WHEREAS, the Department recognizes animal waste as a resource and continues to explore alternative uses of animal waste, including bio-gas production, and allowing for the productive reuse of manure as a means to reduce the use of synthetic fertilizers, which reduces hauling costs and benefits the environment; and

 WHEREAS, the Department works in conjunction with its conservation partners to implement demonstration projects, such as the one that installed best management practices at the Equine Science Center, to provide hands-on training and research facilities to educate livestock owners on the design, implementation and construction of cost-effective environmental management practices and facilities to minimize water quality impacts and provide an opportunity for the evaluation of the effectiveness of such practices and facilities; and

 WHEREAS, the Department monitors the progress of the fully functioning animal waste composting facility in Sussex County and utilizes this New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Research Development & Demonstration (RD&D) project as a model for other facilities; and

 WHEREAS, the Department of Agriculture continues to identify ways to assist livestock farmers with self-certified and high-density plan development and implementation to assure that the animal waste management program is effective, practical, affordable and feasible; and

 WHEREAS, to date the Department has received declaration pages from 575 animal operations confirming that a self-certified AWMP has been developed and implemented on their farms, and several high-density AWMPs were developed and reviewed by conservation professionals to ensure compliance with the NRCS-Field Office Technical Guide.

 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the delegates to the 98^th State Agricultural Convention, assembled in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on February 6-7, 2013, support the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s cooperative efforts in developing a comprehensive animal waste management program for livestock farms.

 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we direct the Department to continue to recognize animal waste as a resource and continue to explore alternative uses of animal waste including bio-gas production that could help meet the State Energy Master Plan goals, allow for the productive reuse of manure, reduce hauling costs and benefit the environment.

 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we direct the Department to continue to work in conjunction with conservation partners to: implement demonstration projects, such as the one that installed best management practices at the Equine Science Center; to provide hands-on training and research facilities to educate livestock owners on the design and construction of cost-effective environmental management practices and facilities; to identify opportunities for implementation incentives for facilities to minimize water quality impacts (such as in the eight-year preservation program and the Farm Bill); and provide an opportunity for the evaluation of the effectiveness of such practices.

 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we strongly urge the New Jersey Congressional delegation to support sufficient funding for NRCS and other federal-level cost-share programs that help New Jersey farmers adequately address animal-waste issues.

 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we direct the Department to continue monitoring the progress of the fully functioning animal waste composting facility in Sussex County and utilize this NJDEP Research Development & Demonstration (RD&D) project as a model for other facilities.

 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we support the Department working with Rutgers Cooperative Extension to create a Compost Certification Program as called for in the NJDEP Solid Waste Management regulations and to monitor program compliance.

 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we direct the Department to work with the Equine Science Center and other appropriate agencies to provide outreach to equine owners through enhancements to their websites, newsletters and special meetings and provide information on training sessions, regulation timeframes and other related information regarding rule implementation.

 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we support the amendments made to the NJDEP Solid Waste Management regulations that exempt farmers from permitting requirements when composting specific feedstocks at certain limits, as these amendments create a first step toward ultimately establishing an Ag Composting Program under the Department of Agriculture; and we also support the Department’s efforts in drafting an AMP for the disposal of normal livestock mortalities and butcher waste on commercial farms.

 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we direct the Department to continue to identify ways to reach out to and assist livestock farmers with self-certified and high-density plan development and implementation to assure that animal waste management is practical, affordable and feasible.