Resource Guide for Livestock Manure Management

Livestock manure management is becoming increasingly important and complex. Ample educational, technical and financial assistance is available to producers. Individuals are encouraged to take a proactive approach when dealing with livestock manure to take advantage of resources and avoid adverse regulatory action. 

Livestock producers and those who work with them often have questions or specific concerns about managing livestock manure. The following is a description of available resources, along with the names of contact people. Some programs are strictly educational, while others may provide educational, technical and/or financial assistance.

Sponsor: North Dakota State University Extension

Purpose: This program provides research-based educational programs about livestock manure handling, storage and utilization technologies, along with animal mortality management strategies that will protect water quality and keep livestock producers in compliance with regulations.

Contacts:

Sponsors: Local soil conservation districts (SCDs)

Purpose: The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service field offices work in cooperation with local soil conservation districts to deliver technical assistance to landowners through voluntary programs to conserve natural resources on private land. 

Contact: Local soil conservation districts and NRCS field offices are listed in local phone directories under federal government offices. Locations and contact people also can be found at the North Dakota NRCS website : www.nrcs.usda.gov/state-offices/north-dakota

Purpose: Local Section 319 watershed projects can provide financial and technical assistance for planning, designing and installing livestock manure management systems.

Contact:

Sponsor: North Dakota Stockmen’s Association

Purpose: This program provides site-specific advice on managing concentrated livestock areas, including manure-handling structures and practices that will protect water quality and comply with regulations, and help provide the producer with technical and financial assistance to install the structures and practices

Contact:

Sponsor: North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality

Purpose: This division establishes rules for environmental compliance of animal feeding operations (AFOs) in accordance with state and federal law, issues state animal feeding operation permits, inspects AFOs to assess permit compliance and works with facilities that are out of compliance by returning them to compliance with environmental laws.

Contacts:

Sponsor: North Dakota Department of Agriculture

Purpose: This program works one on one with North Dakota livestock producers to identify environmental concerns, and provide the producer with technical and financial resources and access to engineering assistance to establish structures and practices to protect water quality and comply with regulations.

Contact:

Sponsor: North Dakota Livestock Alliance 

Purpose: This program provides producer support throughout the entire local and state permitting processes, plans and executes community outreach strategies to aid in public acceptance of livestock projects and assists producers with utilizing applicable state and federal programs. 

Contact: 

Amber Wood, executive director 
North Dakota Livestock Alliance 
PO Box 369, Bismarck, ND 58502 
Phone: 701-712-1488 
Email: amber@ndlivestock.org 
Website: www.ndlivestock.org