April 22, 2009

LANSING, MICH. - Earth Day is April 22 and is a great time to appreciate the Earth and celebrate environmental progress. The Michigan Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Environmental Stewardship Division works daily to ensure its programs encourage environmentally sound agricultural practices, prevents agriculture-related pollution, and enhances commercial agriculture activities while protecting the environment and public health.

“The Michigan Department of Agriculture strives to make every day Earth Day with our department’s proactive environmental programs,” said James Johnson, MDA’s Environmental Stewardship Division Director. “MDA takes pride in our natural resources and continues to take steps in caring for our earth. I invite all Michigan residents to participate in Earth Day festivities, and to take steps every day to protect our environment.”

MDA’s Environmental Stewardship Division issued its annual report today highlighting the department’s achievements over the past year. Included in these achievements was the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP), a voluntary, environmental assurance program that ensures producers are using cost-effective pollution prevention practices to assist in compliance with environmental regulations. The program has verified over 600 farms and more than 1,400 conservation practices changes made on small and medium-sized livestock farms.

Additionally, the MDA Right to Farm program investigates and resolves about 150 new environmental complaints involving farm operations each year. Farms earn nuisance protection by following scientifically-based farm management practices to abate and prevent pollution. Pollution prevention is also provided with the Right to Farm Site Selection program for new and expanding livestock facilities. Over $50 million has been invested by Michigan farmers to construct new, modern facilities across the state in each of the past three years.

Helping to maintain natural systems, the Farmland and Open Space Preservation program (PA 116) helps grow the state's agricultural economy by preserving more than 3 million acres of Michigan farmland and open space using both temporary and permanent conservation agreements on the land. These preserved lands not only keep agriculture viable in the state but also provide open spaces, scenic views, storm water holding areas and recharge, and wildlife habitat. With over 41,000 agreements, the lands in these restrictions can only be used for farming or open space and can't be converted to other non-farm or non-open space uses.

Another partnership, the Michigan Conservation and Climate Initiative, encourages farmers and landowners to implement conservation tillage, plant grasses and trees, or capture methane with anaerobic digesters in order to earn greenhouse gas emission credits. A total of 50,000 metric tons of carbon credits have been sold and generated $200,000 in revenue for landowners.

The Michigan Groundwater Stewardship Program helps individuals reduce the risks of groundwater contamination from pesticide and nitrogen fertilizer use. The program addresses groundwater risks through various practice areas including, agriculture, spill response, golf courses, and turfgrass stewardship and regular groundwater monitoring. Last year, 650 one-on-one risk assessments were conducted and sampled over 2,000 drinking wells. The Clean Sweep program, a free pesticide disposal program, collected 107,500 pounds of unwanted and unusable pesticides.

Working with Michigan’s Conservation Districts, Michigan’s economy benefitted from a total of $7.29 million in local, state and federal grants to address local natural resource issues. The district offices continually scan local needs and work cooperatively with the conservation community to prioritize and solve environmental problems.

For additional information on MDA’s environmental programs or to view the annual report, visit www.michigan.gov/mda or call 517-241-0236.