Progress 07/01/06 to 06/30/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Four Projects were funded by this grant. "Maryland Farmland Conservation Supporting Sustainable Use of Land Through Tax Policy" was completed and published. Project 2 "Investigation of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Sex Steroid Levels in Canada Goose Feeces: Water Quality and Endocrine Effects" has met its objectives pending the re-analysis of several field collected goose feces and surface water samples to determine nutrient and steroid levels. Results are anticipated by mid-February 2010. Finalization of the Canada Goose Nutrient Transport Model depends on incorporation of this information. Biological components of the project are completed, data has been compiled and analyzed and the significance of results is being determined. Project 3 "Assessing Forest Buffer Functions after Five Years" has been completed and a Draft Final Report has been submitted and reviewed by staff and sent back to the PIs with comments. When changes as to format are incorporated and sent back to the Hughes Center, a peer review will be conducted and a final report completed. Project 4 "Investigate Private/Public Financial and Organizational Mechanisms to Initiate the Creation of New Markets and Expansion of Existing Markets for the Products Made from Wood Residues, By-Products and Wastes" was completed and published. PARTICIPANTS: Refer to DRIS report filed on July 6, 2009 TARGET AUDIENCES: Refer to report filed on CRIS form dated July 6, 2009 PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
For Project 1, see report made on CRIS form dated July 6, 2009. For Project 2, as to nutrients- Canada goose droppings contain total nitrogen concentrations similar to those of poultry manure (dry weight basis). In contrast, total phosphorus concentrations are 3 to 5 fold lower than those of poultry manure. Migrant Canada geese clearly transport nutrients from terrestrial sources to regional surface. Impounded water bodies rapidly become severely enriched during and after the period of migrant bird presence. Estuarine water bodies also receive nutrient inputs but accumulation is attenuated by tidal flushing. As to steroids - fecal steroids are present in Canada goose droppings at comparable concentrations to those of poultry manure. These steroids appear and increase in abundance in impounded surface water upon arrival of the birds. Detection of fecal steroids is less common in estuarine waters. Aqueous mixtures of goose feces demonstrate estrogenicity as indicated by an in vitro estrogen-responsive gene expression assay. In vivo exposures of male fish to aqueous AGF also demonstrate estrogenicity as efidenced by the industion of vitellogenin-an egg yolk protein normally encountered onto to female fish. Likewise, exposure of larval fish to AGF produced a small but discernable feminization of male gonadal development. The degree to which these endocrine associated anomalies occurred was somewhat less than has been found in similar exposures to aqueous poultry manure extracts possibly because migrant geese on Delmarva are present during a period of reproductive quiescence, fecal steroids may be less abundant and in a less biologically active form than would ossur during the breeding season. Project 3 on the monitoring of forest buffers planted after 5 years with CREP money quantified riparian forest functions in the Monocacy, Antietam and Catoctin watersheds. Results indicated that vegetation diversity significantly increased and woody species significantly increased. Shading had not yet significantly increased, based on stream temperature records, and hardwood stands had not yet reached canopy closure. Benthic macroinvertebrate diversity increased significantly, but the 64% of sites where Index of Biotic Integrity increased was not determined to be statistically significant. Benefits of forest buffers will exceed costs of public investment if nonmarket values are included. Benefits of buffers are expected to vary greatly from site to site and valuation methods for most income streams and functional values are not precise.For Project 4, see report made on CRIS form dated July 6, 2009.
Publications
- Dr. Anne Hairston-Strang, Dr. David Nowak, Dr. Mark Twery, Mr. Kirk Mantay, Ms. Sarah Stiger Ewing "Assessing Forest Buffer Functions after Five Years" Draft Final Report Submitted December 2009. Final Report Expected March 2010. Harry R. Hughes Center for AgroEcology, College of AGriculture and Natural Resources, University of Maryland College Park.
