Introducing the Performance-Based Conservation Adoption Program

Improving water quality in the Western Lake Erie Basin remains an important conservation priority. Harmful algal blooms continue to affect the basin, with excess phosphorus entering waterways through runoff being one of the contributing factors. Heavy precipitation can increase the movement of phosphorus from agricultural and other nonpoint sources into nearby waterways.

The Performance-Based Conservation Adoption Program offers a new approach to addressing this challenge. The program is designed to compensate producers according to the estimated water-quality benefits of their conservation efforts, rather than simply providing a payment for implementing a specific practice.

Pay-for-performance Approach

Traditional conservation programs often provide financial assistance for implementing specific practices, such as cover crops or other management changes. A pay-for-performance approach takes a different perspective by placing greater emphasis on the environmental outcome produced by those practices.

For example, rather than determining a payment solely from the acres enrolled in a conservation practice, the program evaluates the practice’s estimated contribution to phosphorus reduction. Multiple conservation practices may also be considered together when determining their overall impact. This approach creates an opportunity to direct conservation funding toward practices and management strategies that provide the greatest measurable water-quality benefits.

Institute of Water Research

David DeYoung

Project Manager

deyoun59@msu.edu