Spring 2019 Volume 26 Issue 2

LEGISLATIVE REPORT BY LINDSAY THOMPSON, MASCD EXECUTIVE

DIRECTOR

Partnership Press is published quarterly by Maryland’s Conservation Partners: MD Department of Agriculture, MD Association of Soil Conservation Districts, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA Farm Service Agency, University of Maryland Extension, and the State Soil Conservation Committee.

MARYLAND ENVIROTHON COORDINATOR

CRAIG HARTSOCK RECEIVES RICHARD A.

JOHNSON ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

AWARD FOR 2019

Craig Hartsock, Maryland Envirothon Coordinator, was recently honored by the Uni-versity of Maryland Center For Environmental Science, with the Richard A. Johnson Environmental Education Award for 2019.

The award honors the memory of Richard A. Johnson by recognizing individuals in the community who develop, mentor, or inspire our future leaders in the environmental sciences and the stewardship required to achieve a sustaina-

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“Soil is the sustainer of life,” says Steve Darcey. Throughout history, “the civilizations that destroyed their soil destroyed themselves.” That’s why Darcey, a fourth-generation farmer born and raised in Prince George’s County, has spent nearly all his life protecting soil. In the 1950s, his family grew tobac-co and had a herd of cattle on their farm in Upper Marlboro, MD. To-day, he still tends that soil—growing corn, soybeans, wheat and straw. Darcey, 60, started at the Prince George’s Soil Conservation District

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Another legislative session has come and gone. The 2019 session end-ed on a somber note with the passing of House of Delegates Speaker Michael Busch. My heart goes out to his family and colleagues and the deepest respect for his long career. The House has elected Adrienne Jones of Baltimore County as the new Speaker. Jones previ-ously served as the Speaker Pro tempore and filled in often during the late Speaker Millers illness. We look forward to working with Speaker Jones throughout the interim and coming legislative session. The 2019 legislative session proved interesting with over one thou-sand bills filed in a three day period right before the bill drop date. This proved challenging keeping up with hearings and committee movement on bills. Overall, there were no bills that negatively impact the conservation districts. Demonstrating the value of our legislative day in Annapolis, many legislators reached out to me on bills that dis-tricts had brought to their attention during visits. The legislative out-comes were as follows: HB20/SB344—State Agricultural Land Transfer Tax - Nonagri-cultural Use Exemption - Repeal: MASCD SUPPORTS This bill closes a loophole by with the agricultural transfer tax was not being paid if an owner paid the residential tax assessment on unim-proved land for 5 years. The bill requires that the agricultural land transfer tax is reduced by: (1) 25% if property tax on the agricultural land was paid on the basis of any assessment other than the farm or agricultural use assessment for one full taxable year before a transfer; (2) 50% after two full consecutive taxable years before a transfer; and (3) 65% after three or more full consecutive taxable years before a transfer. PASSED

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MDA REPORT BY HANS SCHMIDT, RESOURCE

CONSERVATION ASSISTANT SECRETARY

Maryland’s Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) III draft is finally here and I encourage everyone to visit mde.maryland.gov to review and provide comments by the June 9, 2019 deadline. It was important to have a locally led process in formulating a draft WIP plan for agricul-ture—and that is exactly what happened. The message from districts was clear and strong—the WIP needed to be achievable based on the landscape of each county and available resources. It was a long process that started with an Ag Leadership meeting back in July, followed by MASCD presentations, 23 county meetings, and numerous regional WIP meetings sponsored by the Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology.

Many of the accomplishments to date have been achieved through low hanging fruit, however, there is still much that can be done and more conservation practices that have al-ready been established and implemented that need to be accounted for. I appreciate that the districts are working with the MDA verification team to walk farm fields and pastures across the state to identify unaccounted best man-agement practices (BMPs) that are still functioning along with additional practices that farmers have installed on the own. It is important they we account for all agricultural BMPs that reduce nutrient and sediment loads to the tribu-taries that feed the Chesapeake Bay.

We are trying to fill as many gaps and needs as possible based on our WIP III plan. District Operations has been

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IT’S A DIRTY BUSINESS—AND HE LOVES IT!

