June 14, 2005 John M. Harper UCCE Livestock & Natural Resources Advisor Mendocino & Lake Counties

2. Working Across the AES/CE ContinuumWater Quality Plans Respond to TighteningNon-Point Source Pollution Requirements June 14, 2005 John M. Harper UCCE Livestock & Natural Resources Advisor Mendocino & Lake Counties

3. Relevance to CA Animal Agriculture • 1989 RMAC identified water quality as priority issue • 1995 CRWQMP approved by RMAC & SWRCB • Beneficial uses impaired by livestock • Domestic water supply • Cold water fisheries • Spawning habitat of anadromous fish • Water quality elements sensitive to livestock • Sediment • Nutrients • Temperature • Dissolved oxygen • Streambank stability • Riparian habitat • Financial impacts • Costs of implementing Management Measures • Fees and/or fines

4. How Did Collaborators and the Project Proceed? • Pilot short courses developed • Advisors and Specialists • Applied research identified • Specialist collaboration with AES • Private donor support • Grants leveraged • The “Tribe” is formed • Short course & research becomes statewide effort

5. Applied Research Examples • Garcia temperature • Paired watershed • Buffer strips & crypto • “Space cows” • Riparian revegetation

6. Survey Research Examples • Sediment inventory • Riparian grazing • Agency consistency • Riparian revegetation • Impacts of water quality planning course

7. Develop New Methods or Protocols Examples • Sediment inventory & monitoring • Prioritization • Temperature monitoring • ECP & SSMP & road templates • Manipulating grazing behavior

8. Connection/Support Between Campus & County • More than $10 million in funding for research & education program since 1996 • 16 Advisors have co-authored peer reviewed publications since 1996 • Results come from both directions • Not top down • Teamwork occurs because of the personalities of the individuals • Not a static program • Constantly updated with new information from research and input from policy and regulation changes.

9. Teamwork • Specialists • Advisor efforts • On-farm/ranch access • Educational opportunities • Workshops, agency contacts, publications • Funding sources • Information sharing • AES Scientists– similar to Specialists

10. Teamwork • Farm Bureau • Watershed group formation • Committees • Commodity groups • Meeting sponsorship • Committees • Membership reports • Early adopters • Farm/ranch sites for applied research • Political support • Among other clientele • Regional Board level • State & local government

11. Teamwork • Regulatory agencies • Training, communication, information sharing • NRCS • Same as commodity groups & regulatory agencies • Source of technical information • Additional contacts for applied research • Educational collaboration • RCDs– same as NRCS • Others– PCAs, consultants

12. Insights & Lessons Learned • Effort is “issue” based & important to clientele • Specialists & Advisors must be willing to think outside the box • Rethink the job description based on the issue • “Tribe” comes together based on • Personalities • Mutual respect • Mutual benefit • Belief in teamwork approach • $$ flow to a worthwhile program • Internally & externally • County to Campus to County

13. Questions?