Does the financial condition of some of those farms make cost share more effective when targeted to those farms. Again, specific information on the effectiveness of BMPs for the type of farms being targeted is required. Where BMPs address a local problem as well as a regional water quality problem, community wealth may be increased. Where BMPs reduce economic activity, they may decrease community income. Alternatively, where BMPs create need for a new service or create a new product, they may enhance community income and wealth.
Flexibility is important.
A major effort to prioritize geographic locations in terms of where installation of BMPs is most likely to have the greatest water quality benefit is recommended. A major effort to prioritize farm sizes, enter- prises, and practices in terms of likely efficacy of BMPs for optimal allocation of public funds is also recommended. Much of the work to date seems limited to estimates of the direct investment and operating cost of BMPs with limited consideration of indirect costs or benefits. New efforts are required to assess the implications of each BMP for community wealth and income. Community costs and benefits should be included in any new evaluation of BMPs.