Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program

COOPERATIVE CONSERVATION CASE STUDY

Location: Midwest/Northern High Plains Region: Michigan

Project Summary: The MAEP program provides education, technical assistance, and verification to help farmers voluntarily prevent agricultural pollution risks.

Eisenga and families of Marion, Mich. environmentally assure their farm for future generations through participation in MAEAP.

Resource Challenge

Michigan’s agricultural industry, second only to California in the range of products it produces, presents special challenges to farmers who are trying to comply with a myriad of state and federal laws and best management practices. Farmers and their families are directly affected by the quality of the natural resources on their farms. Yet, when farmers asked how to address environmental concerns—or which concerns to address—the answers seemed inconsistent. State agencies realized that in order to conserve the environment, sustain a vibrant agricultural economy, and protect human health, they needed to provide farmers with an integrated, systems-based agricultural/environmental program. The Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP), a comprehensive program that augments existing, base program criteria with new pollution prevention initiatives—all developed with agricultural stakeholders—was born. The program, designed to meet environmental goals and to give the farmers consistent answers, was based on three systems: Livestock, Farmstead, and Cropping.

Examples of Key Partners

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), MI Department of Agriculture, MI Department of Environmental Quality, Michigan State University, MI Association of Conservation Districts, MI Farm Bureau, conservation partners, all major livestock and commodity groups in Michigan, and others.

Results and Accomplishments

The MAEAP program is addressing the informational needs of farmers in the following ways:

• Used Natural Resources Conservation Service technical standards for new practices.

• Adopted a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP) for the Livestock System.

• Developed a program to help small and medium-sized livestock facility owners prepare for a CNMP.

• Trained more than 3,000 farmers and technical assistance providers locally.

• Helped pass legislation granting confi dentiality for information provided in a conservation plan and authority for the MI

Department of Agriculture to grant verification.

• Verified the first farms in the Livestock System in 2002, the Farmstead System in 2003, and the Cropping System in early 2005.

• Included applicable state and federal environmental regulations and Right to Farm practices as a part of the MAEAP system verification.

• Funded the MAEAP specialists in seven conservation districts to assist landowners.

• Held the first statewide Agriculture’s Conference on the Environment.

• The core MAEAP group traveled to Washington, D.C. to discuss linking with the Farm Bill’s Conservation Security Program. MAEAP was selected as regional fi nalist in The Council of State Governments 2005 Innovations Awards Program.

Innovation/Highlight

The agricultural community, conservation interests, and government agencies adopted mutually acceptable stewardship practices, based on environmental performance and within a framework that would accommodate future changes.

Project Contact

Jan Wilford
MAEAP Program Manager
Michigan Department of Agriculture

517-241-4730
wilfordj9@michigan.gov

Website: www.maeap.org

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