Agricultural Cost Sharing and Water Quality in the Chesapeake Bay

Agricultural Cost Sharing and Water Quality in the Chesapeake Bay PDF Author: Patrick Fleming
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
This article analyzes the effect of agricultural cost sharing for cover crops on the acres of three conservation practices. A survey of farmers from Maryland is used to estimate the direct effect of cover crop cost sharing on the acres of cover crops, and the indirect effect of cover crop cost sharing on the acres of two other practices: conservation tillage and contour/strip cropping. A two-stage simultaneous equation approach is used to correct for voluntary self-selection into cost-sharing programs, and to account for substitution effects among conservation practices. Using model parameters from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Chesapeake Bay Program, the estimated effects of cost sharing are then translated to pollution reduction in order to quantify water quality benefits. The results indicate that the large cover crop cost sharing effort in Maryland had considerable effects on cover crop acreage, substantially reducing nitrogen and phosphorus runoff. Moreover, after accounting for the indirect effects on conservation tillage, the cost per pound of phosphorus abatement in the Chesapeake Bay decreased by between 60-67%.

Agricultural Cost Sharing and Water Quality in the Chesapeake Bay

Agricultural Cost Sharing and Water Quality in the Chesapeake Bay PDF Author: Patrick Fleming
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
This article analyzes the effect of agricultural cost sharing for cover crops on the acres of three conservation practices. A survey of farmers from Maryland is used to estimate the direct effect of cover crop cost sharing on the acres of cover crops, and the indirect effect of cover crop cost sharing on the acres of two other practices: conservation tillage and contour/strip cropping. A two-stage simultaneous equation approach is used to correct for voluntary self-selection into cost-sharing programs, and to account for substitution effects among conservation practices. Using model parameters from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Chesapeake Bay Program, the estimated effects of cost sharing are then translated to pollution reduction in order to quantify water quality benefits. The results indicate that the large cover crop cost sharing effort in Maryland had considerable effects on cover crop acreage, substantially reducing nitrogen and phosphorus runoff. Moreover, after accounting for the indirect effects on conservation tillage, the cost per pound of phosphorus abatement in the Chesapeake Bay decreased by between 60-67%.

Evaluating Impacts of Agricultural Cost Sharing on Water Quality

Evaluating Impacts of Agricultural Cost Sharing on Water Quality PDF Author: Patrick Fleming
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 54

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Book Description
We evaluate three farmer behavioral responses to incentive payments for ecosystem services, specifically a cover crop cost-share program aimed at reducing nitrogen loads in the Chesapeake Bay. Using farmer survey data in Maryland, we estimate a two-stage simultaneous equation model to correct for voluntary enrollment. Econometric model results are integrated with the Chesapeake Bay Program watershed model to estimate nitrogen abatement for the Bay and associated abatement costs. Estimated additionality for nitrogen abatement is 97% for enrolled farmers when only the direct treatment effect on cover crops is taken into account, but reductions in vegetative cover (slippage) and indirect effects on conservation tillage are consequential. Slippage is particularly large among unenrolled farmers, indicating that loss of vegetative cover may substantially offset pollution abatement if cost sharing is extended to this group. These findings suggest that unenrolled farmers may not be a low-cost source of pollution abatement as is often assumed.

Agriculture Non-point Source Pollution Control

Agriculture Non-point Source Pollution Control PDF Author: Rita Cestti
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 58

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Book Description
Over the last few decades the quality of many international water bodies has deteriorated, resulting in economic losses from declines in the fishing industry and in tourism, as well as a loss of biodiversity and health impacts from contaminated water. This deterioration has been caused by many factors including nutrient run-off from agriculture, insufficiently treated sewage, drainage of wetlands, coastal erosion, introduction of exotic species, eutrophication and inadequate resource management. One of the most significant sources of degradation has been form excessive discharge of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds (nutrients), due to the poor management practices used in agricultural, domestic and industrial activities. This publication aims to draw the attention of professionals and practitioners working in agricultural and environmental sectors to the experience and successes of the environmentally friendly good agricultural practices being used in the Chesapeake Bay Region of the United States to reduce nutrient loads in water.

