Special Area Land Treatment (SALT) Program

Traditional SALT Program   /   AgNPS SALT Program

Agricultural Nonpoint Source (AgNPS) SALT Program

Program Status
Since the onset of the AgNPS SALT program, there have been eight calls for projects, with 90 approved throughout the state. Currently, there are 64 active AgNPS SALT projects, 16 completed as of Dec. 31, 2006 and 10 more slated to begin on July 1, 2007. Projects focus on decreasing agricultural nonpoint source pollution and usually encompass watersheds averaging 50,000 acres in size as portrayed in our map of AgNPS SALT projects. For more details on the AgNPS SALT projects, a brief description of each project (by call) is listed below.

Overview of the Program
Provided by funding through the one-tenth-of-one-percent parks, soils and water sales tax of Missouri, the Agricultural Nonpoint Source Special Area Land Treatment (AgNPS SALT) program is offered through the Missouri Department of Natural Resource’s Soil and Water Conservation Program.

The program allows county soil and water conservation districts (SWCD) to direct technical and financial assistance to landowners with land identified and prioritized as having water quality impairments that address agricultural nonpoint source pollution problems. Success of these projects is dependent on the cooperation of numerous partners using a variety of tools to accomplish project goals.

Nonpoint source pollution is defined as pollution that cannot be traced to any one source and is more difficult to control. Therefore, agricultural nonpoint source pollution is non-traceable pollutants resulting from production agriculture in a specified area.

Examples of agricultural nonpoint source pollution include:

The Mission
 The mission of the AgNPS SALT program is to "improve, protect and maintain the water quality of the State of Missouri through the prevention and reduction of agricultural nonpoint source pollution using a watershed-based approach."

The Goals
Goals of the AgNPS SALT projects include, but are not limited to:

Project Details

Eligible Practices and Incentives
The eligible practices and incentives offered in AgNPS SALT projects are for the primary purpose of improving or restoring water quality on agricultural lands throughout the state of Missouri. When properly implemented and certified by the NRCS or MDC, landowners receive up to 75 percent in cost-share funding for these practices. Incentives are also available to landowners for removing land from production to implement specific practices offered in the program. Also, incentives are available for proper management techniques to lessen the impacts of production agriculture on water quality. Contact your local soil and water conservation district to inquire about the practices and incentives available to you.

Application Process
 A call for AgNPS SALT proposals will be announced by the Soil and Water Conservation Districts Commission. Upon notification of the call, districts interested in applying for an AgNPS SALT project are to begin the application process.

Preliminary Application
 The preliminary application form includes:

All preliminary applications submitted by the deadline will be reviewed by the soil and water conservation program staff. Once reviewed, districts whose projects are awarded preliminary approval will begin the final application phase.

Final Application
The final application form includes more detailed information included in the preliminary application in addition to:

All final applications submitted by the deadline will be reviewed and ranked by the AgNPS SALT Review Committee, a committee consisting of agricultural and natural resource professionals. Once reviewed, the applications are presented to the Soil and Water Conservation Districts Commission for approval. Districts whose projects are awarded final approval will begin implementation on July 1 of the fiscal year.

Partners
Partners can greatly contribute to the success of an AgNPS SALT project and are an essential element in success of these projects. Participation may be in the form of financial contributions, technical assistance, publicity, sponsorship or other types of support.

Examples of partners may include but are not limited to:

Traditional SALT Program

History and Background
The Special Area Land Treatment (SALT) program was established as a pilot program in 1986. The local soil and water conservation districts use the SALT program to work with landowners to reduce soil erosion on crop, pasture and woodland and to target special assistance in a priority watershed. A priority watershed is one where the district has identified a priority issue or problem needing to be addressed on a watershed basis. SALT identified problems might include soil erosion, contaminated drinking water, stream degradation, or contaminated lakes or streams.

The goal of the SALT program was to treat a minimum of 80 percent of the land needing treatment within a five-year period. Land was treated with a variety of conservation practices, depending on what would work best to solve the specific problems in the watershed. Since 1986, over one hundred seventy locally led SALT projects have completed throughout Missouri.

In 1992, the Soil and Water Conservation Districts Commission recognized the need to address soil erosion control in larger watersheds. At this time, EARTH projects began, which targeted financial and technical assistance to landowners in larger watersheds for erosion control and prevention. Twenty-seven EARTH projects have been completed since 1992. The total area covered by SALT and EARTH watersheds was 3.3 million acres. Of the 910,000 acres identified as needing treatment, 642,000 were treated. As a result, an estimated 9.2 million tons of soil was kept from entering Missouri's streams and lakes.

From their onset, the traditional SALT/EARTH projects were scheduled to be funded through the end of fiscal year 1999. As these successful projects drew to a close, districts were looking for other further financial opportunities that could assist them in addressing resource concerns in their watersheds. One option they could have pursued was through a new type of SALT project called an Agricultural Nonpoint Source (AgNPS) SALT project, offered through a new program called the AgNPS SALT Program.

Contact Information

For further information, contact the Soil and Water Conservation Program at the address below, or your local Missouri Soil and Water Conservation District Office through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

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