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MASCD ANNUAL MEETING — AUGUST 5-7

MASCD’s Annual Meeting will be held August 5-7, 2019 at the Turf Valley in Ellicott City.

The MASCD Board meeting will begin at 3 p.m. on Mon-day afternoon. The Central Area is this year’s host and they are planning an event Sunday at the Howard Conserv-ancy The Opening Session will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Mon-day morning. District supervisors, district staff and partnership agencies are encouraged to attend to share information as well as the camaraderie of your peers in Maryland’s Conservation Partnership.

The Maryland Commodity Classic to be held on Thursday, July 25, at the Queen Anne's 4-H Park in Centreville. This annual event, sponsored by the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board (MGPUB), the Mar-yland Grain Producers Association, the Maryland Soybean Board (MSB) and the Mid-Atlantic Soybean Association. The gates will open at 9:30 a.m. for presentations from select MGPUB and MSB funded researchers who will present information about their projects. As a grant recipient, the Maryland Envirothon will have a dis-play to showcase the environmental education activities of the districts to the 250 plus farmers who attend. The event concludes with the famed Crab Feast, Pork and Chicken BBQ. Tickets are available for $10 each for entry prior to 2:00 p.m. ($20 after 2:00 and no entry after 3:00 p.m.) Event sponsorships are now being accepted. For more information, call 443-262-8491.

MARYLAND COMMODITY CLASSIC, QA 4-H PARK , JULY 25

EVENTS

NRCS NEW HIRES...

PERSONNEL

NRCS BIDS FAREWELL TO...

ITEMS OF INTEREST

Dr. Terron Hillsman has resumed the role of State Conservationist after a 4-month detail to NHQ. Brad Michael, Area Resource Conservationist in Washington Zachary Berry, Soil Conservationist Technician in Queen Anne William Gindlesberger, RC&D Technician in Washington Hannah Blumenfeld, Soil Conservationist in Somerset Daniel Kirby, Soil Conservation Technician in Gar rett Danny Wood, Management Analyst in Freder ick Shantel King, Resource Conservationist in the State Office Marcus Williams, Soil Conservation Technician in Howard

Matt Hobart, Soil Conservationist in St. Mary’s accepted a USDA position in New York. Linda Saunders, RC&D Administrative Assistant in the State Of-fice moved to North Carolina.

UME FORESTRY PROGRAM OFFERS

CERTIFICATION COURSE — BECOMING A

STEWARD OF THE LAND

Learn to be a steward of the land this fall with the Universi-ty of Maryland Extension General Forestry Course. Both paper and online versions of the course will be offered, be-ginning Sept.1 through Dec. 15, 2019. Registration opens June 1, and interested participants can register online at extension.umd.edu/forestry-course. This is a non-credit course with no formal classes ‒ work from the comfort of your home using your own woodlot, a friend's or a public forest. The course covers how to protect your trees from insects, diseases, and fire; step-by-step pro-cedures walk you through a forest inventory and stand anal-ysis; and the details of the forestry business are presented, including tax nuances and the sale and harvest of forest products. Ultimately, the course exercises help you develop the framework for a stewardship plan for your forest. The cost for this forestry course is $150. Included in the cost are copies of the supplemental readings (“A Sand County Almanac, The Woodland Steward, American For-ests: A History of Resiliency and Recovery,” a small pam-phlet entitled “What Tree Is That?” and “Common Native

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TERESA KAMPMEYER RECEIVES NATIONAL CIVIL

RIGHTS AWARD

Matt Robert, Acting State Conservation Engineer , detailed from NRCS in Illinois. Jason Gardner, Acting Assistant State Conservationist for Pro-grams, detailed from NRCS in Alabama. Ernesto De La Riva, Acting Area Engineer for the Eastern Shore, detailed from California.

NRCS TEMPORARY CHANGES...

Dorchester and Wicomico District Conservationist Teresa Kampmeyer was selected to receive the NRCS Chief’s Individual Civil Rights Awards for 2018. She was nominated for her instrumental and success-ful demonstration and commitment to diversity awareness in Maryland.