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Progress 07/01/08 to 06/30/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Four projects were funded by this grant. Project 1: "Maryland Farmland Conservation:Supporting Sustainable Use of Land Through Tax Policy" has been completed, peer reviewed and published. Project 2: "Investigation of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Sex Steroid Levels in Canada Goose Feces: Water Quality and Endocrine Effects" is nearing completion. Sample collection, bioassays and field exposures have been completed. Collection and interpretation of biological data (e.g. fish gonadal pathology, vitellogenin induction in fish and amphibians etc.) have been completed. Final chemical analyses are ongoing and collaborators at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science have modified one of the chemical detection methodologies to improve the analytical sensitivity with which estradiol is measured. Upon final validation, the remaining steroid analyses will be completed. A draft final report is expected in the fall of 2009. Project 3: " Assessing Forest Buffer Functions after Five Years" is also nearing completion. Riparian forest buffers were monitored on 34 sites to compare vegetation and functions six years after planting to baseline data collected the first year of planting. Data collection is complete as well as most preliminary analysis. Final analysis and modeling of water quality and forest products continues along with economic analysis. The final report will be completed in summer 2009. Project 4: "Investigate Private/Public Financial and Organizational Mechanisms to Initiate the Creation of New Markets and Expansion of Existing Markets for the Products Made from Wood Residues, By-Products and Wastes" was completed and published. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Recommendations from Project 1 on tax policies recommended 1)increasing the transfer tax rate by an additional 0.5-2 percentage points and distributing the revenue from the increase to counties or authorizing those counties experiencing farmland loss to levy a county agricultural land transfer tax in that amount; 2)introducting legislation to close the loophole in the agricultural land transfer tax that allows limited liability corporations to avoid payment of the tax; and 3)maintaining the agricultural use valuation only for farms that have complied with Maryland nutrient management and other requirements to reinforce the public benefit side of the program and meet the water quality objectives of the Agricultural Stewardship Act of 2006. For Project 2 on nutrient impact of geese preliminary findings indicate: 1)There appears to be a finite migrant goose population that over-winters in the Wye River region from late October to late March and that they move between feeding areas of corn and soybean fields and large grassy lawns to protected resting areas. If harassed, they will abandon an area for a less threatening one. 2)In the Sanctuary Pond study area, if geese spend protracted periods of time, they produce very high steroid and nutrient concentrations. Becuase the pond is an isolated hydrologic system it neither receives inputs from nor deposits overflow to the surrounding watershed. Thus, goose-associated contaminants are also not transported via hydrologic means to the surrounding watershed. Nutrients instead affect a succession of plants(unicellular algae to duckweed to emergent aquatic plants)that serve to feed geese returning the following year. The model fails during years when the pond surface freezes forcing geese to reside in water-bodies intimately linked to the Bay, such as estuarine coves. In this situation, geese deposit droppings directly into estuarine waters, thereby contributing some aount to the total nutrient load. Preliminary analysis of monthly nutrient concentrations within these coves indicates a small increase in total nitrogen during the migrant season. Further significance needs to be determined. Project 3 on forested buffers notes some preliminary findings: 1)that buffers are functioning even prior to crown closure; 2)that where people have invested in good site preparation and maintenance, better tree growth and survival translates into better potential for forest products and ecological function. Using fast-growing trees is a good initial strategy for establishing functional forest buffers, although greater species diversity would be desired for long-term development and wildlife benefits. Project 4 relating to new markets for wood products concluded that there was adequate waste wood supply in Maryland to support an expanded and economically beneficial use of this resource. Two agencies were identified to take the lead in developing a state-level coordinated wood waste effort-the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Business and Economic Development. Nineteen additional recommendations were made by the investigators as to how to do this and establish viable markets for wood waste.
Publications
- New West Technologies, LLC. "Investigate Private/Public Financial and Organizational Mechanisms to Initiate the Creation of New Markets and Expansion of Existing Markets for the Products Made from Wood REsidues, By-Products and Wastes." 2008. Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology, Inc., Queenstown, MD 21658 HCAE Pub 2009-04
- Gruby, Rebecca and James McElfish with Dr. Lori Lynch and Qing Li. "Maryland Farmland Conservation: Supportint Sustainable Use of Land Through Tax Policy." 2008. Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology, Inc., Queenstown, MD 21658 HCAE Pub 2008-05
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Progress 07/01/07 to 06/30/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Four projects are funded by this grant. Project 1: "Maryland Farmland Conservation: Supporting Sustainable Use of Land Through Tax Policy has been completed in draft form and is undergoing peer review. Porject 2: "Investigation of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Sex Steroid Levels in Canada Goose Feces: Water Quality and Endocrine Effects." Sample collection, bioassays and field exposures have been completed. Chemical and histological analyses and data interpretation are ongoing. For feces and surface water samples- goose droppings were collected apprix. bi-weekly during three migrant seasons. Migrant bird influenced surface waters were also collected during the same period. Analyses of feces, water, steroids and nutrients are 3/4th completed. An insufficient number of bioassays have been analyzed to test statistically whether there are seasonal differences in steroid concentrations or levels of steroidal activityassociated with reproductive recrudescence in anticipation of the breeding season. Project 3: "Assessing Forest Buffer Functions after Five Years". Twenty four riparian forest buffers have been resampled after 5 years to collect data on tree survival and growth, invasive plants, stream temperature, cross-sections, benthic macroinvertegrates, nitrate, phosphate and streambank stability. Data have been collected for use in the NED Forest Ecosystem Mgt. software and the UFORE air quality benefits prediction. The UFORE analysis has been completed and preliminary runs with NERD-2 have been completed. As last year's data collection had some problems with temperature loggers, temperature data collection is being repeated.Project 4: "Investigate Private/Public Financial and Organizational Mechanisms to Initiate the Creation of New Markets and Expansion of Existing Markets for the Products Made from Wood Residues, By-Products and Wastes was completed and published. PARTICIPANTS: Project 1: Participants were The Environmental Law Institute with the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics of the University of Maryland, College Park. In addition, support was provided from the Abell Foundation and the Keith Campbell Foundation. Individuals from various State agencies provided information as did staff from the Comptroller's Office, Bureau of Revenue Estimates, local tax billing and collection offices of Maryland, MD Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation, MD Department of Assessments and Taxation, MD Department of Legislative SErvices, MD Department of Natural Resources, Forest Service, MD Department of Planning, National Agricultural Law Center, US Department of Agriculture, Census Planning Branch, US Department of Agriculture Forest SErvice, Northern Research Station and the Washington County Planning Department. Project 2: Participants included the Wye Research and Education Center, Wye Natural Resource Management Area and Hog Neck Golf Course for site locations and the Virginia Institute for Marine Science for lab analyses. Project 3: Participants include the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service, U.S Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station at the State University of New York Environmental Science and Forestry, Ducks Unlimited and U.S. Forest Service4, Northeastern Research Station in Burlington Vermont. Project 4: New West Technollgies, Forest Products Utilization and Marketing of the Maryland Forest Service, Charles Vail Incorporated and various survey participants from energy and biomass bureaus and departments from CT, DE, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT, Marbidco, MDE, State Highway Administration. TARGET AUDIENCES: Project 1: Policy makers at the State level from State departments and from the General Assembly who can all influence the various tax programs that either positively or negatively influence the tax structure in Maryland. Project 2: Various State agencies such as Maryland Department of Agriculture and Department of Natural Resources and Federal agencies including US Fish and Wildlife Service and US Department of Agriculture. These entities have management authority over the natural resource (goose) and are required to put programs into place that reduce the nutrient inputs into the Bay. Project 3: Forest managers, CREP managers, property owners who have or want to install forested buffers on their property, state management agencies and the Bay Program.Project 4: Forest Industry and the Departments of Natural Resources and Business and Economic Development as well as local governments. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: No major changes in approach and reasons for the changes.
Impacts
Project 1: MD policy makers have developed & implemented a suite of policies directed at retaining MD farmland, however research results have demonstrated that "drastic action" is needed to retain remaining agricultural & other resource lands in the State. The study examined MD's primary tax measures for agriculture-the agricultural use assessment & the agricultural land transfer tax-and it identified modifications to the agricultural land transfer tax that should support the retention of farmland while continuing to support farmers maintaining the agricultural use of their lands. Results from the study suggest increasing the agricultural land transfer tax rate by an additional 0.5-2 percentage points & distributing the revenue from the increase to counties; or authorizing those MD counties experiencing farmland loss to levy a county agricultural land transfer tax in that amount. Two additional recommendations were also made: 1) closing the loophole in the agricultural land transfer tax allowing limited liability corporations to avoid payment of the tax and 2) maintaining the agricultural use valuation only for farms that have complied with Maryland nutrient mgt. and other requirements in order to reinforce the public benefit side of the program and meet the water quality objectives of the Agricultural Stewardship Act of 2006. Project 2: Preliminary conclusions are that there apears to be a finite migrant goose population that over-winters in the Wye River region. They typically arrive in late October nad remain until late March. If geese spend protracted periods in a closed system (a pond that does not overflow or receive inputs from other waters,they produce very high steroid & nutrient concentrations. Likewise, goose associated contaminants deposited in a closed pond are not transported via hydrologic means to the surrounding watershed. Nutrients in the pond affect a succession of plants that ultimately serve to feed geese returning the following year. A closed system provides a receptacle for their waste, possibly limiting impacts to the surrounding watershed. This model fails during years when the pond surface freezes and geese must reside in water bodies intimately linked to the Bay. Project 3: Using the routinely installed CREP buffers, UFORE estimated carbon sequestration benefits of 4916 lb/ac and a value of $11,962. The preliminary runs of the NED-2 model predicting growth & returns from wood product harvest for multiple decades, revealed substantial site to site differences. Those sites that have received ongoing maintenance and stocking is high are the ones that become suitable to fiber production from partial harvests and have potential to return future income. Project 4: The study revealed that there was adequate waste wood supply in Maryland to support an expanded and economically beneficial use of this resource. There were two agencies identified to take the lead in developing a state-level coordinated wood waste effort-the Dept. of Natural Resources and the Dept. of Business and Economic Development. Nineteen recommendations were made by the investigators as to how to do this and establish viable markets for wood wastes.
