permaculture

[Victor Guest <vic@daena.eepo.com.au>]

From: jvickery@iatp.org (John Vickery)
To: Multiple recipients of list <ag-impact@freedom.mtn.org>
Subject: protecting groundwater through incentives for farmers
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X-Comment:  Agricultural and Environmental Impact list

Dear Ag-Impacters:

Does anyone know of any cases where farmers are given positive incentives
to protect GROUNDWATER quality?   In particular, I am thinking of cases
where a water utility pays farmers to change practices or implement
strategies to protect groundwater, rather than upgrade their water
treatment facilities.

I know there are small-scale cases of this in The Netherlands.

I am familiar with the New York City-Catskills Watershed case, but this
involves surface water.

For your interest, I would like to note that one method to protect drinking
water resources, whether surface or ground water, is to buy land in the
affected watershed or to restrict activities on the land through easements.
  A six-page article in the Spring (9:1) issue of Land and People (Trust
for Public Land; http://www.tpl.org/tpl) gives numerous examples.  Included
is the New York City case where there is a commitment to purchase 80,000
acres.

Thank you in advance for any information or referrals.  I'll compile the
responses of interest and repost them to the ag-impact community at a later
date. 
 
Cordially, john

John Vickery, Program Associate
Environment & Agriculture
Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy
2105 1st Ave., S.
Minneapolis, MN  55404-2505
612-870-3430;  FAX -4846
jvickery@iatp.org
http://www.iatp.org/iatp