Environmental Regulations related to Pastures

(Adam Khan, Ph.D. CCA and  AEM planer)

1. Animal feeding operation (AFO) means a lot   or facility where animals have been, are, or will be stabled or confined and fed or maintained for a total of 45 days or more in any 12 months period and the animal confinement areas do not sustain crops, vegetation, forage growth, or post harvest residues in the normal growing seasons.
2. Two or more animal feeding operations under common ownership are a single animal feeding operation if they physically adjoin each other or if they use a common area or system for the disposal of wastes .
3. If the exercise area is non vegetated (i.e., dirt), (See figure) it meets one of the criteria for being a “concentrated animal feeding operation –CAFO”
4. The following best management practices shall be utilized by all CAFO owners /operators:
   1. Control facility must be designed, constructed,  and operated to contain all process generated water and the contaminated run-off from a 25-year, 24-hour rain fall event for the location of the animal feeding operation (5 inches rain for Morrisville)
   2. Open lots and associated wastes shall be isolated from outside surface drainage by ditches, dikes, berms, terraces, or other such structures designed to carry peak flow expected at times when the 25-year, 24-hour rainfall event (5 inches rain for Morrisville) occurs
   3. Animals confined in the animal feeding operation must be prevented from coming in contact with the surface waters of  the state
   4. Why does section 3 of the NOI , CAFO facility information, exclude pasture land, when pastures are used to provide feed.

When feeding takes place with the use of feed in a dedicated feeding area, the animals are confined or concentrated during feeding.  This concentrated area is where manure is generally concentrated, and where any run off which comes in contact with the manure becomes contaminated. This is the reason that the run off from the confinement area is considered a point source discharge.  Run off from pastures is considered a non point source discharge.

Pasture Land

1.      A functional pasture is a unit or area of land on which exists a suitable, amount, type and distribution of vegetation that when utilized with a sufficient level of management complements or meets the nutritional requirements of the resident livestock and which sustains the desired level of productivity and properly functioning ecological processes.

2.      As a general observation, on a season long basis, 1 acre of well managed pasture should be provided for each 1,000 pounds of animal live weight.

3.      The use of rotational grazing method is recommended.

4.      In environmentally sensitive areas (near streams, ponds) limit the residency period to shorter rather than longer period. For example paddocks should be sized to accommodate a one-day residency period, rather than 3, 4, or 5 days.

5.      For rotational grazing vegetative cover should be maintained a t no less than 2-inches residual height.

6.      Do not concentrate or provide feed to livestock in over-grazed pastures or on pastures during periods of slow growth of dormancy.

7.      Water should be supplied in portable stock tanks that have the capacity to be moved to slightly different locations each time a paddock is grazed.

8.      Paddock should be as square as possible.

9.      Shade near the water body is an animal magnet.

10.  Maintain buffer or filter strips between the pasture and streams or other water bodies

11.  Soil should be tested to establish and monitor nutrient availability.

12.  Pasture should be reseeded whenever vegetation is lost.  Generally this will mean removing livestock as soon as the pasture becomes dysfunctional and waiting for spring or fall to re-seed.

13.  No single conservation practice can do more to maintain or improve the quality of water that the maintenance of a vigorously growing dense grass-cover. 

For further detail please see the following pictures of equine pastures.

Picture 1 . Pasture PG (4.31 acres) adjacent to Hart road and South street crossing (picture was taken on 4/17/2003)

Picture 2. Pasture PG (4.31 acres) adjacent to Hart Road and South Street crossing. (Picture was taken on 4/17/2003)

Picture 3. Pasture PC  (6.03 acres) (Picture was taken on 4/17/2003)

Picture 4. Pasture PC (6.03 acres) (Picture was taken on 4/17/2003)

Picture 5. Pasture PF adjacent to Chenango river where animals have access to water and 17 horses were present in this pasture on 4/17/2003.(picture was taken on 4/17/2003).

Picture 6. Equine barn across form Pasture PF  (picture taken on 4/17/2003)

Picture 7. Pasture PF- 3.67 acres (There were 17 horses in this pasture (Feed lot) on 4/17/2003). (Picture was taken on 4/17/2003).

Picture 8. The dark green color are Equine pastures (Acreage was measured with GPS)

Picture 9: Pasture PC (Picture taken on 4/29/04)

Picture 10: Pasture PF adjacent to Chenango river: 10 horses in 3.67 acres. Picture taken on 4/29/04.

Picture 11: Pasture PF adjacent to Chenango river. picture taken on 4/29/04