Contacts:
Kelly Loftus, Agency of Agriculture, (802) 828-3829
Sabina Haskell, Agency of Natural Resources, (802) 241-1562

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

MONTPELIER – Consulting engineers have until April 25 to submit proposals for agricultural engineering services to design and oversee the construction of projects that will help reduce phosphorus runoff to Lake Champlain.

Officials at the agencies of Natural Resources and Agriculture, Food & Markets have committed up to $1.1 million for contractor services over the 2008-09 construction season to ensure implementation of important water quality projects that are under federal contract as part of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP).

“We are committed to assist farmers in using every resource available to meet water quality standards,” said Agriculture Secretary Roger Allbee. “We want to see these projects designed and implemented as soon as possible; the combined efforts and resources of state and the federal government will accelerate improvement in lake water quality.”

Almost 90 percent of the phosphorus getting into the lake comes from stormwater runoff from developed land and agricultural areas – so-called nonpoint sources – and the Center for Clean and Clear, run jointly by the two agencies, is seeking bids on projects that will reduce those loads, including: manure storage facilities, heavy use area management, waste transfer, clean water diversion and milk house waste treatment.

“Over the last three decades, the state and federal government have worked together to effectively limit phosphorus from wastewater treatment plants,” said Natural Resources Secretary George Crombie. “We will now take a similar, combined approach to construct important water quality projects on Vermont farms.”

The funding will go to pay for engineering services needed to design and manage the construction of some $20 million in EQIP projects waiting at the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service.

For more information and to download relevant documents, visit: http://www.vermontagriculture.com/documents/RFPEngineeringAssistanceNRCSEQIP.pdf