Connecticut Farm Bureau Hosts Inland Wetlands Forum

[EditorBob]

Connecticut Farm Bureau Hosts Inland Wetlands Forum

Connecticut Farm Bureau Association (CFBA) will host its first annual conference on March 4, 2010 to help agricultural producers understand how the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Act applies to their farming operations. The event will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Maneely's Banquet Facility, 65 Rye St., in South Windsor.

The Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Act recognizes the important role farmers play as stewards of the land. It also spells out special provisions regarding agricultural activities and how they relate to permit requirements. The CFBA designed this conference to assist farm operators who need to become familiar with the requirements, and to offer advice on how to work with local municipal agencies.

"Land use policies are a priority for Connecticut Farm Bureau," says Steven Reviczky, Executive Director of CFBA. "Farmers are stewards of the land on which they produce agricultural crops. Maintaining access to water and protecting our state's water and farmland is critical. The purpose of this conference is to provide our agricultural community resources for optimizing wetlands management, plus access to experts regarding wetlands issues."

Featured speakers include representatives and topic experts from the CT Department of Environmental Protection, the US Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource Conservation Service, UCONN Cooperative Extension, CT Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Army Corp Engineers.

Topic s will include an Overview of Sec 404 of the Clean Water Act, as well as the CT Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Act, as they relate to agricultural activities, farm ponds and federal exemptions, an overview of best management practices for conservation and farm viability, legal advice on working with municipal Wetlands Agencies, agricultural waste management and wetlands, and issues with pesticides near wetlands.

CFBA coordinated a training session last fall with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for Municipal Wetlands Agents last fall. Hosting farm visits throughout the state at CFBA member farms in Redding and Lebanon gave Wetlands Agents real-world situations regarding the care farmers take with their properties. "We tried to impress upon the municipal agents a sense of the needs of farmers," says Joan Nichols, Government Relations Specialist for CFBA. " We're trying to encourage them to work with agricultural businesses to find a prudent, cost-efficient way to deal with issues that come up related to wetlands management," explained Nichols.

The session costs $45 for CFBA members and $60 for non-members. Attendance at this conference fulfills three Credits toward the the Pesticide Applicators License. For more information contact Joan Nichols at 860-768-1105 or email joann@cfba.org

Funding for this conference comes from USDA/Risk Management.