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AAP's-Accepted Agricultural Practices
- What are AAP's?
- AAP's are a set of low-cost farm management practices required by the state of Vermont to reduce polluted runoff from agricultural sources. AAP's are baseline practices that all agricultural entities, even part-time operations, must follow to reduce manure, pesticide, and soil erosion runoff. AAP's are usually applied before a series of Best Management Practices. BMPs address higher cost engineering solutions to eliminate agricultural non-point source pollution and are eligible for cost-share programs.
- What areas do AAP's cover?
- AAP's apply to seven areas of agricultural production.
- Discharge of Waste Discharges of waste into waters of the state of Vermont or across property boundaries are prohibited, including direct and discreet discharges, concentrated overland flow and manure runoff.
- Nutrient and Pesticide Storage Generally, storage of manure, fertilizer, pesticides and other nutrient sources are prohibited within a flood way or 100 feet of neighboring shallow wells or springs.
- Nutrient and Pesticide Application These practices include: nutrient application rates based upon soil and crop needs of certain nutrients; incorporation within 48 hours of manure spread on annually flooded row-crop land; a ban on any manure spreading between December 15 and April 1; safe pesticide use and chemical mixing; fertigation or chemigation only with an anti-siphon device.
- Soil Cultivation This area requires practices to minimize soil erosion when cultivating soil to two times the soil loss tolerance.
- Agricultural Waste Management This area requires practices to properly store, handle and dispose of all agricultural wastes.
- Vegetative Buffer Zones This practice includes planting perennial vegetation between row-crop land and top-of-bank of adjoining waters to filter out polluted runoff and prevent erosion where runoff enters waters of the state. Where sheet flow occurs, buffers must be 25 feet wide. Where channelized runoff occurs, buffers must be 50 feet wide.
- Farm Structure Construction This area includes both new construction and additions to existing structures, zoning setbacks from property lines, road rights-of-way, and top-of-bank of adjoining waters.
Vermont Dept. Of Agriculture AAP Laws & Regulations
- How do I Get Help?
- Free technical assistance and education about AAP's and BMP's are available to all farmers from Vermont's 14 Natural Resources Conservation Districts. Your local district will refer you to the regional Agricultural Resources Specialist or contact the ARS directly.
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