Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 2 · column 6 of 6 · from the scan, no model involved
BMP Program
Is Working
The Virginia Agricultural BMP Cost-Share Program is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
Since 1984, the program has assisted fiumera across the state in annually saving approximately 2,5 million tons of soil from entering our waterways. In addition, nitrogen and phosphorus, two other leading water pollutants, which come mainly from agricultural runoff and animal ' waste, have been annually reduced by 10.2 million and 2.5 million pounds respectively.
The program’s primary goal is to improve water quality by encouraging the voluntary use of agricultural best management practices (BMPs). These BMPs are conservation practices that help reduce nonpoint source (NPS) pollution, or pollution that does not come from a single point such as an industrial drain pipe. NPS pollution originates from many sources. It is now the dominant form of water pollution in the United States and Virginia. More than 60 percent of the pollutants entering Virginia’s water originates from nonpoint sources.
The program is managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and is administered locally by the state’s‘45 soil and water conservation districts (SWCDs). Approximately 900 farmers participate yearly, installing 2,500 BMPs.
Funding for the program originates from the EPA and DCR’s operating budget. Over the last JO years, the program has provided $12.5 million in cost-share assistance for the installation of $22.3 million worth of BMPs to help bring all Virginians cleaner water. ; !
Farmers interested in participating in the Virginia Agricultural BMP Cost-Share Program should contact their local sod and water conservation district. *i. ~i
Toll Free Calls
Win Approval
Telephone customers in. the Washington exchange of SprintCentel Virginia and the Culpeper exchange of Bell Atlantic-Virginia will no longer pay toll charges to call one another once local calling is. implemented between the exchanges.
Extended local service between the two exchanges will be implemented in December of this year or very early 1995.
The State Corporation Commission (SCC) has approved a plan that raises monthly rates for telephone service but eliminates toll charges.
Sprint-Centel’8 Washington exchange customers petitioned the SCC for toll-free calling to the Culpeper exchange last fall. A majority of the Washington customers responding to a survey favored paying an additional $4.48 per month for residential, flat-rate service instead of per-call toll charges for calls to the Culpeper exchange.
Customers in Bell Atlantic’s Culpeper exchange were given public notice of the plan and expressed no opposition to slightly higher monthly rates for the expanded calling area.
Rates for business phone service will increase more than rates for residential service. 'J
83.7%