New York State Announces $25 Million Available to Help Farmers Protect Water Quality

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball today announced that $25 million is available for projects that will help New York’s farmers to support agricultural water quality conservation projects. This is the second year of record level funding being offered through the State’s Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution Abatement and Control (Ag Nonpoint) Program, which is being provided through the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) and the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act. Applications for the program can be found at agriculture.ny.gov/funding-opportunities.

Commissioner Ball said, “For over three decades, our Ag Nonpoint program has seen tremendous success, helping farmers implement best practices to protect our waterways. We’re excited to see even more funding dedicated to this program for the second year in a row through the Bond Act, helping us to continue investing in projects that will not only ensure the health of our environment but also help ensure farms can remain competitive, profitable, and sustainable.”

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “Governor Hochul continues to make record investments to safeguard water quality and boost New York’s agricultural economy through the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, the Environmental Protection Fund, and innovative programs that build lasting partnerships to protect our waterways. DEC applauds State Agriculture’s latest $25 million now available to build upon the Ag Nonpoint Program’s proven success in helping more farmers implement effective environmental protection strategies in their communities.”

The Ag Nonpoint Program provides funding to projects that focus on either environmental planning or the implementation of best management practice systems to protect New York’s watersheds. Projects include but are not limited to conservation measures, such as nutrient management through manure storage, vegetative buffers along streams, and conservation cover crops.

Through this latest round of the program, Round 31, a total of $25 million is being made available to the State’s County Soil and Water Conservation Districts, who will apply on behalf of New York farmers: $14 million is from the Environmental Protection Fund and $11 million is from the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022. Last year, the program celebrated its 30th anniversary, and so far, through 30 rounds of funding, over $275 million has been awarded to on-farm projects. Round 30 awarded funding to 109 participating farms and 25 county Soil and Water Conservation Districts, with awarded projects including plans for over 12,000 acres of cover crops, 31 agricultural waste storage systems, and 25 forested buffers.