(excerpted from the Cayuga Lake Watershed Restoration and Protection Plan)

Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM) is a program to assist farmers in identifying environmental issues on their farms and implementing measures to maintain their economic viability while simultaneously protecting natural resources. Farmers voluntarily enter into these partnerships and remain the primary decision-maker throughout the AEM process. The AEM program focuses on helping farmers comply with federal, state and local regulations relating to water quality and other environmental concerns. The NRCS and County Soil and Water Conservation Districts coordinate the program.

AEM is designed to provide a system for planning and implementing environmentally suitable farming practices through the following steps or tiers:

* Tier 1 – Farmers complete a survey that includes questions regarding current farm activities, future activities or plans, and areas of possible environmental concern. Where no concerns are identified, the AEM process ends and the farmer’s good stewardship is documented.

* Tier 2 – Areas for environmental concern identified in the Tier 1 survey are further detailed through the completion of a corresponding worksheet. Technical assistance in completing the worksheet is often provided by a local agricultural agency. Through the worksheet, the need for a management plan is determined. If the related environmental concerns can be easily remedied the farmer’s good stewardship is documented and the AEM process ends.

* Tier 3 – A plan to remedy the specific environmental concerns identified in Tiers 1 and 2 is developed and completed. The plan takes into account the economic concerns of the farmer as well as environmental concerns resulting from current agricultural processes. Existing waste management, nutrient management, and conservation plans may be included in the AEM plan.

* Tier 4 – The plan developed in Tier 3 is implemented through Best Management Practices (BMPs) to reduce nonpoint source pollution. Agricultural agency staff provide technical, educational, and (when available) financial assistance to farmers in implementing these BMPs.

* Tier 5 – On-going evaluation of the AEM program at the individual farm, county, watershed, and state level is conducted to insure that environmental concerns related to nonpoint source pollution and the economic viability of agriculture production are addressed.

Additional on Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM) Information