In 1998, there were 38 livestock farms which received Violation Notices. That number dropped by 86 percent in 2017, when there were only five livestock farms in the entire state that received Violation Notices. This was the lowest number of Violation Notices 14 issued to livestock farms in the last 20 years. ILLINOIS LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS CONTINUE When IEPA’s revised livestock rules became effective in August 2014, IBA, IFB, IMPA and IPPA jointly implemented an on going educational campaign for Illinois livestock farmers to explain IEPA’s regulations. Starting in the fall of 2014, the group conducted meetings around the state and webinars that reached more than 1,100 farmers and educated them about the newly updated IEPA livestock rules. The group also collected questions from farmers and stakeholders and submitted them to IEPA for further clarification. In 2017, the effort continued and resource guides were developed for swine, beef and dairy farms to serve as a “first-step” for a farmer to understand how the IEPA livestock rules apply to their farm and how to ensure compliance. The free resource guides use real-world examples and highlight BMPs. From January 2017 to present, more than 6,000 of the resource guides have been distributed to farmers at meetings and events. In addition to the resource guides, many other efforts are currently in place including manure-hauler workshops and compliance support. The Illinois livestock industry is committed to continuing and expanding its educational efforts into the future. ILLINOIS SURFACE WATER QUALITY IS IMPROVING According to IEPA’s 2016 Illinois Integrated Water Quality Report and Section 303(d) List, surface water quality in Illinois is improving. Continuous environmental improvement at Illinois’ livestock farms has contributed to this trend. The number of assessed stream miles reported in good condition has improved from 34.7 percent in 1972 to 57.8 percent in 2016, while during that same period, the stream miles reported in poor condition declined from 11.3 percent to 4.9 percent. The lake acreage assessed in good condition for aquatic life use has also improved from 17.8 percent in 1972 to 90.0 percent in 2016. During the same time period, the lake acreage assessed in poor condition has declined from 27.8 percent in 1972 to 0 percent in 2016.15 THE TERM “CAFO” IS NOT A BAD FOUR-LETTER WORD The term CAFO is often used to paint a negative image of today’s modern livestock farms. In reality, CAFO IS NOTHING MORE THAN A REGULATORY TERM. USEPA uses the acronym CAFO to refer to CONCENTRATED ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATIONS, a definition that is complicated and based on several elements including species, number of animals on-site, housing, and whether there is a discharge to certain waters. There is often a misperception that a farm is either a CAFO or a family farm, when in reality many are both. 11