During her service as MD’s American Indian/Alaska Na-tive Special Emphasis Program Manager from 2014 to 2018, she developed relationships with American Indian tribal leaders on the Eastern Shore, promoted NRCS em-ployment at tribal events, and educated staff through her brown bag lunches and informative emails. Teresa’s exceptional effort to outreach to historically un-derserved populations, and her work with schools and youth groups for environmental education is to be com-mended. Congratulations Teresa!

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SSCC Report Information from the State Soil Conservation Committee

Recent meetings of the SSCC have been collaborative, informational discussions focused on three key topics: composting procedures and permitting, inspections of agricultural operations, and erosion and sediment control programs under the authority of the soil conserva-tion districts. All meetings featured key Maryland Department of Environment (MDE) personnel and were well attended by soil con-servation district managers. Each topic is summarized below: Permitted composting operations John Sullivan, Program Manager at MDE, provided background on Maryland House Bill 171 passed in 2017 to address opportunities for diverting yard waste, food waste, and other organic materials from landfills. The bill’s language also required MDE, in consultation with other interested parties, to develop recommendations for accomplish-ing these goals. Draft recommendations are expected ~July 1.

Next, Phil Davidson, Product Registration Supervisor at MDA, pre-sented on the Department’s authority to certify compost operators and the product registration requirements for composted materials. On-farm composting of your own generated materials does not re-quire a certification from MDA; however, to sale or distribute a product requires an MDA certification. The initial step is passing an exam, offered 1-2 times per year, to demonstrate competency in the composting process. Passing the exam results in a Compost Facility Operator certification good for 3 years from MDA. Next, within the 3 years, the operator must attend an accredited class to maintain their certification. MDA does not offer training but will direct interested parties to upcoming events when known.

While MDA regulates the finished composted product, MDE has the authority to permit and evaluate the composting facilities. Two MDE staff, Tariq Masood and Ed Dexter, presented on the Department’s permitting authority for commercial composting facilities and on the compliance practices for composting facilities. Maryland’s compost-ing regulations were adopted in 2015 and provide two tiers of facili-ty. A tier I facility accepts yard waste. A tier II facility accepts con-sumer food waste, non-recyclable paper, approved manures and bed-ding, approved food processing waste, animal mortalities, and com-postable products. Exemptions for a permit are based primarily on the size of the operation and if the composting is occurring on-farm or on-site for personal use only. On-farm operations must be operat-ed in accordance with a Soil Conservation and Water Quality Plan and within their nutrient management plan. The MDE’s’ solid waste program is responsible for enforcing regulations. The diverse pro-gram staff perform the technical review of the permit request and conduct compliance inspections at the permitted facilities. By statute, the inspectors are granted right of entry to any permitted facility as needed to ensure compliance. The program’s goal is to encourage compliance through a collaborative process such as touring the facili-ty together and reviewing the inspection findings with the operator.

MDE currently estimates that over 1 million tons of food waste is landfilled annually in the state. Future opportunities for composting facilities will need to be considered to achieve reductions consistent with House Bill 171 objectives.

Inspections of Agricultural Operations Harry Hunsicker, Program Manager at MDE provided a histo-ry of the MOU that established the partnership between MDE and MDA in addressing water pollution concerns from agri-cultural operations. A series of agreements have been in place since the 1990’s to outline the MDE and MDA roles, but in practice, the soil conservation districts are still the primary contact with ag operators to determine compliance concerns and remedies. MDE still retains their enforcement authority, but resolution is often a lengthy and costly process. Both MDA and MDE acknowledge an updated MOU is needed and are working through the process. In the interim, MDE is un-dertaking a pilot process to determine “best practices” in working cooperatively with MDA and ag producers. The goal would be to include these practices in a new MOU that both departments could agree and adopt.

Byron Petrauskas, Program Manager at MDA briefly fol-lowed with the MDA perspective on resolving water pollution concerns. Ag producers are largely compliant with state regu-lations. “There are more good than bad” he shared, and often times concerns are resolved locally by the soil conservation districts. When MDA is alerted to a concern, the MDA Area Coordinator will schedule a site visit with the soil conserva-tion district and make determinations if nutrient management issues are relevant.

Following these comments, attendees offered feedback to MDE on opportunities to improve the compliance process for ag operations. Foremost, the soil conservation districts want to retain their leadership role within the ag community for providing technical assistance, but when a landowner is un-willing to cooperate then MDE should act with its enforce-ment authority. A timeline for enforcement actions should also be established, and training for new MDE staff was also identified as a need. MDE appreciates the insight and looks forward to MOU updates that support the goals of each agen-cy.

