Nutrient Management Standard Animal Weight Changes: Rollout and Impact, Farm Inspections

- [Leon] There have been a number of changes in the Pennsylvania Nutrient Management Program.

This video reviews the changes to the standard animal weights, the rollout on the changes, and the impact on Pennsylvania farms.

We will also review the farm inspection requirement.

Pennsylvania has updated the standard animal weights using nutrient management planning.

The old weights were determined 20 years ago, and with improved genetics, in many cases, our production animals are now larger.

The changes, which were approved by the State Conservation Commission in May of 2017, reflect this.

The new standard weights will become effective October 1, 2019 at the start of the 2020 crop year.

The biggest impact of these changes is likely to be on the smaller livestock farms.

Farms that were slightly under two Animal Equivalent Units per acre, or 2,000 pounds per acre, may now be over that threshold, meaning they are now a Concentrated Animal Operation, or CAO, requiring an ACT 38 Nutrient Management Plan.

The change in animal weights for nutrient management planning will likely move many Sub Act 38 farms over the two Animal Equivalent Unit acre threshold.

To determine if an operation becomes a CAO due to weight changes, calculations must be made with the old and new weights.

If the old weights determine the operation already is a CAO, the operation will follow previous regulations.

If the calculations with the new weights determine the operation is now a CAO, the following applies: The new CAO will have two crop years to have an approved nutrient management plan.

The plan is needed for the crop year 2020.

The plan required for a new CAO is an Act 38 Nutrient Management Plan and must be written by a certified planner, will be effective for three years, and will be reviewed by conservation district staff.

In the future, this plan will be reviewed every three years.

The plans need to be submitted by June or July of 2019 to be approved by October 2019 for the 2020 crop year.

For existing CAOs and CAFOs, or Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, the new standard weights will be utilized when the Nutrient Management Plan is amended.

The amendment may be at the triennial review, or sooner if one of the amendment criteria, such as an increase in animal numbers, are met.

This will allow up to a three-year phase-in period for existing CAOs and CAFOs.

Any newly defined CAFO will need a CAFO permit before the new weights become effective October 1 of 2019.

Therefore, an administratively complete CAFO permit application needs to be submitted by April 1 of 2019.

The Nutrient Management Plan needs to be submitted by June or July of 2019 to be approved by October of 2019 for the 2020 crop year.

Smaller farms with manure and less than two Animal Equivalent Units per acre need a Manure Management Plan based on the manure management manual.

These plans can be written by the farmer or a certified or non-certified individual.

The plan must be written using the DEP Manure Management Manual.

However, the plan does not need to be submitted for approval by the conservation district.

The plan must be available on site to DEP or conservation district staff upon request.

The Manure Management Plan will include more than manure applications rates.

It will have farm maps, manure application setbacks, streams, ponds, and wells, and winter manure applications guidelines.

There will also be manure storage and stacking area management standards, information on pasture management, and inspections for animal concentration area management.

Records are required and must be kept on the farm.

The farmer should review the plan annually and update if there are operation changes.

Another change in Pennsylvania is the Chesapeake Bay Agricultural Inspection Program.

Inspections are conducted by conservation district staff or DEP staff.

The goal of the inspection is to ensure development and use of conservation plans and Manure Management Plans.

If the farm has plans, they are added to the practice keeper database.

If the farm has no plans, or they are incomplete, they will have 90 days to provide them.

EPA has a goal of inspecting all the farms in the Chesapeake Bay watershed over a 10-year period.