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New Jersey: Soil Health Conference
March 9, 2010. Burlington County College, Mount Laurel, NJ. The purpose of the Soil Health Conference is to gain an Understanding of Soil Health Connections with regard to: Stormwater Runoff Impacts, Climate Change and Soil Ecosystem Services, Stream Erosion and Impacts on Aquatic Environments, Groundwater Recharge-Quantity and Quality, and Sustainable Agriculture.
Mark Your Calendars for New Jersey's first Soil Health Conference scheduled for
March 9, 2010 at the Enterprise Center at Burlington County College.
Join us for this significant event which will address the relationship of SOIL HEALTH to:
- Climate Change
- Stormwater Management
- Habitat Restoration and Improvement
- Water Quality and Quantity
- Sustainability
Presentations by a prestigious group of experts that will address SOIL HEALTH from diverse perspectives and offer practical solutions.
Please see www.sjrcd.org/soilhealth/ for more information and to register.
There is also information regarding sponsorship opportunities which can add your organization our growing list.
Current sponsors include: NJ Association of Conservation Districts, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, US Geological Survey, Mid-Atlantic Chapter International Erosion Control Association, and Burlington County College.
Please share this information with your colleagues and affiliations.
Thank you and we look forward to seeing you on March 9.
The Soil Health Conference Committee
New Jersey: Soil Health Conference News
Some welcome news coverage of the conference:
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Fred Schoenagel, a soil scientist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said healthy soil has a "porous" and "spongelike" quality that absorbs water and quickly filters it into underground aquifers.
Damaged or compressed soils impede the absorption of water and easily break down, causing increased water runoff that can then contaminate lakes, streams and other water bodies.
"The idea is to keep soil where it is," Schoenagel said during a demonstration.
Jeffrey W. Moyer of the Rodale Institute in Kutztown, Pa., presented evidence of how organic farms have yielded more crops than conventional farms during periods of drought because soils untreated by pesticides are able to hold more water longer.
"Our goal as farmers and land managers should be to improve the soil every day," Moyer said.
State Sen. Phil Haines, R-8th of Springfield, said legislation has been introduced that would require developers to devise soil restoration plans before being granted approvals for construction projects.
"My colleagues and I recognize the benefits of soil health," Haines said. "We're all aware (of the legislation) and are taking a look at it."
Great to see soil health get written up. Would like to hear more about the "legislation ... introduced...require developers to devise soil restoration plans".