Lastly, David Bramble, Compliance Specialist at MDE pre-sented on the inspection process for permitted animal feeding operations (AFOs). All AFOs are inspected during the 5-year permit cycle by MDE plus follow-ups for citizen complaints on registered operations. Inspections are to ensure the nine minimum standards to protect water quality, as included in the permit, are being followed. The nine standards relate to adequate management of manure and animal mortality, exclu-sion of animals from waters of the state, chemical handling, adoption of BMPs to control nutrient loss, nutrient manage-ment compliance with manure and soil testing, and record keeping. If MDE is inspecting an AFO in response to a com-plaint, they notify the MDA Area Coordinator within 48 hours of the visit to schedule a joint inspection. Copies of any violation notices are shared with MDA, and follow-up inspec-tions also include MDA.

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SSCC Report Information from the State Soil Conservation Committee

SUPERVISOR APPOINTMENTS

MASCD, UME EDUCATE RURAL COMMUNITIES ON

MENTAL HEALTH

During the first week of March, representatives from the Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts (MASCD) and University of Maryland Extension (UME) traveled to various rural communi-ties in the state to educate individu-als about mental health. After receiving funding from the Rural Maryland Council (RMC) and The Franklin P. and Arthur W. Per-due Foundation, MASCD coordinated four workshops that were held in Queen Anne’s, Harford, Frederick, and Charles Counties MASCD part-nered with UME to hold the workshops. Five team members from both the Agriculture and Food Systems and Family and Consumer Sciences Programs joined Michigan State Univer-sity Extension in January to receive training specific to this topic. While there, they received insights about the farmer mental health epidemic on a national level, and learned about valuable resources that could be brought back to the state. Using the knowledge gained from the training, UME staff presented at the workshops to over 80 farmers, agribusiness professionals, extension agents, agricultural lenders, soil conservation district employees, and other interested parties across the state. Workshops also featured a local perspective on the agricultural economy from Mid Atlantic Farm Credit and substance abuse training from the Queen Anne’s County and Freder-ick County Health Departments. “The workshops this Spring were an important first step in opening a conversation about a sensitive issue,” said MASCD Programs and Public Relations Director Danielle Bauer. “Since the announcement of this pro-gram, I have been surprised by the number of folks from the agricultural community who have approached me to share that they or someone they know has struggled with mental illness at some point in time. They were thankful that there was someone they could turn to who helped them through. I hope that the attendees of this program feel that they can be that person to others in their time of need.” MASCD and UME received very positive feedback throughout the week. “This was one of the most useful trainings that I have ever attended,” shared Carroll Soil Conservation District Acting District Manager Matt McMahon, who attended the Frederick County workshop. The two hope to continue their partnership on this important issue into the future, al-ready receiving requests from other organizations to host similar work-shops. They remind anyone who may be struggling with mental stress, to contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255). For more information, contact Danielle Bauer, 443-262-8491 or Danielle.mdag@gmail.com. Photo courtesy of Edwin Remsberg.

MASCD GRANT UPDATE

Erosion and Sediment Control Authority of the Soil Conservation Districts Harry Hunsicker, Program Manager at MDE attend-ed another meeting of the SSCC to review the au-thority and expectations of SCDs in overseeing coun-ty E&S control programs. Land management conser-vation practices that are properly implemented under a Soil Conservation and Water Quality Plan remain exempt from E&S permits, but guidance issued by MDE (in consultation with SSCC) in 2014, further clarifies the definition and size of agricultural struc-tures that require E&S permits. Additionally, all SCDs (excluding Montgomery) provide local E&S plan review and approval for the urban community. MDE expectations of this program authority are two-fold: 1) appropriate staff resources for timely review and approval of plans, and 2) thorough technical re-view of the plan consistent with the standards and specs of the E&S program requirements. The SCDs may update their fee collection to accomplish these goals. After a program overview from MDE, Elmer Weibley and Dee Price from the Washington County SCD provided a local perspective on program imple-mentation. In Washington County a robust E&S pro-gram exists based on the MDE model, but through Dee’s efforts and leadership, the SCD has focused on relationship building with their urban customers. This has resulted in strong cooperation and compli-ance outcomes. Both Elmer and Dee strongly encour-age frequent and consistent dialogue with the E&S community. After, meeting attendees suggested more consistent implementation of the E&S program review would be an important goal of the SCDs, and additional education to the Board Supervisors would be valua-ble. An agenda topic will likely be added to the sum-mer MASCD meeting to discuss this topic further.

