Download Summary of Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy For the past

Summary of Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy
For the past year, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) has been leading a multistakeholder effort, including representatives from agriculture, point sources, environmental groups, and
federal and state agencies, to develop a strategy to address Illinois’s nutrient contributions to the Gulf of
Mexico hypoxic zone and to improve local water quality. This effort has resulted in the release of a
document, which will be submitted to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and
which outlines in detail the water quality challenges in Illinois and the steps to be taken to reduce
nutrient losses.
The Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy (Strategy) builds upon existing programs to optimize
nutrient loss reduction, while promoting increased collaboration, research and innovation to achieve an
ultimately load reduction of 45% called for by the national Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008. The Strategy
also sets interim targets of reducing phosphorus loading by 25% by 2025 and nitrate-nitrogen loading by
15% by 2025. The baseline for these reductions is the average annual loading of nitrate-nitrogen and
phosphorus from 1980-1996, as determined by the Science Assessment, which is the basis for the
Strategy.
The Strategy’s Science Assessment was developed by University of Illinois faculty and research staff.
Besides establishing the baseline loading, the Strategy also concluded that tile drained cropland is the
primary source of nitrate-nitrogen in the state, while point sources such as wastewater treatment plants
are a large source of phosphorus. The Science Assessment also identified watersheds with the highest
nutrient losses and evaluated methods to reduce those losses from both agricultural fields and
wastewater treatment plants.
With regard to agriculture, there are countless opportunities for Illinois farmers to take action on their
farms to reduce nutrient losses. In addition to steps farmers take on their own accord, opportunities are
available in the form of State programs such as Illinois EPA Section 319 grants, Illinois Department of
Natural Resources’ Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and projects accomplished
through the Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Federal programs available through the Natural
Resource Conservation Service include the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the
Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and several easement programs. Continued voluntary
implementation of best management practices (BMPs) is expected to build on efforts already underway
by farmers in Illinois.
Also in Illinois, the agricultural sector itself has several initiatives in place, all of which are critical
components of the Strategy.
In 2012, the agricultural industry sought changes to the Illinois Fertilizer Act to establish the Illinois
Nutrient Research and Education Council (NREC), a sustainable funding mechanism for nutrient research
and education. NREC is funded by Illinois farmers, who pay an assessment of 75 cents per ton of bulk
fertilizer sold in the state. NREC is currently in its second year of funding, and in 2014, funded $2.55
million worth of research projects and corresponding outreach. For more information on NREC, log on
to www.illinoisnrec.org.
Also, the Illinois Council on Best Management Practices (CBMP) is a coalition of agricultural
organizations and agribusinesses including: Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois Corn Growers Association,
Illinois Soybean Association, Illinois Pork Producers Association, Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical
Association, Syngenta, GROWMARK and Monsanto. The mission of CBMP, as it relates to the Strategy, is
to identify and promote sound agronomic practices in the agricultural sector to address water quality
concerns.
CBMP’s Keep it for the Crop (KIC) Education and Outreach Program serves as a central source of
information for Illinois farmers and agricultural suppliers with regard to nutrient management. The
overarching program promotes BMPs with the goal that individual farmers and agricultural suppliers will
be aware of the variety of tools available to them in order to implement practice changes in specific
watersheds or regions of the state. The KIC Education and Outreach Program’s efforts are currently
focused in 8 priority watersheds throughout the state, including Lake Springfield, Lake Evergreen, Lake
Bloomington, Lake Vermilion, Salt Fork Vermilion River, Vermilion River (Illinois Basin), Lake Decatur and
Lake Mauvaise Terre, all designated by Illinois EPA as being impaired due to nitrogen, phosphorus, or
both.
For more information about CBMP, log on to www.illinoiscbmp.org.
The development of the Strategy presents an opportunity for everyone, whether they live in an urban,
suburban or rural area, to be part of the solution for reducing nutrient losses into Illinois’s waterways.
For agriculture, in particular, this is an opportunity to reinvigorate the adoption of voluntary
conservation practices and nutrient management practices on the land. There is no “one size fits all”
approach for Illinois agriculture, but this is our opportunity to demonstrate that voluntary conservation
does work.