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County Receives Soil, Water District Funding

The Chautauqua County Soil and Water Conservation District will receive $586,564 while the Cattaraugus County Soil and Water Conservation District will receive $770,000 as part of a $14.7 million state program to implement water quality protection projects on 43 farms across the state.

The funding was provided through the second round of the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation Waste Storage and Transfer System Program. It supports projects that will allow large livestock farms to better manage and store nutrients, such as manure, to protect ground water and nearby waterways. The program is part of the state’s Clean Water Infrastructure Act of 2017, which invests in resources for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure and other water quality protections statewide.

“Agriculture and water infrastructure are key to New York’s current and future economic prosperity and this program will help livestock farms in every corner of the state protect drinking water, while also strengthening our agricultural sector,” said Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “With this investment, we are supporting New York’s economy and helping to ensure our essential natural resources and our farms are preserved for years to come.”

Through the program, 50 waste storage and transfer systems will be installed on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation permitted farms in 22 counties across the state. Grants will help offset the cost of construction, site preparation and associated best management practices. Funded projects will also help farmers meet the New York state Department of Environmental Conservation’s environmental requirements first announced in January of 2017.

The funding is being provided to county soil and water conservation districts, which applied for the funding on behalf of eligible farmers in the region.

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