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Anne Arundel SCD – Emily Wilson Frederick SCD – Dr. Ray Ediger Garrett SCD– Cameron Crawford and

William Buckel Washington SCD – Janet Stiles-Fulton Montgomery SCD – Robert Butts St. Mary’s SCD – Stanley Boothe Carroll SCD – Myron Frock Prince George’s SCD – Amy Posey

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ENVIROTHON

FIRST ROUND OF THE 2019 MARYLAND ENVIROTHON

BEGINS FOR PARTICIPATING STUDENTS

Hundreds of Maryland’s brightest high school students are leaving the classroom and heading for the hills, streams and woodlands of Maryland’s countryside to compete in the first round of qualifying heats for the 2019 National Conservation Foundation (NCF) Envirothon. This is the largest high school environmental education competition in North America. The competition includes a special environmental theme that changes from year to year—this year’s theme is “Agriculture and the Environment: Knowledge & Technology to Feed the World.” “Each year in Maryland, Envirothon competitions allow students to apply what they are learning in the classroom about natural resources to real world applications,” said Agriculture Secretary Joe Bartenfelder. “I am thrilled to see that this year’s competition focuses on agriculture and that so many young adults are excited about resource conservation. I wish eve-ryone the best of luck as they represent their schools and the great state of Maryland.” Students participating in Envirothon competitions have been studying the state’s natural resources since the beginning of the school year. As part of their extracurricular training, teenagers identify and cate-gorize living resources, perform soil surveys, estimate wood yield from trees, and solve other complex natural resource issues. Students are taught by soil scientists, wildlife specialists, foresters and environmental engi-neers from local, state and federal agencies as well as private environmen-tal organizations. Teams compete by applying their knowledge and problem-solving skills in these natural resource areas. The county team with the highest cumulative total wins the local or regional competition and advances to the statewide Maryland Envirothon scheduled for June 19-20, 2019 at St. Mary’s Col-lege in St. Mary’s City. The winner of the Maryland Envirothon will rep-resent the state later this summer at the national event in Raleigh, North Carolina where more than 250 teenagers from the United States and Cana-da will compete for scholarships and prizes. The Envirothon is sponsored by Maryland’s soil conservation districts and the State Soil Conservation Committee and supported by other state and federal programs. Below are the dates and contacts for upcoming county Envirothon competitions.

ble future. Hartsock was honored for his leadership in establishing the Envirothon Program in Maryland and his involvement with coordinating the Future Farmers of America (FFA) environment and natural resources competition for the past 15 years.

At the awards ceremony and reception held at the University of Maryland Center For Environmental Science Appalachian Laboratory, Hartsock re-ceived citations from Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, Maryland Senator George Edwards and Delegate Wendell Beitzel, U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, and U.S. Representative John Delaney. In addition, Hartsock received a plaque and a check for $2,500 which he donated to the Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts for the Envirothon Program. Front page photo: L-R: Peter Goodwin, AEL President; Jim Mullen, Guest Speaker; Craig Hartsock, and Eric Davidson

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HARTSOCK EDUCATION AWARD FOR 2019

