Who We Are
The Environmental Resources Coalition (ERC) believes that it’s possible for government, private industry, and citizen stakeholder groups to work together. We understand that when it comes to water protection efforts, one size does not fit all. Successful groups will use sound science, common sense and have an appreciation for the cause and effect relationships between economics, the environment and politics. It’s up to these stakeholders to engage, educate and persuade their neighbors to implement successful strategies that will maintain and restore the integrity of the waters in their area.
In the late 90s, a ground breaking partnership was formed between Missouri Corn Growers Association, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, and Syngenta to search for ways to reduce Atrazine levels in several lakes. The primary goal of the Watershed Research, Assessment and Stewardship Project (WRASP) was to provide farmers with options based on sound, scientific data that would do two things: improve water quality while increasing profitability.
It was during this time that ERC developed its reputation for being a fair and credible resource and we soon became the go-to coordinator for all of the groups. In 2002, Environmental Resources Coalition staff began collecting data, monitoring water and demonstrating for farmers how they could help reduce the levels of Atrazine in targeted watersheds. This unique approach to environmental stewardship has been applauded by the bi-partisan Missouri House Interim Committee on Water Quality. It also received the Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award. In August 2005, the WRASP project was singled out for recognition by the White House Conference on Cooperative Conservation.
Because nothing succeeds like success: common sense cooperation will play a major role in our water protection activities in the years ahead. The Environmental Resources Coalition will always be dedicated to stakeholder involvement and committed to sound science without the spin.
SES, Inc’s (SES) primary business is the monitoring and verification of the environmental outcomes of agricultural processes and natural resources management. Our experience in this area is demonstrated in the quality of our people and the quality of the projects we have completed and are now completing. We have been providing this service for government and non-governmental organizations, agricultural trade groups, and private agricultural producers throughout the United States since the establishment of our firm in 1998. Through its work, described below, SES has developed a strong relationship of trust and respect with both private livestock and poultry groups throughout the United States, and governmental agencies at the county, state and federal levels. These relationships allow SES to see all sides of an issue and positions SES to bridge gaps and work through existing roadblocks that historically have lead to technical, policy and philosophical impasse. SES’s credibility, supported by its uncompromising commitment to ethics, further cements SES’s relationships with these groups. As a result, SES is seen as a truly objective, technically superior group that has a passion for the issues that impact the production and security of our nation’s food supply. Most of all, SES is seen as a group that is driven by common sense and the need to provide sustainable and practical solutions to its clients’ challenges.
SES has been one of the national leaders in providing environmental management support to the agricultural industry, particularly in the area of livestock production. Our staff has worked closely with federal and state government personnel and agricultural trade groups to develop environmental assessment tools for animal feeding operations (AFO) and to develop and refine comprehensive nutrient management plan (CNMP) protocols, guidelines and tools, including phosphorous (P) indices. SES also has worked closely with the livestock industry to produce and implement CNMPs, animal waste management strategies, land application strategies for livestock wastes, and evaluation of livestock operations throughout the U.S. related to environmental concerns.