Agriculture Non-Point Source Pollution Control

Agriculture Non-Point Source Pollution Control PDF Author: Rita Cestti
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 9780821355237
Category : Best management practices (Pollution prevention)
Languages : en
Pages : 56

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Achieving Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Goals in the Chesapeake Bay

Achieving Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Goals in the Chesapeake Bay PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309210798
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 258

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Book Description
The Chesapeake Bay is North America's largest and most biologically diverse estuary, as well as an important commercial and recreational resource. However, excessive amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment from human activities and land development have disrupted the ecosystem, causing harmful algae blooms, degraded habitats, and diminished populations of many species of fish and shellfish. In 1983, the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) was established, based on a cooperative partnership among the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the state of Maryland, and the commonwealths of Pennsylvania and Virginia, and the District of Columbia, to address the extent, complexity, and sources of pollutants entering the Bay. In 2008, the CBP launched a series of initiatives to increase the transparency of the program and heighten its accountability and in 2009 an executive order injected new energy into the restoration. In addition, as part of the effect to improve the pace of progress and increase accountability in the Bay restoration, a two-year milestone strategy was introduced aimed at reducing overall pollution in the Bay by focusing on incremental, short-term commitments from each of the Bay jurisdictions. The National Research Council (NRC) established the Committee on the Evaluation of Chesapeake Bay Program Implementation for Nutrient Reduction in Improve Water Quality in 2009 in response to a request from the EPA. The committee was charged to assess the framework used by the states and the CBP for tracking nutrient and sediment control practices that are implemented in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and to evaluate the two-year milestone strategy. The committee was also to assess existing adaptive management strategies and to recommend improvements that could help CBP to meet its nutrient and sediment reduction goals. The committee did not attempt to identify every possible strategy that could be implemented but instead focused on approaches that are not being implemented to their full potential or that may have substantial, unrealized potential in the Bay watershed. Because many of these strategies have policy or societal implications that could not be fully evaluated by the committee, the strategies are not prioritized but are offered to encourage further consideration and exploration among the CBP partners and stakeholders.

Analyzing Nonpoint Source Water Pollution Problems

Analyzing Nonpoint Source Water Pollution Problems PDF Author: Philip Favero
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Nonpoint source pollution
Languages : en
Pages : 72

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From Our Commonwealth to the Chesapeake

From Our Commonwealth to the Chesapeake PDF Author: Pennsylvania. Chesapeake Bay Program
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Water quality management
Languages : en
Pages : 32

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Water Quality Trading in the Presence of Existing Cost Share Programs

Water Quality Trading in the Presence of Existing Cost Share Programs PDF Author: Patrick Fleming
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 37

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Book Description
Most studies of water quality trading (WQT) analyze the cost effectiveness of reducing nutrient pollution in isolation from other policies. However, the policy landscape to reduce nutrient pollution from agriculture is dominated by existing cost-share (CS) programs, which are likely to persist even after introducing WQT. We investigate empirically how these two programs are likely to interact. Using farmer survey data, we estimate the behavioral responses to a CS program aimed at increasing cover crop adoption using a two-stage simultaneous equation approach to correct for voluntary participation in the CS program. We integrate these econometric results with the Chesapeake Bay Program water quality model to evaluate the profit-maximizing decision for farmers sorting between the existing CS program and proposed WQT program. Our results indicate that farmers with comparative advantage in nitrogen abatement per acre will choose to switch into the WQT program, worsening adverse selection and increasing average payments for nitrogen abatement in the existing CS program. Actual increases in nitrogen abatement from the WQT program depend on incentivizing additional cover crop acreage without inducing slippage for those farmers not currently enrolled in the CS program.

Hearing to Review the Chesapeake Bay TMDL, Agricultural Conservation Practices, and Their Implications on National Watersheds

Hearing to Review the Chesapeake Bay TMDL, Agricultural Conservation Practices, and Their Implications on National Watersheds PDF Author: United States. Congress. House. Committee on Agriculture. Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 196

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Chesapeake Bay Nonpoint Source Programs

Chesapeake Bay Nonpoint Source Programs PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Best management practices (Pollution prevention)
Languages : en
Pages : 140

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Book Description