MDA REPORT BY HANS SCHMIDT, RESOURCE

CONSERVATION ASSISTANT SECRETARY

working to fill as many vacant soil conservation district positions as possible. In addition, we have filled a nutri-ent management compliance officer position in Western Maryland to address livestock exclusion on farms where stream fencing is lacking. Recently, we held discussions with the horse industry to assure that equine operations are aware of the importance of good soil and water con-servation and their role in meeting WIP III goals. On May 2, a training session was held at MDA for manag-ers of horse operations—both large and small—that fo-cused on Maryland’s nutrient management requirements, conservation planning, pasture management techniques, and best management practices that can be installed on horse farms to protect soil and water resources. Cost-share incentives and FSCAP certification were also cov-ered. The final presentation of the day explained the impacts of the WIP III and how it affects horse farms. A strong soil health program is a priority for the depart-ment. We hope to hire a soil health coordinator by early June. MDA is also organizing a Soil Health Advisory Committee to guide the agency in the soil health arena. Recently, MDA partnered on two USDA Regional Con-servation Partnership Program grants on the Eastern Shore to address soil heath and adaptive management strategies. Sixty-one applicants signed up for this special funding opportunity. In addition, we are applying for a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant to promote soil health. Finally, last fall we initiated a pilot program that paid farmers a flat rate of $45/acre to plant qualify-ing small grains in leftover, unplanted fields to create a healthy soil biomass to protect water quality. I am pleased to announce that a delayed killdown incentive will be an option for the 2019-20 cover crop program. Nutrient management is one of the key drivers in meet-ing Maryland’s agricultural WIP III goals. MDA has been working with University of Maryland Extension to prioritize nutrient management plan writing. In addition, the Phosphorous Management Tool Advisory Commit-tee directed MDA to study whether farmers will have adequate resources as they transition to Phase 2 of the PMT. Salisbury University has agreed to conduct this study and hopes to have a final report by September 2019. As a result of the passage of Senate Bill 956, MDA will be required to collect additional manure data on the Nutrient Management Program’s Annual Imple-mentation Reporting Forms. Operators will need to re-port all locations where manure was generated and de-livered. Maryland agriculture should be proud of its accomplish-ments in protecting and restoring the Chesapeake Bay. MDA will continue to work with our conservation part-ners to ensure that our goals are realistic, achievable and effective.

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in 1986 as an entry-level engineer, eventually working his way up to district manager in 2013. Through it all, he’s never wanted to leave his hometown or stray from farming. “My love is the land,” he says. “I have a really hard time ever thinking about parting from that farm.” Today, Darcey splits his time between the farm and the soil conservation district, where he and his team work to implement soil and water conservation practices on farms and in urban communities. “Everybody uses soil,” he says. “If they live in an apartment, guess what: The soil is providing support for that building. As they play in the playgrounds, maintain small gardens or play golf, everybody is using the soil.” As the Prince George’s Soil Conservation District prepares to launch a new branch focus-ing on urban agriculture conservation, we sat down with Steve Darcey to ask him about the past, present and future of soil. Why did you join the Prince George’s Soil Conservation Dis-trict? It’s the best job an old country boy like myself could ever want. I took all my knowledge from the farm and brought it to the job, and then as I learned things on the job, I took it back to the farm. If there was a program that came along, I tried it, then I could come to your farm and tell you “yes, do it,” or “no, don’t do it.” It gives me more depth and knowledge of how to sell conservation to you, because conservation work is basically a sales job—the only one where the more product you sell, you get no more com-mission. You just get more work. So, you have to have a passion. Conservation—I feel it’s God’s bidding, and I’m glad to be able to do that. What is a soil conservation district and why are they im-portant? There are about 3,000 soil conservation districts nationwide. Our mission is to develop and implement locally led soil and water conservation programs. Soil conservation districts were a direct result of the Great Dust Bowl [of the 1930s]. Th at was when the government gave people free land to go out to the Midwest and homestead. Farmers started tilling this black soil that was tens of thousands of years old, not really realizing what they were doing. Then, there was an extended drought, and everybody learned a really hard lesson. In 1937, President Roosevelt passed legislation to form the Federal Soil Conservation Service, which directed each state to come up with local soil conservation districts. What are the challenges of selling soil conservation? Believe it or not, there are some places in the country that are still doing conventional tillage, and they’re having Dust Bowl–type symptoms right now. Perspectives are hard to change. That’s why I’m a big proponent of incentive-based conservation. If you can give farmers a monetary incentive, it works so much better than non-incentive and legislated. There’s a bad taste in a farmer’s mouth when the government tells him he has to do something. How does the Prince George’s Soil Conservation District sup-port the community? We have five main programs. We’re working with farmers every

