The Symposium is sponsored by the Maryland Departments of the Environment and Agriculture in collaboration with the Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and Maryland Grain Producers.

In recent years, nutrient trading has emerged as a promising strategy for bringing cost-effectiveness and market-driven efficiency to the achievement of nutrient reduction goals.  Nutrient trading is a option envisioned in Maryland's Phase II Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP), which allows the urban/suburban stormwater and septic system sectors to meet part of their responsibilities by paying for lower-cost alternatives elsewhere.

The Symposium will address the basic concepts of trading and the role of trading in Bay restoration efforts, including accelerating nutrient and sediment reductions, lowing the high costs of reaching and maintaining loading caps, providing the funding for conservation practices, and generating supplemental farm income and other financial benefits.  There will also be presentations on the State's current approach to trading and its future plans, and the agenda affords significant time for questions and dialogue among the participants.

The cost to attend the event is $25 per person and includes continental breakfast and lunch.  ***Attendees can receive 3 Agricultural Nutrient Management CEU's for this symposium***  Please register below.  To view the agenda, please visit: https://agresearch.umd.edu/agroecol