improving water quality through better targeting of farm conservation funds
DESCRIPTION
WRI launch of two new WRI publications: * Improving Water Quality: A National Modeling Analysis on Increasing Cost Effectiveness through Better Targeting of U.S. Farm Conservation Funds * Improving Water Quality: Overcoming Barriers to Better Targeting of U.S. Farm Conservation Funds Find out more at: http://www.wri.org/events/publications-launch-improving-water-qualityTRANSCRIPT
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PUBLICATIONS LAUNCH & DISCUSSION
• Improving Water Quality: A National Modeling Analysis on
Increasing Cost Effectiveness through Better Targeting of
U.S. Farm Conservation Funds
• Improving Water Quality: Overcoming Barriers to Better
Targeting of U.S. Farm Conservation Funds
MODERATOR: Craig Hanson, Director, Food, Forests & Water Program
JUNE 10, 2014
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Note: Today’s presentation is being
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM:
EXCESS ALGAE BLOOMS
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM:
FISH KILLS
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MAJOR SOURCE:
FARM NUTRIENT & SEDIMENT RUNOFF
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM:
COASTAL EUTROPHICATION & HYPOXIA WORLDWIDE
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DEFINING TARGETING
• Geographic targeting –
Prioritizing areas:
a. Greatest environmental
impairments
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DEFINING TARGETING
• Geographic targeting –
Prioritizing areas:
a. Greatest environmental
impairments
b. Pristine conditions
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DEFINING TARGETING
• Geographic targeting –
Prioritizing areas:
a. Greatest environmental
impairments
b. Pristine conditions
c. Greatest change in
environmental conditions
possible
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DEFINING TARGETING
• Geographic targeting – Prioritizing areas: a. Greatest environmental
impairments
b. Pristine conditions
c. Greatest change in environmental conditions possible
• Benefit-cost targeting –
Identifying acres and practices that can produce the most environmental benefits per dollar spent (e.g., most pounds of N reductions/$)
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AUTHORS
Bruce Knight Strategic Conservation Solutions, LLC
& former chief of USDA’s NRCS, ‘02–‘06
John Stierna American Farmland Trust
& former senior economist, NRCS, ’95-’04
Michelle Perez Senior Associate
Mindy Selman Senior Associate
Sara Walker Associate
Katie Reytar Research Associate
PANELISTS
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MICHELLE PEREZ, PHD
IMPROVING WATER
QUALITY A National Modeling Analysis on Increasing Cost Effectiveness through Better Targeting of U.S. Farm Conservation Funds
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RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. How cost effective is the current (BAU) approach?
– BAU=spending on nutrient & erosion control practices: ’06-’11
2. How much more effective could it be with targeting?
– 3 targeting approaches
3. How do results change depending on what
environmental benefit is being optimized?
– N, P, & sediment reduction & soil C sequestration
4. If programs were designed to achieve the most cost-
effective benefits, where would the funds be spent?
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DATA & MODELS
• Farmer survey data
from Natural Resources
Inventory-Conservation
Effects Assessment
Project (NRI-CEAP)
• Agricultural Policy
Extender (APEX) model
• Economic optimization
model
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MODELING LIMITATIONS
• Geographic targeting - Prioritizing areas with greatest change possible
• Model analysis is at edge-of-field
• Doesn’t account for where acres are vis a vis impaired water bodies
• Prioritizes acres that offer the biggest edge-of-field pollution reduction opportunities
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201 4-DIGIT WATERSHEDS
& ESTIMATING BAU COST EFFECTIVENESS
BAU $ spent in each watershed on average
# lbs. N reduced at edge-field in each watershed
$/# lbs. N reduced = level of cost effectiveness in each watershed
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3 TARGETING APPROACHES IN MODEL
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DUAL TARGETING MORE EFFECTIVE THAN BAU
12 x
8 x
8 x
7.5 x
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DUAL TARGETING IS MOST COST EFFECTIVE
• Geographic + benefit-cost targeting could
result in 7 to 12 times more environmental
benefits per dollar spent than BAU
• Benefit-cost targeting alone could achieve 4 to
9 times the benefits as BAU
• Geographic targeting alone could be better or
worse than BAU
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CHOOSING WHAT TO TARGET
• Optimizing for
multiple benefits
(N, P, & soil C) yields
more co-benefits &
fewer trade-offs than
optimizing for
individual benefits
• If only 1 benefit can
be targeted,
optimizing for
phosphorus
reductions is best
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TARGETING MAY MEAN MORE ACRES
16.8
12.8
8.7
Benefit-CostTargeting for
Sediment
Dual Targeting forNitrogen
BAU
1.5 times more acres
(Millions of acres)
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BUSINESS-AS-USUAL ALLOCATION OF FUNDS
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FUNDING ALLOCATIONS FOR
MULTIPLE BENEFITS OPTIMIZATION (N, P, C)
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FUNDING ALLOCATIONS FOR
PHOSPHORUS OPTIMIZATION
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FUNDING ALLOCATIONS FOR
NITROGEN OPTIMIZATION
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FUNDING ALLOCATIONS FOR
SEDIMENT OPTIMIZATION
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FUNDING ALLOCATIONS FOR
SOIL CARBON OPTIMIZATION
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WHAT THIS STUDY IS & IS NOT
• Not an analysis of what NRCS could have
done in past due to
– Scientific & technical barriers
– Institutional & implementation barriers
– Social & political barriers
• Is an analysis of what NRCS could be
doing in the future
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RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Track environmental benefits
2. Rank applications according to
benefit-cost ratios
3. Conduct pilot projects
4. Improve state funding allocation
formulas
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SARA WALKER AND MICHELLE PEREZ
OVERCOMING
BARRIERS TO
TARGETING June 10, 2014
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3 MAJOR TYPES OF BARRIERS
1. Scientific and
Technical
2. Social and Political
3. Institutional and
Implementation
Image: Nicholas A. Tonelli
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Scientific and Technical
CHALLENGE: LIMITED DATA AND TOOLS
Source: U.S. Geological Survey SPARROW Model, courtesy of the Chesapeake Bay Program
Phosphorus Hot Spots in the
Chesapeake Bay Watershed
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Scientific and Technical
OPTIONS
• Better employ existing tools and metrics
• Transfer tools
• Advance modeling capabilities
Image: NRCS/Lynn Betts
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Scientific and Technical
CHALLENGE: COMPETING POLITICAL AND
STAKEHOLDER INTERESTS
Source: WRI
Social and Political
Funding allocation under
business as usual
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Scientific and Technical
CHALLENGE: COMPETING POLITICAL AND
STAKEHOLDER INTERESTS
Source: WRI
Social and Political
Funding allocation under
targeting
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Scientific and Technical
OPTIONS
• Set aside portion of
funds for geographic
targeting
• Focus on costs and
benefits
Image: NRCS/Tim McCabe
Social and Political
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Scientific and Technical
CHALLENGE: LIMITED AGENCY CAPACITY AND
TARGETING EXPERIENCE
Image: NRCS/Bob Nichols
Social and Political
Institutional and Implementation
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Scientific and Technical
OPTIONS
• Strengthen leadership
and oversight
• Involve producers and
local community
• Use effective
mechanisms to educate
producers
Image: NRCS South Dakota
Social and Political
Institutional and Implementation
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THANK YOU!
Sara Walker
202-729-7824
Michelle Perez
202-729-7908
Image: NRCS/Lynn Betts
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VISIT WATER QUALITY TARGETING PAGE
wri.org/water/water-quality-targeting