By: Patrick Troyer, Education Specialist
The Paulding Soil & Water Conservation District is pleased to welcome Manuel Lay as our newest addition to the office as the Western Lake Erie Basin Nutrient Management Specialist. Manuel covers the following three counties in his position: Paulding, Defiance, and Williams County. Working in multiple counties gives Lay the opportunity to experience how each county office operates and experience different areas.
First, let’s learn a little bit about Manuel’s background. Manny is 28yrs old and was raised near Wooster, OH. While growing up he says he loved being outside roaming thru the woods which is probably where his passion for conservation began. After graduating high school in 2007, he decided that he wanted to work in a natural resource field. His goal was to conserve and maintain the environment and wildlife that he grew up loving. Manny then decided to attend Hocking College to obtain an associate’s degree in Wildlife Management and taking Wildlife/ Aquatic Conservation courses thru The University of Rio Grande.
Once finishing school, Manny bounced around doing a few seasonal positions such as a Fisheries Natural Resource Specialist for ODNR District 3, and a Wildlife Technician position at a wildlife management area for the Michigan DNR. Most recently, he was doing construction work. Manny says “I am ecstatic to be back in the conservation field and looking forward to where this opportunity might lead in the future”.
Manuel’s main responsibility is to respond to manure complaints and work with the grower as well as the public to see what the issue may be. He is one of the first guys you may see on the scene when a complaint is made. A rather routine process is involved each time a manure complaint is made. The originating source of the manure must be located which may be somebody trucking it, spreading it on the ground, or piling it on the ground. Manuel needs to find the owner of the manure and see if they are within the bounds of the law. One of the main things he checks for is that a 300-foot buffer zone exists between where the manure is stockpiled and the nearest water source, whether it be a small ditch or a river.
The amount of manure complaints that come in for Manuel can vary greatly from week to week. For the most part, many of the calls he had received thus far are for simple smell complaints.
Manuel obtains much of his resources and backing from Senate Bill 1 passed by the 131st Ohio General Assembly which became effective in July 2015. This bill is now part of the Ohio Revised Code and is known as Revised Code 939. Senate Bill 1 (Revised Code 939) was enacted to aid in the control of algal blooms in Lake Erie and the Western Basin which includes the City of Toledo. Provisions exist in this legislation that prevent fertilizer application (phosphorus & nitrogen) on frozen ground, when two inches of topsoil are saturated or if there is a greater than 50% chain of one inch or more of rain in a 12-hr. period for fertilizer and 24 hr. for manure.
Manure complaints are not the only thing that Manuel does on a daily basis. He is also available to aid growers in implementing Best Management Practices (BMP’s) which can consist of things such as grassed waterways or filter strips along streams. Farmers who want to make use of their manure and those who do not farm but like to be informed on the laws can benefit from the resources provided by Lay.
Are you unsure of regulations regarding applying and stockpiling manure? Lay has created a brochure containing frequently asked questions that can be found on our website www.pauldingswcd.org under the “SWCD Programs” tab or stop in the office to receive a copy.
Manuel looks forward to interacting with the residents of Paulding County as well as Defiance & Williams County and educating them on the laws surrounding manure and nutrient management. He wants to serve as another voice for farmers who face a concerned public. Those wishing to contact Manuel may do so by calling the Paulding Soil & Water Conservation District at 419-399-4771 or via email nutrient.specialist@pauldingswcd.org.
