April 23

The National Conservation Buffer Council and several private-sector organizations will cooperate in local watershed projects designed to address water quality problems from agricultural production.  The tentative agreements will promote buffers and other conservation practices.

NCBC's watershed partner organizations and the areas where the projects will be located include American Crystal Sugar Company (Red River Valley of Minnesota and North Dakota), Colorado Corn Growers Association (Lower South Platte River watershed), Lake Eucha Watershed Advisory Group (Oklahoma-Arkansas watershed) and Ohio Corn Growers Association (Northwest Ohio).

Others participating include the National Pork Producers Association, Missouri Corn Growers Association, Pheasants Forever and the League of Women Voters education fund.

"We expect these projects will teach us valuable lessons about how to motivate land owners to install buffers -- lessons we can apply in other locations in the future," said NCBC President Dave Stawick.

NCBC will make small monetary grants to the watershed partners once final plans are made for each project.  In many instances, the grants will be used to recruit and train agricultural land owners to be "buffer ambassadors."

The land owners will contact other farmers and ranchers to explain their experience with buffer technology and participate in other watershed events.

Buffers are small strips of land planted to permanent vegetation and that are located between areas of intensive agricultural production, such as crop fields, and water resources such as lakes and streams.  Filter strips, riparian buffers, contour grass strips and grassed waterways are examples of buffers.