Federal officials, acting on President Barrack Obama's recent executive order to get serious about cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay, announced a draft strategy Monday that makes Lancaster County a linchpin in the plan.

Local farms, sewage plants and runoff from urban and suburban landscapes are in the sights of federal regulators who have proclaimed "a new era of decisive federal leadership."

Lancaster County was mentioned several times during a telephone news conference held to explain the new strategy, and the county will be a priority watershed where cleanup efforts — and aid money — will be brought to bear.

J. Charles Fox, Obama's appointed point man to work with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the cleanup, emphasized that at the outset the states will continue to call many of the shots and that expedited conservation practices down on the farm will continue to be voluntary in nature.

But officials also made it clear that, when needed, the federal government intends to carry a big stick.

Specifically, the feds are looking at expanding tough runoff regulations now aimed at only the largest 340 livestock farms in the state. Smaller family farms also might be brought under discharge and runoff controls.

States, river watersheds and counties will have to follow specific "pollution diets" with two-year check-in points. Failure to meet standards could result in the withholding of federal money.

Pennsylvania already has been given nutrient limits: Cut back nitrogen output by 36 percent annually and phosphorus by 20 percent. The measures have to be in place by 2025.

"One way or the other, we have to do a much better job of addressing these resources," Fox told reporters.

Fox pointed out that overloads of nutrients and eroding soil from agriculture are declining, thanks to decades of work by states and farmers.

At the same time, runoff from homes, parking lots and other sources in urban and suburban areas is increasing.

Fox said urban-suburban runoff control permits required of areas such as Lancaster County will likely be expanded to include growing areas in the region not now covered.

But the fact remains that agriculture is the largest single source of bay pollution, Fox said. Farming is responsible for roughly half the pollution totals reaching the bay, and of that, half is from farms with livestock, he said.

"We have every intention of expanding our control over concentrated animal feeding operations," Fox said.

At the same time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is stepping up its commitment to bring technical assistance and financial aid to farmers to help them put conservation practices into place, Ann Mills, a deputy under secretary with USDA, said.

"We're very aware of this need to provide assistance," Mills said.

A concerted effort will be made to recruit grass-roots watershed groups and provide them money to help clean up local waterways, and public education programs will be aimed at residents to motivate them to get involved.

A new CCC, to be known as the Chesapeake Conservation Corps, would put young people to work creating streamside buffers and other stewardship projects.

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection officials have expressed disagreement with a number of the new cleanup initiatives.

But DEP Secretary John Hanger said Monday that he believes the EPA "can play a constructive role here." He complimented the federal agency for extending the deadline for the cleanup by five years as the agency had requested.

"It's really now time for all of us to get serious about this," Hanger said in a phone interview. He noted that Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia have failed to meet several nutrient reduction deadlines promised since 1990.

He appealed to the federal agencies to be reasonable in their enforcement and to come forward with money to underwrite the daunting cleanup bill being mandated at a time when the farm economy is abysmal.

"There is a role here for the government to provide carrots and not just a stick to those in violation. We need incentives here," Hanger said.

He said continued development of promising technologies, such as regional manure digesters that would produce energy while keeping excess manure off of fields, will be essential to success. Advances in incinerating poultry manure also are progressing, he said.

"I think Pennsylvanians love their water and farmers love their water. We take pride in facing up to some shortcomings and pride in the cleanups that have already occurred."

Mills, recognizing that some of the most intense sacrifices will have to be made in areas that don't even border the Chesapeake Bay, cited Lancaster County in saying that accelerating conservation will bring cleaner streams and better communities.

The draft cleanup now goes before the public for comment. One of 14 public meetings in the bay states will be held from 2-4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 23, at F&M's Barshinger Life Sciences and Philosophy Building.

acrable@lnpnews.com