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IT’S A DIRTY BUSINESS day. Then we have our outreach and education program—reaching the kids, that’s critical. In urban development and review, we’re not only charged with erosion sediment con-trol, but we’re also charged with dam safety. Then we have our ag land preservation—that gives stability to the whole system. If you can preserve that land, it will never be de-veloped. And then, of course, our newest program is urban agriculture conservation. Th is gives us a whole chance to reach a much broader audience and really have a positive impact on where our food comes from, how much we can produce locally, and do it in an environmentally friendly way. What are the top soil conservation practices that you recommend? We’re trying to get commodity crop producers to imple-ment no till-planting, to plant cover crops every year to protect the soil in the winter and add organic matter, and to rotate crops and diversify. Biodiversity is key because soil microbes are very much like us: They like a varied diet. Th e more varied their diet, the healthier and happier they are. Healthy happy microbes, healthy happy soil, healthy happy crop. What’s the cost of soil conservation to farmers? It’s more of how you look at soil and how you look at your commodity crop. You really have to think, “Am I raising a commodity or am I raising soil?” If you start folks on soil health and farming to build soil, the commodity will come with it. From an economic standpoint, we’ve always looked at increasing yield to make more money. That’s not necessarily true. With good soil health practices over time, we may be able to keep the yield the same, but my inputs are much less. If I can cut my commercial fertilizer in half or to zero, I don’t care if my yields haven’t improved, be-cause all my inputs are a lot less. It’s not all about maxim-izing yield; it’s about maximizing your output with mini-mal input. As the climate changes and the population grows, how do you see your work changing? I don’t think our work is going to change at all. Farmers have been blamed for a lot of woes in the environment. The fascinating thing is the soil is a huge carbon sponge. If we could get the entire nation to really practice good soil health, we could actually help off set emissions by being a carbon sink. I think our mission is still as viable as it was back in the 1940s. Different programs come along and we learn as we go, but I think we’re as relevant now as we ever were. Reprinted from “Edible DC”, issue 22 - spring 2019. Article written by Lani Furbank. Photograph bcredit: Laura Chance de Farmigny.

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SINE DIE REPORT

HB255/SB407—Public Schools - Agricultural Education Programs: MASCD SUPPORTS This bill encourages each jurisdiction to implement an agri-cultural education program that prepares students for suc-cessful careers and secondary education in agricultural relat-ed fields. DID NOT PASS HB408—Natural Resources - Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund MASCD SUPPORTS Renaming the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays 2010 Trust Fund to be the "Chesapeake Bay and State Waters Trust Fund"; modifying the purpose of the Fund to include the restoration and protection of the health of the waters of the State. DID NOT PASS HB1008—MALPF– Valuation of Easement MASCD SUPPORTS This bill allows MALPF to use an appraisal for up to two years. DID NOT PASS HB532/SB744—Protecting Natural Resources and Pre-serving Productive Farms - Commission on the Develop-ment of a Blueprint for Solar Energy in Maryland MASCD SUPPORTS This bill establishes a Commission to develop a blueprint for solar energy to guide the state and local jurisdictions in their placement of solar projects. Special emphasis is given to avoiding solar on productive farmland and in environmental-ly sensitive areas such as wetlands and productive forests. DID NOT PASS HB808—Weed Control - Noxious Weeds - Regulations and Penalties: MASCD SUPPORTS

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This bill takes the list of noxious weeds out of statute and gives MDA the authority to set the list through regulation. It also allows MDA to pursue civil penalties with fines and a “three-strikes” meth-od before pursuing criminal charges for violations of the noxious weed law. All fines are to be directed to a fund for noxious weed eradication. PASSED HB904/SB546—Agriculture - Nutrient Management - Monitor-ing and Enforcement: MASCD OPPOSED IN ORIGINAL FORM This bill was significantly amended from its originial version. The bill increases penalties for farmers who fail to file their Annual Im-plementation Report to $100-250 for 30 days, $250-$1,000 for 90 days and after 90 days, not more than $1,000. Establishes a $250 fine for anyone applying phosphorus that is not allowed to under the PMT. Increases the fine for not having a nutrient management plan to at least $100 but not more than $250. Increases the allowable fine for a nutrient management violation to up to $500 per violation and up to $5,000 per operator per year. If a new CAFO will have a hous-ing capacity of 350,000 square feet or more, they must pay a $2,000 application fee for their CAFO permit and $1,200 per year. MDE may no longer waive fees. The bill also requires DNR to regu-larly collect water samples at nine specified locations on the lower Eastern Shore. Finally, MDA must report to the Administration and General Assembly beginning in 2020 (1) the amount of animal manure exported by farm operations to alternative use facilities or other farm operations in the State; (2) the amount of animal manure exported out of the State by farm operations; and (3) the amount of animal manure land applied by farm operations in the State and the source of that manure. PASSED HB1050—Agriculture - Cost-Sharing Program - Sale of Har-vested Cover Crops: MASCD OPPOSED Authorizing a person that plants barley, rye, or wheat cover crops under the cover crop program to sell the harvested cover crop to a distiller or brewer that will process the crop in the State of Mary-land. WITHDRAWN

