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In It Together: A How-To Reference for Building Point-Nonpoint Water Quality Trading Programs (Part 1 of 3)

July 1, 2012

Across all types of water quality trading, only 100 point source facilities have participated in trading, with 80% of those facilities trading in point-point trades in the Long Island Sound. Throughout the country, there are 24 active point-nonpoint trading programs that have brought together state agencies, industrial and municipal wastewater facilities, farmers, environmental groups, and other stakeholders. "Active" programs have completed trading program designs and/or completed transactions between a permitted buyer and a seller. These programs represent decades of useful experience in building water quality programs. This Trading Reference distills that experience with the goal of helping new trading programs lay the groundwork for success.The examples, experience, and recommendations that follow are intended as a foundation, increasing the capacity of stakeholders across the country to successfully design and operate water quality trading programs. Designed well, trading programs can help achieve water quality goals in a way that is good for farmers, good for communities, and good for the environment. The Trading Reference is intended to build upon existing information provided by U.S.EPA, USDA, and others, such as:U.S.EPA Water Quality Trading Policy (2003) andToolkit for Permit Writers (2007)USDA Office of Environmental MarketsWorld Resources Institute publicationsThis Trading Reference, produced for USDA's Office of Environmental Markets, addresses Section 2709 of the 2008 Farm Bill and responds to the need for USDA to provide support in helping market-based approaches engage more landowners in conservation.

Forest Sustainability in the Development of Wood Bioenergy in the U.S.

July 22, 2010

Presents considerations for forest sustainability in biofuels production: biomass supply estimates, sustainability standards, biomass energy options, and federal and state policy alignment. Calls for clear sustainable harvesting and conservation policies.

Nutrient Trading in the Chesapeake Bay Region: An Analysis of Supply and Demand

January 1, 2010

This report provides an overview of nutrient trading programs as they currently exist in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and examines the potential for supply and demand of credits within those markets. In addition, the analysis considers the potential impacts of Bay-wide Total Maximum Daily Loads on nutrient trading - particularly those on the agricultural sector's ability to generate credits.