The livestock industry, through the Range Management Advisory Committee to the State Board of Forestry, worked with several state agencies and a private consultant to develop this program of voluntary compliance with the Clean Water Act, Coastal Zone Management Act, and Porter-Cologne Act. With approval of the plan, the livestock industry must now demonstrate that a voluntary program of water quality protection can be successful and is a viable alternative to regulatory prevention of nonpoint source pollution. The Rangeland Water Quality Management Plan contains management objectives with activities to prevent sediments, nutrients, pathogens, and thermal pollution from exceeding prescribed standards established by Regional Water Quality Control Boards. It encourages a self-initiated approach to assessment of current conditions and adjustment of management activities where needed.
Emphasis is placed on using economically and technically feasible practices.
The plan defines several approaches to meeting the goals of the Management Plan. This letter of intent may be written by a landowner and filed either at home or with the local Resource Conservation District. The letter will include a brief description of water quality status, management approaches being conducted and a monitoring plan for continuing evaluation. A second approach is for the landowner to develop Nonpoint Source Management Plan. This management strategy should be ongoing with evaluations and revisions as needed.