$207-MILLION CONSERVATION PROGRAM WILL HELP PROTECT DRINKING WATER IN COLUMBUS, OHIO Media Contact: Jillene Johnson (202) 720-9733

NEWS UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Office of Communications News Room 460-A Washington, DC 20250-1300 Internet: News@usda.gov Phone: 202-720-9035 World Wide Web Home Page: http://www.usda.gov Release No. 0447.04 Julie Quick (202) 720-4623 Jillene Johnson (202) 720-9733 $207-MILLION CONSERVATION PROGRAM WILL HELP PROTECT DRINKING WATER IN COLUMBUS, OHIO CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio, Oct. 18, 2004 -- Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman today announced a $207.3 million Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) to voluntarily improve water quality in Ohio’s Scioto River Watershed, the main source of drinking water for the City of Columbus. "This partnership among USDA, the state of Ohio and local groups will result in cleaner drinking water for nearly 2 million Ohioans," said Veneman. "The program will have wide-spread benefits, and improve water quality as far away as the Gulf of Mexico." Veneman praised Ohio’s long history of leadership in soil and water conservation. The state has two existing successful CREPs, in the western Lake Erie Basin and along the Upper Big Walnut Creek. More than 1,500 stream miles have been protected by the programs. These buffers trap more than 90 percent of the sediment from entering the streams and rivers. "The Ohio Scioto River Watershed CREP will build on these achievements," said Deputy Secretary Jim Moseley, who participated in the signing ceremony in Circleville with Ohio Department of Natural Resources Director Sam Speck. "Ohio’s natural resources and the communities around them will greatly benefit through the establishment of long-term and permanent conservation practices on 70,000 acres along 231 miles of the Scioto River and 3,000 miles of streams within the Scioto River watershed," said Moseley. Landowners can offer eligible cropland and marginal pastureland in 31 central and southern Ohio counties in the watershed, an area of approximately 6,500 square miles. The program is a cooperative project among landowners, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and local soil and water conservation districts. Other partners include the City of Columbus, which will help secure easements; the Nature Conservancy, which will provide financial assistance; Ducks Unlimited, which will provide financial resources and technical expertise; and Pheasants Forever, which will provide seed, seed drills and volunteers. Additional partners include the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation and Ohio State University Extension, which will help promote the project to farmers and landowners. Planting grass filter strips, riparian buffers and hardwood trees through CREP will reduce agricultural pollution, soil erosion and the risk of downstream flooding throughout the watershed. These actions will improve drinking water quality for Columbus and surrounding communities. The Scioto River and its tributaries, such as Big Darby Creek, are the habitat of more than 30 threatened and endangered species of fish and mussels. Through CREP, agricultural producers can voluntarily protect habitat, and other species, including ducks, song birds, pheasants, and rabbits will also benefit. Over the course of the contracts, CREP participants will receive from FSA incentive payments and cost-share assistance for installing approved conservation practices. FSA will also provide annual rental payments for the life of the contract. The State of Ohio will contribute no less than 20 percent of the overall costs, including payments to participants and in-kind contributions from private and public partners such as Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the City of Columbus and non-governmental groups. The state of Ohio will also offer permanent conservation easements on 5,000 enrolled acres to be funded by the Nature Conservancy, other private partners and, if available, through the state. Sign-up for the Ohio Scioto River Watershed CREP will be announced later by the state and continues until enrollment goals are attained, or through Dec. 31, 2007, whichever comes first. Land enrolled in the program will remain under contract for a period of 14 to 15 years, as specified in the contract. The total cost over a 15-year period is estimated at $207.3 million, with FSA contributing $151.3 million and the State of Ohio and other partners funding $56 million. CREP is a voluntary program that pays participants to implement conservation practices on environmentally sensitive land. In return, participants receive annual rental payments paid on a per-acre basis, cost-share assistance and other financial incentives. CREP combines an existing FSA program, the Conservation Reserve Program, with state programs to meet specific state and national environmental objectives. CREP partnerships with states, tribal governments and private groups provide a coordinated approach to addressing critical conservation issues of the state and nation. More information on the Ohio Scioto River Watershed CREP is available at local FSA county offices, on FSA’s Web site at: www.fsa.usda.gov/dafp/cepd/default.htm and on ODNR’s Web site at: www.dnr.state.oh.us/odnr/soil+water #