Maryland Department of Agriculture

In 1998 the Maryland General Assembly passed landmark legislation that places Maryland at the forefront of national efforts to protect water quality. The Water Quality Improvement Act is designed to protect the health of Maryland's citizens and its waterways by establishing both short and long-term strategies for reducing nutrient levels in our streams, rivers and Chesapeake Bay.

The most significant feature of the Water Quality Improvement Act is a provision requiring all Maryland farmers grossing $2,500 or more annually or raising 8,000 pounds or more of live animal weight to run their operations using a nutrient management plan that addresses both nitrogen and phosphorus inputs But this far-reaching legislation also touches a number of other interests, including people who apply nutrients, poultry growers and companies, and Maryland-certified nutrient management consultants, who must now begin writing nutrient management plans based on both soil nitrogen and phosphorus.

The Nutrient Management Program oversees a licensing and certification program for consultants, compliance activities and education and training programs necessary to implement the law. Although the new law includes a number of deadlines and requirements, it also offers many new incentives aimed at helping farmers comply. Sorting through the maze of new requirements and features is no small task. The following links are designed to help farmers and commercial applicators understand the law and how it pertains to their operation or business. For more information, please contact the Nutrient Management Program directly by calling 410-841-5959.