts are susceptible to various
pressures, the BOC is working with LACs in all
counties to continue BMP implementation that
provides for a lasting reduction in nitrogen loss in
the basin while monitoring cropping changes.
Due to improved weather during the fall growing
season in late 2016, the BOC expects reported
wheat acre totals in CY2017 to increase
significantly.
Funding
Ongoing agriculture rule reporting has
incorporated data processing efficiencies and
improvements in recent years. NLEW upgrades
have allowed LAC members to more actively
participate in the compilation of data and analysis
of nitrogen loss trends, and a new Division of Soil
and Water Conservation contracting system has helped optimize BMP documentation efforts.
The Division of Soil and Water Conservation, funded through an EPA 319(h) grant, expends
approximately $50,000 on agricultural reporting staff support annually.
In CY2016 soil and water conservation districts spent over $555,000 through the Agriculture
Cost Share Program in the Tar-Pamlico River Basin, and the Natural Resources Conservation
Service spent over $3,676,754 through the Environmental Quality Assistance Program in the
counties of the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico River Basins. The EPA 319(h) grant program, which is
administered by the Department of Environmental Quality, has approximately $1.2 million in
competitive grant funds available for implementation of approved nonpoint source
management programs. Grant funds from the 319(h) program can be used to supplement
technical assistance, match cost share funding, and support BMP implementation. These
programs have all helped fund erosion and nutrient reducing best management practices in the
Tar-Pamlico basin. Participation by so many members of the local agricultural community
demonstrates a commitment toward achieving the nutrient strategy’s long-term goals.
Over 150 farmers, local staff, and agency personnel with other responsibilities serve on the
Neuse and Tar-Pamlico LACs in a voluntary capacity. Without funding for technicians, the
annual local progress reports fall on the LACs without local technical assistance to compile the
data for the annual reports. Few currently serving LAC members were active during the
stakeholder process for the Agriculture Rule, so some institutional knowledge about annual
Basin Oversight Committee recognizes the
dynamic nature of agricultural business.
➢ Changes in the world economies, energy
or trade policies.
➢ Changes in government programs (i.e.,
commodity support or environmental
regulations)
➢ Weather (i.e., long periods of drought or
rain)
➢ Scientific advances in agronomics (i.e.,
production of new types of crops or
improvements in crop sustainability)
➢ Plant disease or pest problems (i.e.,
viruses or foreign pests)
➢ Urban encroachment (i.e., crop selection
shifts as fields become smaller)
➢ Age of farmer (i.e., as retirement
approaches farmers may move from row
crops to cattle)
15
reporting requirements has been lost. As a result, training of new Soil and Water Conservation
District staff and LAC members regarding rule requirements and reporting is ongoing.
Funding is an integral part in the success of reaching and maintaining the goal through technical
assistance and BMP implementation. It is also important for data collection and reporting.
Now that watershed technician funding has been eliminated, a more centralized approach to
data collection and verification is necessary. This evolving approach will involve GIS analysis
and more streamlined FSA acreage documentation. The LACs will be trained to handle the new
workload to the best of their ability. Because district staff has neither the time nor financial
resources to synthesize county level data, this centralized approach will come at the expense of
local knowledge. Annual agricultural reporting is required by the rules; therefore continued
funding for the Division’s remaining Nonpoint Source Planning Coordinator position is essential
for compliance.
At the present time there is also no funding for a basin coordinator. Part of the responsibilities
of the technicians and basin coordinators was to assist with the reporting requirements for the
Neuse and Tar-Pamlico Agriculture Rules. In addition to other duties, the NCDA&CS Division of
Soil and Water Conservation Nonpoint Source Planning Coordinator has been assigned the data
collection, compilation and reporting duties for the Agriculture Rules for all existing Nutrient
Sensitive Waters Strategies.
The BOC will consider data from relevant studies as they are completed and become available
and will consider the results as they relate to nutrient loadings from land based sources and
uses. Previously, funding was available for research on conservation practice effectiveness,
realistic yields, and nitrogen use efficiencies. Due to eligibility changes and other funding
constraints, it is unlikely that new data will be developed. Prior funding sources for such
research, which provided much of the scientific information on which NLEW was based, are no
longer available. Should new funding be made available, additional North Carolina-specific
research information could be incorporated into future NLEW updates.
Conclusion
Significant progress has been made in agricultural nitrogen loss reduction, and the agricultural
community consistently reaches its 30% reduction goal. However, the measurable effects of
these BMPs on overall in-stream nitrogen reduction may take years to develop due to the
nature of non-point source pollution. The BOC supports new funding for research and
implementation to further improve reductions and enhance agricultural nutrient reporting,
including identification of additional sources. Nitrogen reduction values presented in this
annual summary of agricultural reductions reflect “edge-of-management unit” calculations that
contribute to achieving the overall 30% nitrogen loss reduction goal. Significant quantities of
agricultural BMPs have been installed since the adoption and implementation of the nutrient
management strategy, and agriculture continues to do its part towards achieving the overall
goal of a 30% reduction of nitrogen delivered to the Pamlico estuary.