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The Lake Champlain Regional
Conservation Partnership Program:
Accelerated Implementation of Agricultural & Forestry
Conservation Practices in the Lake Champlain
Watershed of Vermont and New York
Allison N. Compagna
Lake Champlain Facts: http://www.lcbp.org/about-the-basin/facts/
Lake Champlain Water Quality
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Lake Area 435 square miles with
8,234 square miles of drainage
basin.
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56% Basin in Vermont, 37% in New
York & 7% in Quebec.
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Many stressors effect the lake
including nutrient loading,
storm/flooding events,
sedimentation, cyanobacteria
blooms, and more.
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Missisquoi Bay (0.025)
Isle LaMotte (0.014)
Cumberland Bay (0.014)
Lake Champlain
Phosphorus Criteria
(mg/L) in the Vermont
Water Quality
Standards
St. Albans Bay (0.017)
Northeast Arm (0.014)
Malletts Bay (0.010)
Main Lake (0.010)
Burlington Bay (0.014)
Shelburne Bay (0.014)
Otter Creek (0.014)
Port Henry (0.014)
South Lake A (0.025)
South Lake B (0.054)
Lake Champlain
Water Quality
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Blue Meets the Phosphorus
Concentration Target, Red Does
Not Meet the Target
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Average Phosphorus
Concentrations Depicted By
Coloring of Lake Segments
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The RCPP Target Watersheds
Consist of Missisquoi Bay, St.
Albans Bay & South Lake A & B.
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RCPP Target Watersheds
Consistently Exceed Phosphorus
Targets
Lake Champlain
Water Quality
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The Majority of Sampling Events
Depict Mean Phosphorus Levels
Above the Water Quality Standards
in Individual Segments.
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Data Trends Show Increasing
Annual Mean Total Phosphorus.
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Lake Champlain RCPP History
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In October of 2014 the State of Vermont submitted a grant proposal for the Accelerated
Implementation of Agricultural & Forestry Conservation Practices in the Lake Champlain
Watershed of Vermont and New York through the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service’s
Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).
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In April of 2015 the State of Vermont, in partnership with 25 organizations, agencies, businesses and
non-profits was awarded the second largest grant in the country, totaling $16 million. In addition,
these partners are contributing more than $20 million of match to this effort!
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The Lake Champlain RCPP will help landowners in the Lake Champlain Basin of Vermont and New
York invest in conservation practices to improve water quality.
Lake Champlain RCPP Partners
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Federal & State Agencies
Non-Profits
Private Businesses
Lenders
Dairy Cooperatives
Watershed Groups
Farmer Groups
Educational Institutions
Cities & Towns
Vermont Has Been Fostering Unique Partnerships for Years!!
Lake Champlain RCPP Partners
Program Goals
 Increased awareness and knowledge of regulations and water quality
impacts
 Increased number of farms in Lake Champlain Basin in compliance with
regulations
 Increased interest and participation in going above an beyond regulatory
standards
 Increased partner knowledge of water quality issues, resources and
solutions
 Sustainable long-term working relationship with partners
 Improved business viability on farms, and increased knowledge of the
connection between water quality and economic viability
Program Deliverables
• Technical Assistance & Best
Management Practice
Implementation
• Development & Implementation
of Whole Farm Conservation
Plans
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• Forest Trails & Landings,
Stream Crossings & Riparian
Forest Buffers
• Agricultural Easements &
Wetland Easements Outreach,
Protection, Restoration
• Water Quality Monitoring
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Lake Champlain RCPP Overview
Grant Timeline: May 1, 2015 May 1, 2020
Budget:
~$8M for Agricultural and
Forestry BMPs ($7M to VT,
$1M to NY)
~$4M for Conservation
Easements
~$1M for Wetland
Restoration
$3M for Technical
Assistance
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Target Watersheds and
Program Eligibility
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Priority to Applications in the Three
Target Watersheds of:
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St. Albans Bay
Missisquoi Bay
South Lake (A & B, Vermont & New York)
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Agricultural Applications Eligible if
Producers Owns a Minimum of One
Conserved Parcel
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Forestry, Wetland
Easement/Restoration & Agricultural
Easement Funding Available to
Landowners in Lake Champlain Basin
Watershed (No Conserved Land
Ownership Requirement)
Agricultural Best Management Practices
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$6,833,450 in Vermont, $846,000 in
New York
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Pre-Screening to Prioritize Small
Farms & Farms with Conserved Lands
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All EQIP Practices Available for
Funding
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Technical Assistance via RCPP
Conservation Planners to provide
individualized support.
