Principles of Collaboration

Background

The U.S Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment (USDA NRE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water (USEPA OW) share many common goals and dedication to natural resource protection. Both organizations have a long history of working cooperatively to help landowners and communities address agricultural sources of water pollution and protect the Nation’s water quality. At the same time, each agency has different authorities for providing that assistance to the public.

The principles set forth here are broad in nature and seek to establish a mechanism for more general coordination between USDA NRE and USEPA OW to help achieve a balanced approach to protecting the environment, conserving natural resources, and sustaining farm profitability: Some specific areas of collaboration will include animal feeding operations (AFOs), concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans (CNMPs), Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), source water protection, wetlands protection and restoration, funding, research, pesticides (e.g., Talent), forestry, and farm bill/policy. These principles are intended to guide organization collaboration across the broad spectrum of water quality related issues.

Objective

The objective of this agreement is to develop a process whereby USDA NRE and ESEPA OW will work constructively across areas of mutual interest related to water quality to ensure that the perspectives of both organizations are brought to bear to:

• Work collaboratively to protect water quality and support a strong agriculture economy;
• Recognize the benefits and legitimacy of the approaches called for in the respective missions of the two organizations, including both the voluntary and the regulatory approaches;
• Identify significant issues, resolve differences where possible, and explain differences where resolution is not possible;
• Ensure that the best/most appropriate data and analytical methods are used to support regulatory and voluntary programs;
• Strengthen the agricultural systems perspective in analysis and rulemaking processes;
• Build on the strengths of both organizations to make appropriate use of diverse authorities, expertise, and tools;
• Support locally led action to achieve water quality objectives;
• Employ an adaptive implementation approach to achievement of water quality objectives; and,
• Ensure that regulatory and voluntary programs are, to the extent possible, complementary.

This agreement recognizes that USDA NRE and USEPA OW have clear and distinct missions, authorities and expertise. The agreement will in no manner diminish either organization’s responsibility for fulfilling its mandate. Rather this agreement intends to improve the ability of each organization to meet its public responsibility through improved coordination and increased understanding of the relationships between agricultural systems and environmental conditions.

By satisfying these objectives:

• We will be better able to provide information to the public on area of mutual concern related to water quality.
• We will be able to provide information to policy makers to facilitate informed decisions associated with future approaches and needs to address the key conservation and environmental issues.
• We will be in a better position to formulate budget proposals to address customer and stakeholder needs associated with conservation and environmental efforts.

Principles of Collaboration

To ensure the EPA OW and USDA NRE work together constructively to reach mutually satisfactory results, both organizations will:

• Establish a point of contact within each organization to coordinate water quality related interactions between the organizations.
• Provide a proper forum to enhance USDA-EPA coordination with the goal of quickly and informally resolving policy disputes.
• Protect confidentially of all materials provided by either organization unless otherwise stated by the providing organization or unless the material already are available in the public domain.
• Establish mutually agreed upon time frames for each specific collaborative effort. Good faith effort will be made to accommodate schedules controlled by factors beyond the organizations’ control.
• Seek to provide adequate opportunity to review and comment prior to public release of materials developed in areas of collaboration. Review time may be affected by deadlines beyond the control of the organization.
• Agree that materials developed through collaborative efforts will only indicate the concurrence or disagreement of either of the collaborating organizations if such is indicated through the established point of contact or other designated person.
• Keep each other apprized of emerging issues and concerns through the points of contact, specifically those items that my influence potential collaborative activities.

The Principles of Collaboration for guiding EPAOW and USDA NRE collaboration related to water quality issues of mutual concern are hereby agreed to on July 25, 2001.

Diane Regas
Acting Assistant Administrator
Office of Water
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Dr. Mack Gray
Acting Deputy Under Secretary
Natural Resources and Environment
U.S. Department of Agriculture

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