Here is a brief summary

Introduction

The purpose of this bill is to develop a coordinated public-private approach to reducing nutrient and sediment losses in the Upper Mississippi River basin. Relying on existing federal, state and local programs, the bill establishes a water quality monitoring network and an integrated computer modeling program These monitoring and modeling efforts will provide the baseline data needed to make scientifically-sound and cost-effective conservation decisions. The bi1l calls for an expansion of four Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) programs: the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Wetland Reserve Program (WRP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP). Finally, the bill contains provisions to protect the privacy of personal data collected in connection with monitoring, modeling, and technical and financial assessment activities.

Title I - Citizen Water Council

• Creates fifteen-person citizen water council. Three members from each state Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri. Within each state delegation, two members will be selected by the Governor, one appointed by Secretary of Agriculture.

• Council to hold annual public meetings in each of the five states for the purpose of formulating recommendations and seeking public input about methods and priorities for reducing sediment and nutrient losses.

• Responsibilities: coordinates public and private efforts to reduce sediment and nutrient loss; submits annual reports and quarterly periodicals to the federal government and to the state legislatures for each state along the upper and lower Mississippi River

Title 11 - Interagency Working Group

• Establishes Interagency Working Group to coordinate Federal nutrient and sediment reduction efforts. Participants include: the Secretary of Agriculture (chairperson of the Interagency Working Group); the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Defense; the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (or the designees of the respective agency heads),

• Responsibilities: to develop a coordinated plan and budget for the Federal agencies participating in the Initiative.

Title III - Water Quality Monitoring Network

• Designates U.S. Geological Survey as lead agency in developing water quality monitoring network

• Purpose; to develop the baseline data needed to make scientifically-sound and cost-effective conservation decisions aimed at reducing soil and nutrient losses in the Upper Mississippi River basin.

• Responsibilities: to coordinate data collection, processing, archiving, and distribution activities with other state and federal agencies and NGOs.

Title IV – Computer Modeling; Evaluation, Demonstration, and Outreach Programs

Directs the USGS, in collaboration with the Corps of Engineers and NRCS, to establish a (GIS-based) computer-modeling program. Modeling will identify significant sources ("hot spots") of sediment and nutrients in the UMR basin, enabling better targeting of conservation efforts.
Directs Secretary of Agriculture to evaluate benefits and costs of land use practices designed to reduce sediment and nutrient loss.
Establishes grant program to supplement non-Federal programs being used to demonstrate new land practices designed to Reduce sediment and nutrient loss (i.e., "model farms").
Directs Director of USGS to distribute information about nutrient and sediment levels and about public and private sediment and nutrient reduction levels over the Internet Also mandates annual report on monitoring activities and report about modeling activities very three years.

Title V - Financial and Technical Assistance Under USDA Conservation Programs

• Expands enrollment authority and funding for four major U.S. Department of Agriculture/Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) programs that provide effective means of reducing sediment and nutrient losses:

  1. Increases enrollment authority under Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) from 36,400,000 acres to 45,000,000 acres.

  2. Increases enrollment authority under Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) from 900,000 acres to 1,075,000 acres, with 75,000 acres reserved for mainstream floodplains along Mississippi River.

  3. Increases funding for Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) from $50,000,000 to $75,000,000.

  4. Increases funding for Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) from $200,000,000 to $300,000,000.

Title VI - Protection of Personal Data

• Restricts disclosure of data gathering sites and information and data collected at those sites to other agencies or to general public in order to insure the privacy of landowners and other cooperating parties. Information released will have been transformed into statistical or aggregate form that does not allow identification of the individual landowner, operator, or data-gathering site.

Title VIII - Authorization of Appropriations

• There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act.

• Create an Interagency Working Group of participating Federal agencies in Order to develop coordinated and comprehensive nutrient and sediment reduction efforts.

• Increase and target existing technical and financial assistance to the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Wetland Reserve Program (WRP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)

• Restrict disclosure of data and information collected to other agencies or to general public in order to insure the privacy of landowners and other cooperating parties. Information released will have been transformed into a form that does not allow identification of the individual landowner, operator, or data-gathering site.

Agencies Involved

• U.S.  Geological Survey coordinates the development of the water quality monitoring network and integrated computer modeling system.

• U.S. Department of Agriculture and Natural Resource Conservation Service implement conservation programs, assist in development of demonstration projects, and contribute to monitoring and modeling efforts.

• Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration serve, with agencies listed above, on Interagency Working Group.