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Consent Agenda INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA 2-00 c� AGENDA ITEM Department of General Services Y Date: July 16,2007 JUL 2 4 2007 To: The Honorable Board of County Commissioners ' s , „ n, i 7Y Thru : Joseph A. Baird, County Administrator �OCOMMISS;OI From: Thomas W. Frame, General Services Director . , q Subject: Citrus Best Management Practices Cost Share Contracts ATTACHMENTS: • Memo dated July 16,2007 from Mark Pomar, Indian River County Soil and Water Conservation District • Applicant Score Summs"/FY 200712008 • Sample Cooperator's Cost Share Grant Contact with its Exhibits A, Band C BACKGROUND: Effects of stormwater runoff carrying pollutants from all land uses into our rivers, lakes and estuaries have become a national problem The citrus community came forward in 1998 and began working on what is now known as the. Water Quality/Quantity BMPs (Best Management Practices) for Indian River citrus groves. The growers have adopted this manual and best management practices are being implemented when economically feasible. On February 6, 2007, a Cost Share Agreement Between the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and IRC for Indian River County Citrus Best Management Practices was signed, Contract # 012089. This is a one-year contract for $50,000 to cost share a percentage for installation of specific Citrus Best Management Practices (BMP's) that were prioritized and approved with cooperation with growers. This is the fifth grant year for funding and represents a total of $875,000 received from the FDACS. The $50,000 this year assists in improving water quality in the receiving waters such as the Indian River Lagoon or the St. Johns River Basin by the use of a cost-share mechanism through the Indian River Soil and Water Conservation District (IRSWCD) and USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) Natural Resource Conservation Service (MRCS) to allow citrus growers to implement BMP's. These conservation practices are designed to achieve the greatest agronomic efficiency in food and fiber production, while limiting the offsite effects of agricultural operations and simultaneously maintaining an economically viable farming operation for the grower. The procedure is as follows: • The Indian River Soil and Water Conservation District (IRSWCD) advertises through a variety of methods in an effort to reach Indian River County citrus growers and give them the opportunity to apply for cost-sharingprograms. • The grove owner initiates an interest in, and, attends a University of Florida/IFAS educational function relating to Indian River Citrus Best Management Practices. If there are practices the grower would like to install to achieve goals, as an incentive, the cost- sharing programs are open to him to apply. He then submits an application to the IRSWCD.