NYS Agricultural Nonpoint Source Abatement & Control Grant Program

Overview

This grant program was established in 1994 by the State of New York to assist farmers in preventing water pollution from agricultural activities by providing technical assistance and financial incentives. County Soil & Water Conservation Districts apply for the competitive grants on behalf of farmers and coordinate funded conservation projects. Grants can cost-share up to 75% of project costs or more if farmers contribute in the following two areas:

Planning- funds awarded to conduct environmental planning
Implementation- funds awarded to construct or apply management practices

The New York State Soil & Water Conservation Committee and the Department of Agriculture & Markets coordinate the statewide program and allocate funds provided by the NYS Environmental Protection Fund on a semi-annual basis. Since the program began in 1994 more than $100 million has been awarded to 53 Soil & Water Conservation Districts across the state to help farmers reduce and prevent agricultural sources pollution.

What is Nonpoint Source Pollution?

The primary cause of New York’s remaining water quality challenges can be attributed to a wide array of pollutants resulting from various types of land uses, which is termed nonpoint source (NPS) pollution.

As rainfall or snowmelt moves over and through the ground, the runoff picks up and carries away natural and human-made pollutants, finally depositing them into lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters, and even our underground sources of drinking water. These pollutants include:

Excess fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides from residential areas and agricultural lands
Oil, grease, and toxic chemicals from urban runoff and energy production
Sediment from improperly managed construction sites, crop and forest lands, and eroding streambanks
Salt from roadways, irrigation practices, and acid drainage from abandoned mines
Bacteria and nutrients from livestock, pet wastes and faulty septicsystems
Atmospheric deposition and hydromodification