Water is the lifeblood of the agricultural industry, and agricultural access to water is a critical concern for New Jersey’s farmers. This need is especially urgent during periods of drought when restrictions on water use could catastrophically affect farm income for the production year, but beyond those circumstances, ensuring an adequate water supply, both now and in the future, is essential to protecting the production capability and economic stability of agriculture.

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture established an agricultural water working group that includes members of the Department of Agriculture, Rutgers Cooperative Extension and the Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Department of Environmental Protection. The mission of the working group is to advise the Secretary of Agriculture on the water needs of agriculture and to assist in the development of essential rules, policies and guidelines to ensure that there will be an adequate water supply to meet the current and future needs of New Jersey’s agricultural industry. The working group has been successful in establishing an on-going dialogue between the agencies and organizations that regulate, and advocate for, agricultural water.

However, despite the efforts of the working group, agricultural water concerns still persist. New Jersey’s farmers face increasing water quality regulations, particularly in priority areas such as the Highlands, and slow-downs in water allocation certificate processing at the NJDEP have further frustrated growers throughout the state. As residential water supply and potable water quality continue to make headlines, the long-term water needs of New Jersey’s agricultural community must be equally considered.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the delegates of the 89th State Agricultural Convention assembled in Long Branch, New Jersey on February 4, 2004 call upon the Department of Agriculture to continue working with the Department of Environmental Protection to address water supply and water quality issues by participating in the DEP’s statewide water supply plan revision process and by planning strategically for the implementation of federal and state conservation programs.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we support the efforts of the Agricultural Water Working Group, and encourage them to continue their work on behalf of New Jersey’s agricultural community.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we request the NJDEP in its policy-making activities to ensure that there is adequate water for New Jersey’s farmers, realizing that water allocation planning is a critical farm management process.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we urge the NJDEP to revise its water allocation certification application program process so that agriculture is considered separately from industrial applicants, and revise the certification review procedures in order to enable the issuance of a pre-approval on all applications 15 days after they are received from Rutgers Cooperative Extension Agricultural Agents. After pre-approval, final approval of water certification applications shall be given in 30 days.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we request the NJDEP in its policy-making activities to consider the needs of agricultural operations when developing policies and programs that involve water quality, such as stormwater management and impervious coverage.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we encourage the use of water conservation technologies and cost-share grants funded by both the USDA and NJDEP, and look for new and efficient methods to conduct water utilization on farms, including drip irrigation, water recapture and reuse, and an increase in on-farm water storage.