Publications
- New West Technologies, LLC. "Investigate Private/Public Financial and Organizational Mechanisms to Initiate the Creation of New Markets and Expansion of Existing Markets for the Products Made from Wood Residues, By-Products and Wastes. 2008. Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology, Inc., Queenstown, MD 21658. Draft Report.
- Gruby, Rebecca and James McElfish, Jr. with Dr. Lori Lynch and Qing Li. "Maryland Farmland Conservation: Supporting Sustainable Use of Land Through Tax Policy." 2008. Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology, Inc., Queenstown, MD 21658. Draft Report being peer reviewed.
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Progress 07/01/06 to 06/30/07
Outputs
This grant contains 4 projects. The tax policy project for sustainable land use has compiled data sets statewide & county by county on: 1) agricultural & forest land losses; 2) changes in agricultural & forest land participating in use value assessment; 3) acres of land coming out of agriculture subject to the agricultural transfer tax; 4) changes in agricultural transfer tax revenue/acre yr by yr; 5) comparison of census of agriculture data on agriculture land loss for periods of time vs. acres paying the agricultural transfer tax over the same period; 6) agricultural transfer tax vs. general State transfer tax yr by yr. State property tax rates since 1980 have been obtained & county property tax rates since 2002 have been obtained. A contractor for the economic analysis has been selected and work will commence in July on the economic analyses. Sample collection for the steriod levels in Canada Goose feces began in 2005. Goose droppings were collected for 18
months.Collection will continue until 2 yrs. of data have been accumulated for the resident population and 3 seasons are represented for the migrant population. Development of a Canada Goose Nutrient Transport Model will begin once sufficient data are available to calibrate. A bioassay exposing larval and adult fish to aqueous solutions of goose feces-associated contaminants will begin July 2007. Biological results will accrue between September-November. Bullfrog tadpoles from a Canada goose sanctuary pond, showing high steriod levels, are being collected. One of several preliminary results show steriod analysis of initial goose feces collected indicate a mean 17β estradiol(E2) concentration of 186 ng/g very comparable to that of Eastern Shore brioler litter surveyed in a previous study. For the assessment of forest buffers, data collection is ongoing at 2 sets of sites: 13 USFS-CWAP sites and 10 of 20 sites established by the Potomac Watershed Partnership. Data will be collected
on the additional 10 PWP sites with all results included for analysis. Literature review is ongoing, with attention to nutrient and stormwater functions of riparian forest buffers. Last fall, vegetation data were collected on 7 of 13 CWAP sites. Temperature monitors were installed & water quality grab samples taken & sent for analysis. This spring, water quality data were collected on 10 PWP sites and vegetation collection has begun. Vegetation data will be used for NED modeling of future forest products. UFORE data collection has begun on one site involving tree height, shape, diameter & canopy dimensions for air quality benefits. Data collection will continue throughout the summer. For the wood residue project, an inventory of wood residues, by-products and wastes was assembled. Much data has been collected from the primary & secondary forest products industry. Concentration is focusing on urban wood wastes. A survey of products from residues, by-products & waste is completed.
Identifying opportunities for creating new or expanding existing markets has begun. Work on financial & organizational mechanisms has progressed as well.
Impacts
The tax policy research will influence existing tax policy as to the retention of agricultural lands in MD. Results will be used by the Incentives for Agriculture Task Force in the Legislature. Nutrient inputs to the Chesapeake Bay exceed desirable levels both from humans as well as nature. The nutrient contribution of Canada geese to the watersned is not certain. While Geese do not transport nutrients,they do modify & reallocate those that are already present. The results from the project will provide a deeper understanding of the impacts of Canada geese on Bay water quality, a necessary tool for future decision makers when weighing the relative importance of nutrient contributors. One of the water quality Bay improvement tools noted in the 2000 Agreement was the planting of buffers along tributary streams. This was done throughout 2000,2001 and 2002 with money from the CREP along several tributaries to the Bay. An assessment as to the effectiveness of this management
measure will enable decision makers to modify the approach and other parameters to make sure that buffer planting is as effective as it can be. This is especially needed as TMDL levels and nutrient reduction goals need to be met. The assessment of wood by-products will support a more thorough use of renewable resources, a greener environment and a stronger economy in Maryland. The research will provide decision makers with a set of tools to stimulate the creation of new markets and expansion of existing ones for products made from wood residues.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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