Voluntary approaches and significant incentives must be identified to encourage producers to invest in appropriate pollution prevention practices, plans or management systems that emphasize economics. Providing technical assistance, education, and cost-share should continue where appropriate. Creative incentives and enhanced educational programs have been shown to be more effective in addressing nonpoint source pollution prevention than "command and control" regulations.

Action Items:

1. Implement a policy of enforcement discretion whereby compliance with the GAAMPs will be considered a good faith effort to comply with environmental regulations, under which regulatory agencies will not seek punitive measures against farmers who follow GAAMPs. Lead: MDEQ.
2. Continue to explore other creative incentives including:

   Secure the provision of recertification credits for pesticide applicators participating in pollution prevention initiatives. Lead: MDA. Support financial assistance opportunities to ensure proper remediation of farm agrichemical spills. Lead: MDA. Provide leadership in the promotion of the State Tax Commissions program offering property tax exemptions for water pollution control facilities and work with the Commission to improve the quality and user-friendliness of the property tax exemption application packet. Lead: MDA/MDEQ. Ensure understanding and inclusion of ag-based projects in water pollution control facility property tax exemption programs. Lead: MDA/MDEQ. Initiate a program to make low interest loans available from the State Revolving Loan Fund for producers implementing qualified pollution prevention practices. Lead: MDEQ.

3. Promote farm-specific technical consultation in conjunction with USDA-NRCS, MSU-E, and the soil conservation districts to help producers develop whole-farm management options which improve farm profitability and protect water quality.

   Encourage NRCS and other resource planners to meet one on one with producers to assist them in developing conservation or whole-farm plans that meet all their objectives while maintaining the sustainability of the resource base. Lead: MDA/MDEQ. Encourage NRCS to provide sound technical environmental options through the planning process that offer producers a system of practices that meet their goals, at the same time protecting or enhancing the environment. Lead: MDA/MDEQ.

4. Assess the need for legislation, rules, policies, and incentives to encourage voluntary agricultural pollution prevention. Lead: MDA/MDEQ.

   Identify and remove, to the extent possible, regulatory barriers that impede the adoption of pollution prevention practices. Lead: MDEQ/MDA. Incorporate, where appropriate, pollution prevention activities in Supplemental Environmental Projects negotiated as part of enforcement settlements. Lead: MDEQ/MDA.

5. Continue to provide input to the USDA Technical Advisory Committee to incorporate incentives for agricultural pollution prevention in 96 Farm Bill programs. Lead: MDA/MDEQ.