Priority Agricultural Areas Locally designated areas targeted for continued, expanded, and/or intensified agricultural activities Designated Farmland Preservation Areas, Agricultural Districts, Agricultural Security Areas, prime farmland soils, CAUV enrollment, existing farm size, etc. Traditional (corn, beans) and specialty (flowers, viticulture) farming Ohio EPAs Lake Erie Phosphorus Task Force Looking at increase in dissolved portion of total P in stream monitoring data since 96 Working on set of recommendations for ways to reduce P inputs to Lake Erie These will likely include suggestions for soil testing, timing of applications and incorporation practices in agricultural settings Lake Erie Protection & Restoration Plan 2008 Objectives in LEPR 08 that include actions related to agriculture: Reverse increasing nutrient loading to Lake Erie, especially Dissolved Reactive Phosphorus Reduce agricultural sediment loading from the Lake Erie watershed by 33% from 2007 baseline Apply pesticides & fertilizers more efficiently. Reduce nonpoint source pollution originating from animal feed lots. Lake Erie Protection & Restoration Plan 2008 Objectives in LEPR 08 that include actions related to agriculture: Protect, restore, and enhance headwater streams Preserve & protect valuable farmland for future agricultural uses Investigate methods of farming and raising row crops that will diminish the carbon footprint in the Lake Erie basin, particularly in the heavily-farmed Maumee River basin