NITROGEN BMP PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

In response to recurring high levels of nitrate-N in groundwaters from selected regions of the state, the 1994 Florida Legislature enacted a Nitrate Bill program. The program decreed that a 50 cent per ton supp lemental fee was to be established on all N-containing fertilizers sol d in-state, plus increased fees for fertilizer distribution licenses a nd product registration, and excluding for the present any ''natural'' materials which are sold without a ''tag'' or guaranteed analysis. Th ese revenues are to be used in support of BMP research by faculty at t he Univ. of Florida/IFAS and at Florida A & M Univ., and for wellwater remediation and cleanup costs with respect to nitrate-N. Enrolled gro wers who follow the prescribed BMPs or horticulturally-base interim me asures (in the absence of demonstrated groundwater-quality effects) ar e granted immunity from recovery of nitrate-N wellwater cleanup or rem ediation costs, or groundwater monitoring requirements. To date, a BMP for leatherleaf fern grown in shadehouse environments, and an interim measure for citrus production, have been adopted. The information-gat hering, deliberation/negotiation, and rule-making processes accompanyi ng adoption of this BMP and interim measure are described, along with the procedures for solicitation and evaluation of BMP research proposa ls and the commodity BMP research funded during the first two years of the program. Though the program has been quite time-intensive during its inception, it offers considerable promise as a voluntary grower-en rollment approach to improved fertilizer and irrigation management.