MARYLAND GRAIN PRODUCERS SCHOLARSHIPS

AVAILABLE

The Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board (MGPUB) is awarding up to four $2,500 scholarships to deserving students en-rolled in a Maryland or out-of-state institutions. Funded by Mary-land grain checkoff funds, the scholarships provide financial support to students interested in pursuing a career in agriculture. The schol-arships will be awarded to Maryland residents who are enrolled in or accepted by a four-year institution and working toward a BS de-gree, or students enrolled in or accepted by a two-year institution with an agricultural program. The selections will be based on agricultural background, family farm involvement, financial need, grade point average, agriculture related studies, career goals, and extra curricular activities. Appli-cants or the applicant’s immediate family must be involved in the production of grain. Application deadline is May 17, 2019. For an application, please call MGPUB 443-262-8491 or visit www.marylandgrain.org.

ITEMS OF INTEREST

Trees of Virginia Tree Identification Guide”). The paper version text and appendices for the course are in binder form. Online users receive a flash drive of the paper version of the text and appendices. A certificate of completion is awarded when all assignments are completed. To learn more about the course and what it entails, go to exten-sion.umd.edu/forestry-course. There you can read a lesson from the text, view an interactive exercise, read through de-tailed course information and FAQs.

For more information, contact Nancy Stewart at the Univer-sity of Maryland Extension, Wye Research and Education Center, P.O. Box 169, Queenstown, Md., 21658, 410-827-8056, ext. 107, or nstewar1@umd.edu. Check for details on our website and mark June 1 for open enrollment on your calendar!

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UME CERTIFICATION COURSE

Spring 2019

Partnership PressPage 8 8

is a quarterly newsletter published for and about the members of Maryland’s Conservation Partnership: MD Department of Agriculture, MD Association of Soil Conservation Districts, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA Farm Service Agency, Mary-land Cooperative Extension, and the State Soil Conservation Committee. The deadline for articles is January 30, April 30, July 30 and October 30. Please direct comments or questions to the Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts at 443-262-8491. The members of the Conservation Partnership prohibit discrimination in their programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or familial status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all pro-grams.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDA TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture, USDA, Washington, D.C. 20250 or call 1-800-245-6340 (voice) or (202) 720-5964 (TDD). Agencies in the Maryland Conservation Partnership are equal employment opportunity employers.

MASCD 123 Clay Drive Queenstown, MD 21658 443-262-8491, www.mascd.net

NONPROFIT U.S. POSTAGE

PAID ANNAPOLIS, MD PERMIT NO. 188

June 19-20 2019 State Envirothon, St. Mary’s College

June 20 SSCC Meeting, Annapolis

June 21 MACCA August Exam Registration Deadline

July 18 SSCC Meeting, Annapolis

July 28 -Aug 2

2019 National Envirothon, Raleigh, NC

July 25 Maryland Commodity Classic, Queen Anne’s 4-H Park, Centreville

August 2 Nutrient Management & MACCA Exams

August 5-7 MASCD Annual Meeting, Turf Valley, Ellicott City

Future Dates to Remember

PARTNERSHIP PRESS ELECTRONICALLY

In an effort to conserve, if you prefer to receive the quarterly newsletter by email, as opposed to a mailed hard copy, please email marguerite.mdag@gmail.com to be added to the email list. The newsletter is also posted on www.mascd.net.