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SpanishMARIANNA – The Northwest Florida Water Management District is launching the third cycle of a cost-share program designed to help agricultural producers improve water quality and reduce water use demands in and around Jackson Blue Spring.
The District’s 2015-2016 budget includes $1 million in funding for eligible agricultural best management practices (BMPs) as part of the Jackson Blue Spring Agricultural Best Management Practice Cost-Share Program. The District previously funded more than $1.6 million total during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 cycles of the program.
The cost-share program is funded as part of the state of Florida’s more than $100 million investment in springs restoration and protection the past two years.
“The District applauds the vision and leadership shown by Governor Scott, the Florida Legislature and the Department of Environmental Protection for allowing us to continue this successful program,” said Brett Cyphers, Executive Director of the Northwest Florida Water Management District. “The program is helping us make great strides toward improving the health of Jackson Blue Spring.”
This grant program provides cost-share funding to agricultural producers for irrigation system improvements and equipment and tools to reduce fertilizer and pesticide use and improve water use efficiency. Under the program, the District will fund 75 percent of qualifying BMPs (up to a maximum of $56,250 for each producer), with the producers funding the remaining 25 percent.
Projects that have been funded through the program include subsurface drip irrigation, variable rate fertilizer applicators, fertigation equipment, irrigation system retrofits, and remote control and zone management tools for irrigation systems.
The District is currently accepting applications from agricultural producers within the Jackson Blue Spring and Merritt’s Mill Pond contribution area. Applications for the first award cycle are due March 25, 2016.
Applications will continue to be accepted after that date for the next award cycle. Producers who have not previously received funding from the District will be given priority.
To be eligible, producers must be:
- Operating within the Jackson Blue Spring and Merritt’s Mill Pond Groundwater Contribution Area;
- Enrolled in the appropriate Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Best Management Practice program; and
- In regulatory compliance with the District.
A full list of funded measures and an application form can be found on the District website at nwfwp.sgssys.info. Producers can contact Angela Chelette (850-539-2650) with any questions about the funding program.
Producers who are interested in obtaining funding can expedite their application by enrolling or updating their enrollment in the FDACS BMP program as soon as possible by contacting Tom Batey, FDACS Field Representative at (850-693-5430) or visiting the FDACS website at www.freshfromflorida.com.
The District recommends that producers who want to upgrade irrigation equipment contact Mark Miles of the Northwest Florida Mobile Irrigation Lab (MIL) at (850-482-0388) to schedule an irrigation system evaluation. Having these two items complete will allow an application to move forward quicker.
Producers may also be eligible for BMP funding from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (contact Tom Batey, 850-693-5430) or the Natural Resource Conservation Service (contact Mary Jane Nelson, 850-526-2610 ext. 127).