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A priority of the agricultural community and a key element in the Agriculture Smart Growth Plan is protecting natural resources that support a working agricultural landscape. Protecting the soil and land base is as critical as the need for a clean and abundant supply of water. As a major land use in the state, agriculture must take a new look at how to manage natural resources. In the 2002 Farm Bill, greater emphasis and spending has been placed on implementing new and expanded conservation practices that help protect our soil and improve the quality of the state's water resources.

This past year New Jersey struggled under another drought. Water is the lifeblood of the agricultural industry, and agricultural access to water is especially critical during periods of drought when restrictions on water use could catastrophically affect farm income for the production year. Ensuring an adequate water supply, both now and in the future, is essential to protecting the production capability and economic stability of agriculture.

The Department, through the State Soil Conservation Committee, is planning for the strategic implementation of federal and state conservation programs with our conservation partners, which include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), The New Jersey Association of Conservation Districts and Rutgers Cooperative Extension, the Agricultural Experiment Station and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Working cooperatively, the partners can better serve in delivering programs to our agricultural producers and improve the quality of our natural environment.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, we the delegates of the 88th State Agricultural Convention assembled in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on January 29, 2003 call upon the Department of Agriculture to work with the Department of Environmental Protection to address water supply and water quality issues by participating in the DEP's statewide water supply plan revision process and by planning strategically for the implementation of federal and state conservation programs.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, we request the NJDEP in its policy-making activities to ensure that there is adequate water for agriculture to survive and thrive.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, we encourage the use of water conservation technologies and look for new and efficient methods to conduct water utilization on farms, including drip irrigation, water recapture and reuse, and an increase in on-farm water storage.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, we affirm our support for a state sponsored Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), and thank the Governor for his support and for forwarding the CREP proposal to USDA. We support the voluntary nature of the program as it offers financial incentives to establish and maintain conservation practices on privately owned agricultural lands, thereby enhancing farm viability and environmental quality. We support the program's use of appropriate, site-specific, conservation buffers (i.e based upon the recommended widths for water quality in the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, Field Office Technical Guide).

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, we ask the Department of Agriculture and the state's Forestry Association to work cooperatively with the DEP to develop a healthy forest strategy to protect and expand uses of the state's public and private forests.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we support the Department of Agriculture working in partnership with the DEP and agriculture organizations to implement the new Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) general permit program and to develop animal waste rules for the proper disposal of animal wastes on Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs) and aquaculture operations.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we support the exploration of using energy conservation and renewable energy systems on New Jersey's farms.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we encourage the Department of Agriculture to examine the solid waste stream from the state's farming operations and determine the feasibility of expanding the existing agriculture recycling program.