Subject: Sust. Ag. State Laws
From: [email-masked] (Center for Policy Alternatives)
Date: 19 May 1994 14:19:20 -0400
Newsgroups: alt.sustainable.agriculture

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         Database of State Alternative Agriculture Laws           
	    The Center for Policy Alternatives
***************************************************************** 

Prepared by Whitney Chamberlin, John Sullivan, and Nan Kim      
February 18, 1994  

For over a year, The Center for Policy Alternatives has researched
state laws pertaining to alternative agriculture. The result of
this study is a comprehensive database encompassing a wide range of
legislative issues in all fifty states.  Included in each entry is
the law's title, cite, year enacted, purpose, and a brief summary
of the law's elements. Laws enacted for the following purposes are
included:                  

pesticide reduction
general assistance    
synthetic nutrient reduction
soil conservation
financial assistance     
environmental protection
water quality
technical assistance     
farmer safety
public health
market assistance             
research
organic food production                                        
energy conservation
farmland preservation
general sustainable agriculture
                              
To access the Database over Internet: 
	1. gopher to twosocks.ces.ncsu.edu.  
	2. Select: "National CES Databases"
	3. Select: "Sustainable Ag State Laws" (searchable or text by state)

If you are on EcoNet:
	1. Select (i)nternet from the main menu.
	2. Select [2] Environment/
	3. Select [12] Pesticides and Sustainable Agriculture/
	4. Select [1] CFPA's Sust. Ag. State Laws/

Because the focus is on innovation, CPA deliberately excluded from
the database laws which are found in every state. For example, laws
establishing soil conservation districts or pesticide registration
are not included unless they incorporate a unique or innovative
twist on normal state requirements. In addition, we have made the
hard copy of the directory easier to use by italicizing those
clauses which specifically encourage alternative practices. If the
title of an act appears in italics, then the entire law qualifies
as such.  The directory is available both in hard copy and disk form ($20),
and on the Internet where users may cross reference laws using the title,
cite, purpose, or any other word appearing in the entry. 

Users will also be able to make comments and additions as new laws
are enacted. To keep the database updated, we encourage you to
direct any suggestions or amendments to either Whitney Chamberlin
or Jeffrey Tryens at:
	Center for Policy Alternatives
	1875 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 710
	Washington, DC  20009-5728 
	(202) 387-6030 (tel), (202) 986-2539 (fax)
	[email-masked] (e-mail)   

			**Other CPA Pubs**
1. Policy models for financing alternative agriculture (May, 1994)
2. Economically Targeted Investments- Rural development and agricultural
	finance (February, 1994).
3. Case Study in Groundwater Protection: Wisconsin's Atrazine Regulation.
	(June 1994)
4. Analysis of Dedicated Fertilizer and Pesticide Taxes in Maryland
	(November, 1991)
5. The Harvest: State Strategies for Sustainable Agriculture (November, 1990)

			**About the Center**

The Center for Policy Alternatives is a non-profit center for
progressive policy for state and local government.  Since 1975, the
Center has provided policy models, direct technical assistance and
a broad range of publications for elected  officials and the
public.  Current programs focus on public capital, democratic
participation, economic development, environment, family and work,
sustainable development and women's economic justice.  The Center
for Policy Alternatives is governed by a board of directors chaired
by Don Cameron.  Linda Tarr-Whelan is President and Executive
Director.                       

			**Acknowledgements**  

The Center for Policy Alternatives gratefully acknowledges the
foundation support of the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Rockefeller
Brothers Fund.   Special thanks to our Internet sponsors, the
Sustainable Agriculture Network, and to Gabriel Hegyes for the time
he put into making the electronic version of this database
possible, and to Kevin Gamble and his staff at the North Carolina
State extension service for mounting the document on their gopher
site.  

Special thanks also to the following members of our Agriculture
Advisory Board for their continued support of our work:   Roger
Blobaum, Blobaum and Associates; Steve Bonney, Indiana Sustainable
Agriculture Association; Nancy Bushwick-Malloy; Delegate Thomas
Hattery, Maryland House of Delegates; Ferd Hoefner, Sustainable
Agriculture Working Group; Polly Hoppin, World Wildlife Fund - USA;
Jamie Horwitz, The Pew Charitable Trusts; Patricia Jensen, United
States Department of Agriculture; Paul Johnson, Soil Conservation
Service, USDA; Sandy New, Sin Fronteras Organizing Project; Ross
Racine, The Intertribal Agriculture Association; Tony Ricci; Melbah
Smith, Federation of Southern Cooperatives; Commissioner Sarah
Vogel, North Dakota Department of Agriculture; Greg Watson, The
Nature Conservancy; Richard Wiles, The Environmental Exchange;
Renee Robinson, Illinois Stewardship Alliance; Dr. Garth Youngberg,
Wallace Institute; and Tara Zadeh, Massachusetts Department of Food
and Agriculture. Thanks also to Robert Stumberg and the Harrison
Institute of Georgetown University Law Center for their help
throughout the process.    

The Center for Policy Alternatives, 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite
710 Washington, DC 20009; voice (202) 387 6030, fax (202) 986 2539