USDA Official To Unveil Air Quality Initiative For San Joaquin Valley Farmers

Contacts:
Brian Ziegler (559) 252-2191, ex. 117
Anita Brown (530) 792-5644

FRESNO, Calif., July 10, 2007—USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, Mark Rey, will visit Fresno on Thursday to announce a new initiative to help San Joaquin Valley farmers adopt on-farm practices to improve air quality. The new Air Quality Initiative will assist producers in adopting technologies that lower smog-producing emissions.

The new 3-year proposal, to be announced by Rey on Thursday, combines technical and cost share assistance through the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). NRCS would oversee the initiative using both conservation technical assistance as well as its Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which shares the cost of structures and practices that farmers undertake to protect natural resources.

Additionally, Rey will make some money available immediately to fund a portion of California’s backlog of eligible applications to voluntarily improve air quality.

Since the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District will soon be requiring agricultural growers to reduce on-farm emissions of smog-producing Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s), there is a heightened need to help producers now to meet the mandate.

Since the Farm Bill governs many programs including EQIP, through which this initiative would be funded, Rey will outline how the Administration’s proposed 2007 Farm Bill would continue assistance for this air quality initiative as well as other assistance needed by agricultural producers for conservation. The Administration’s proposal for the EQIP program would broaden the program and simplify paperwork and application processes for farmers, but would continue to share the costs of investments made by farmers to protect natural resources such as air, soil, water, and wildlife habitat.

Rey will take questions on the Air Quality Initiative as well as the Administration’s Farm Bill proposal.

The meeting will be held at 10 a.m. at the Nisei Farmers League at 1775 North Fine Avenue, Fresno.

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