WHEREAS, the Department recognizes animal waste as a resource and continues to explore alternative uses of animal waste including bio-gas production, which allows for the productive reuse of manure, reduces hauling costs and benefits the environment; and

WHEREAS, the Department works in conjunction with its conservation partners to implement demonstration projects, such as the one that installed best management practices at the Equine Science Center, to provide hands-on training and research facilities to educate livestock owners on the design, implementation and construction of cost-effective environmental management practices and facilities to minimize water quality impacts and provide an opportunity for the evaluation of the effectiveness of such practices; and

WHEREAS, the Department monitors the progress of the fully functioning animal waste composting facility in Sussex County and utilizes this New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Research Development & Demonstration (RD&D) project as a model for other facilities; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Agriculture continues to identify ways to assist livestock farmers with self-certified and high-density plan development and implementation to assure that the animal waste management program is effective, practical, affordable and feasible; and

WHEREAS, three key deadlines are approaching regarding the proper management of animal waste, which include: March 2010 -- All farms must comply with the General Requirements; September 2010 - Animal Waste Management Plans must be developed; and March 2012 - Animal Waste Management Plans must be implemented. 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the delegates to the 95^th State Agricultural Convention, assembled in East Brunswick, New Jersey, on February 9, 2010, support the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s cooperative efforts in developing a comprehensive animal waste management program for livestock farms.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we direct the Department to continue to recognize animal waste as a resource and continue to explore alternative uses of animal waste including bio-gas production that could help meet the State Energy Master Plan goals of 20 percent of energy from renewable sources by 2020, allow for the productive reuse of manure, reduce hauling costs and benefit the environment.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we direct the Department to continue to work in conjunction with conservation partners to: implement demonstration projects, such as the one that installed best management practices at the Equine Science Center; to provide hands-on training and research facilities to educate livestock owners on the design and construction of cost-effective environmental management practices; to identify opportunities for implementation incentives for facilities to minimize water quality impacts (such as in the eight-year preservation program and the Farm Bill); and provide an opportunity for the evaluation of the effectiveness of such practices.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we direct the Department to continue monitoring the progress of the fully functioning animal waste composting facility in Sussex County and utilize this NJDEP Research Development & Demonstration (RD&D) project as a model for other facilities.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we support the Department working with Rutgers Cooperative Extension to create a Compost Certification Program as called for in the NJDEP Solid Waste Management regulations and monitor program compliance.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we direct the Department to work with the Equine Science Center to provide outreach to equine owners through enhancements to their website, newsletters and special meetings and provide information on training sessions, regulation timeframes and other related information regarding rule implementation.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we direct the Department to explore the possibility of creating an Ag Composting program separate and apart from the NJDEP Solid Waste Management Program that would establish agricultural composting facilities and monitor program compliance.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we direct the Department to continue to identify ways to reach out to and assist livestock farmers with self-certified and high-density plan development and implementation to assure that the animal waste management is practical, affordable and feasible.

BACKGROUND

In response to water quality initiatives outlined in the Clean Water Act and the Clean Water Action Plan of 1999, and to proactively address potential non-point source pollution from animal operations, the Department has prepared rules that outline a comprehensive animal waste management program, in cooperation with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, New Jersey Farm Bureau, the State Board of Agriculture and representatives from the various sectors of the livestock industry.

The program will provide for the proper management of animal waste, including criteria and standards for the composting, handling, storage, processing, utilization and disposal of animal wastes.

These rules apply to farms that generate, handle or receive animal waste and establish general requirements for all livestock farms to follow; rules that require the development and implementation of self-certified plans, high-density plans or Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans based upon thresholds of animal units and animal density.

The rules have been substantially revised since their initial release in the fall of 2004 and were released for a second round of informal review in 2006; and a formal rule proposal in March 2008.

Concurrent with the rule-making process, the Department has contracted with Rutgers Cooperative Extension to develop a compact disc version of the self-certified and high-density plan template, the updated “On-Farm Strategies to Protect Water Quality” best management practices manual and other tools to assist farmers with plan development; the template will also be available in hard copy as contained in the best management practices manual.

Once the rules are adopted, plan development workshops will be held on the county level to assist livestock farmers with the development of their plans.

The Department will continue to recognize animal waste as a resource and continue to explore alternative uses of animal waste including bio-gas production which allows for the productive reuse of manure, reduces hauling costs and benefits the environment.

The Department will continue to work in conjunction with our conservation partners to implement demonstration projects, such as the one that installed best management practices at the Equine Science Center, to provide hands-on training and research facilities to educate livestock owners on the design, implementation and construction of cost-effective environmental management practices and facilities to minimize water quality impacts and provide an opportunity for the evaluation of the effectiveness of such practices.

The Department will continue to monitor the progress of the fully functioning animal waste composting facility in Sussex County and utilize this NJDEP Research Development & Demonstration (RD&D) project as a model for other facilities.

The Department will explore the possibility of creating an Ag Composting program within the Department of Agriculture, separate and apart from the NJDEP Solid Waste Management Program, that would establish agricultural composting facilities and monitor program compliance.

The Department of Agriculture will continue to identify ways to assist livestock farmers with self-certified and high-density plan development and implementation to assure that the animal waste management program is effective, practical, affordable and feasible.