Agenda - 06-07-1993 - VII-C - Laserfiche WebLink

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8 N�npotnt$Ow-c�P u ou • Water flowing over the land surface dislodges and dissolves pollutants from a broad range of sources including agricultural, silvicultural, and urban areas. The transport and deposition of these pollutants into the waters and wetlands of the estuary create nonpoint pollution. This type of pollution is difficult to identify and manage, but is now widely recognized for the substantial contribution it makes to water quality degradation. Increased management of land uses which contribute to nonpoint pollution can minimize loadings of sediment, pathogens, toxicants, and excess nutrients, carried into the water by runoff. • Expand funding for the North Carolina Agriculture Cost-Share Program to meet the farmer's requests for cost-share money to implement best management practices which protect water quality. Agriculture is the industry actively covering the greatest area of land in the Albemarle- Pamlico region, and agricultural practices are known to be a prominent source of nonpoint source pollution. The state has a program, the Agriculture Cost-Share Program, which efficiently addresses nonpoint source pollution from agricultural lands by providing farmers with cost-share funding to implement "Best Management Practices" (BMPs), measures which protect water quality. Applications for cost-share funds always far exceed the amount available. Increasing the funding for this program by $2.5 million annually in the Albemarle-Pamlico region would enable the program to expand implementation of BMPs through cost-sharing. In addition, many farmers would implement BMPs without cost- share funding if technical assistance were available to assist them. Increased funding for the Agriculture Cost-Share Program would also support the provision of expanded technical assistance. (See Water Quality Action Plan, Management Action C.) • Institute a cost-share program for nonagricultural nonpoint source control measures for urban, suburban, industrial, and silvicultural areas. The success of the Agriculture Cost-Share Program in promoting water quality protection suggests that further water quality benefits would be gained by expanding the approach to other land uses which contribute to nonpoint source pollution. A cost-share program • should be established to develop and fund the implementation of nonagricultural BMPs for application in urban, suburban, and forestry areas. (See Water Quality Action Plan, Management Action D.) • Require the maintenance of a minimum undisturbed 20-foot buffer strip of endemic vegetation along all perennial streams, rivers, and tidal water bodies (i.e., the blue line on U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps) in all new land disturbing activities;encourage the establishment of buffer strips in existing land uses with the nonpoint management cost-share programs. As a component of an integrated water quality management system, vegetated buffer strips offer a variety of environmental benefits including the removal of excess nutrients and sediment from surface runoff and shallow groundwater. The requirement for a 20-foot buffer would apply to any new, ground-disturbing activity. Minimal clearing of vegetation in the buffer strip should be permitted to preserve reasonable sight lines, accommodate water dependent facilities, address erosion control projects, and provide for access paths, general woodlot management, and best management practices. Existing land uses which are not land disturbing should remain exempt from the buffer requirement through a "Grandfather" clause. However, buffer strips should be encouraged on "grandfathered" lands as a BMP in nonpoint source management cost-share programs. (See Water Quality Action Plan, Management Action F.) • Apply the current coastal state stormwater regulations watershedwide and ensure the proper installation and regular maintenance of all stormwater management systems. Executive Summary-7