February 2025

EPA and NRCS Sign MOU to Strengthen Collaboration on Agriculture and Water Quality

In January, EPA’s Office of Water signed a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The purpose of the MOU is to support voluntary conservation and management of productive agricultural lands to reduce nonpoint source pollution and improve water quality across the country, and to protect drinking water sources. The MOU formalizes the agencies’ commitment to work together and leverage the historic funding opportunities available through the 2018 Farm Bill, Inflation Reduction Act, and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to invest in shared priorities. Through this MOU, the agencies seek to engage with rural and agricultural stakeholders, leverage resources and funding, and share data to measure success. For more information and to read the MOU, visit EPA’s website. EPA and NRCS have been key partners in the Salmon Falls Watershed Collaborative since 2009 and 2011 respectively. In 2012, the Salmon Falls Watershed Collaborative received the U.S. Water Prize for its innovative work. It included working closely with NRCS to promote landowner engagement and access to NRCS funding in order to improve water quality.

Salmon Falls Watershed Collaborative Featured at Annual Land Trust Alliance Rally

The national Land Trust Alliance Rally was held in Providence, RI last September. The Salmon Falls Watershed Collaborative was featured prominently in two sessions at the conference.  Both sessions provided excellent opportunities to teach attendees from the land trust community about how to advance land protection for clean water.

Kira Jacobs, Source Water Protection Coordinator, EPA Region 1; Jordan Kelley, Executive Director, Great Works Regional Land Trust; and Kaitlin Deyo, Conservation Manager, Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire (SELT) were presenters in the two sessions.  Kira and Jordan participated in a half-day seminar, “Strategies for Advancing Land Protection for Clean Water”, with numerous speaker partners. The seminar covered topics like watershed planning, watershed-based partnerships, and clean water financing strategies and was attended by 40 individuals.

Kira and Kaitlin presented in a 90-minute Rally session entitled “EPA Clean Water Programs and Partnerships for Land Protection.” Kaitlin provided an overview of recent SELT projects in the Salmon Falls watershed. Other presenters offered an overview of the Clean Water Act, watershed protection planning, and how watershed protection work can be amplified by the land trust community.

The Salmon Falls Watershed Collaborative features Land Conservation as one of the five goals in our action plan. The watershed includes four land trusts: Moose Mountain Regional Greenways, Southeast Land Trust of NH, Three Rivers Land Trust, and Great Works Regional Land Trust, located in Maine. For more information refer to the action plan: https://prepestuaries.org/what-we-do/community-technical-assistance/salmon-falls-watershed-collaborative/

Save the Date: 2025 NHDES Source Water Protection Conference

The 2025 New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Source Water Protection Conference will be held on June 12th, 2025.  The conference will be held in-person at the Edward Cross Army National Guard Reserve Training Complex in Pembroke, NH.

This event attracts drinking water professionals from throughout New England including water system operators, planners, commissioners, and consultants interested in learning how to better protect our drinking water sources.

More information, including conference agenda, will be posted soon on the American Groundwater Trust’s Website: https://agwt.org/events/