UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- As the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission considers major changes to agricultural nutrient management regulations, and as the Environmental Quality Board considers changes to water quality regulations affecting agriculture, extension specialists in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences are providing free guides that will help citizens understand the proposed changes and participate in the public comment process.

"Shaping New Pennsylvania Nutrient Management Act Regulations: A Guide to the Proposals and Comment Process" and "Make Your Voice Heard: Commenting on Proposed Water Pollution Regulations for CAFOs and Other Agricultural Operations" are guides developed by Alyssa Dodd, extension associate in agricultural environmental policy; Douglas Beegle, professor of agronomy; Charles Abdalla, associate professor of agricultural economics; and John Becker, professor of agricultural economics and law.

"The guides highlight important proposed revisions to nutrient management and water quality regulations affecting concentrated animal operations, concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and other agricultural operations," Beegle explains. "The State Conservation Commission and the Environmental Quality Board have coordinated release of these proposed regulation changes. Citizens have until Nov. 5, 2004 to comment on both proposals."

"Farmers and others involved with agriculture have the opportunity to influence the regulations and shape state policy. These guides will help people understand the major proposed changes and see ways that they can make effective comments before the deadline," Abdalla says.

"People involved in animal agriculture, such as farmers, agribusiness, feed suppliers, food processors and related businesses -- anyone interested in water quality and the environment -- will find the guides useful, as will public decision-makers and elected officials," Dodd says.

Single copies of the publications are available free of charge by contacting your county Penn State Cooperative Extension office, or by calling the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Distribution Center at 814-865-6713. The publications also are available on the Web at http://agenvpolicy.aers.psu.edu.

For more news from Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, visit http://aginfo.psu.edu.

###

Writer/Editor: Gary Abdullah Office 814-863-2708 FAX 814-863-9877