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Primary Goal to Fund Projects in the
Priority Watersheds with the Highest
Water Quality Improvement Potential
Forestry Best Management Practices
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$357,800 in Vermont.
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Forest Conservation Practices for Forest
Landowners Funded Through RCPP
Include:
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Controlling soil erosion on logging roads,
including stabilizing stream crossings
Improving Stream Crossings
Restoring Forest Riparian Buffers Along
Streams
Stabilizing Erosion-prone Soils
Technical Assistance is Available via
NRCS/FPR Foresters
Photos courtesy of Vermont Forest, Parks & Recreation
Agricultural Conservation Easement Program
• Agricultural & Wetland
Easements
• $3,890,000 in Vermont
for Agricultural Easements
• 3 RCPP Conservation
Planners Available to
Provide Individualized
Technical Assistance.
• Agricultural Land
Easement (ALE) Plans
Are Site-specific & Promote the Long-term Viability of the Land by Sustainably Managing
Natural Resources.
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Partners & RCPP Conservation Planners are Working with Landowners to Develop
These Plans.
ACEP- Wetland Reserve Easements
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$920,000 in Vermont
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NRCS Enters Into Agreements with
Partners to Leverage Resources to
Carry Out High-priority Wetland
Protection & Restoration.
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Vermont’s Clean Water Initiative
Program (CWIP) has Developed a
Wetlands Calculator to Determine
“Above and Beyond” Incentives for
Landowners.
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Consultant Contracted to Collaborate
with NRCS & DEC to Update Current
Data Regarding High Priority Projects,
Develop Projects Packets Including
Calculated Landowner Incentives and
Provide Outreach & Project Support
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Innovative Aspects of the Program
• Small Farms Outreach- RAPs Will Require Some Small Farms to
Certify Through the VAAFM Small Farms Certification Program
• State of Vermont’s Wetland Incentive Calculator- Incentive
Payments, RFP & Selection of Contractor to Collaborate with
Partners to Implement High Priority Wetland Restoration
Projects
• Increased Partnerships &
Collaboration
• Contracted with the Vermont
Association of Conservation
Districts to Provide Landowners
With Individualized Technical
Assistance & Trial the
“Case Manager” Approach
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• The Vermont Environmental Stewardship Program
Unforeseen Innovative Aspects of
the Program
• Level of Involvement of Partners
• Water Quality Trainings with Vermont
Housing & Conservation Board, Vermont
Land Trust & Dairy Cooperatives
• New Communication Sharing ToolsFlow Charts
• Opportunities for Efficiency &
Improvement- Lean Events
• New Partners- Ben & Jerry’s, The Nature
Conservancy & Keurig Green Mountain
• Platform for Social Indicators Case Study
Parallel Efforts Advancing the
Program
• State Commitment Through the Vermont Clean Water Act (Act 64)
Provides Additional Funding to Assist With Project
Implementation.
• Vermont Agency of Agriculture (VAAFM) Providing up to 90%
Cost-Share (Combination of State & Federal Dollars).
• Act 64 Increased Regulatory Authority of
VAAFM Resulting In More Farm Inspections
& Increased Regulations. Both Resulting in
Farms Seeking Technical & Financial
Assistance.
Efforts Remaining
• Assessment and Evaluation of Program
• Water Quality Monitoring
http://dec.vermont.gov/watershed/lakes-ponds/monitor
Challenges & Learning Experiences
• Workload Prioritization Challenges- NRCS Workload
Already High, Difficult to Prioritize RCPP
• Low Milk Prices- Difficult Time to Incentivize Agricultural
Producers Into the NRCS Programs
Final Remarks
• Enthusiastic & Motivated for the Opportunity to
Provide Additional Funds into a Critically
Impaired Area
• The Efforts Through this 5-year Grant Including
New Partnerships, Increased Collaboration and
Innovative Ideas Will Have Ripple Effects Into
the Future
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Thank you
for
listening!
Questions?
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