March 22, 2017
Thanks
to Minnesota Farmers, We’re Making Great
Progress
on
New Buffer Requirement
By John
Jaschke, Dave Frederickson, Tom Landwehr
Clean water matters to Minnesota. No matter where we live or what
we do, Minnesotans want our families and future generations to enjoy water
that’s fishable, swimmable, and drinkable. When Gov. Dayton proposed new buffer
legislation two years ago, he recognized that we are at a watershed moment in
our state’s history when it comes to protecting water quality. The Governor also reiterated his call that
protecting Minnesota’s water quality requires each of us to participate in the
process. The agriculture community has played a significant part in moving the
state closer to our goal of improving the state’s water quality.
As the three top state officials charged with implementing the
buffer law, we want to thank you, Minnesota’s farmers and landowners, who have
accomplished much of what the governor envisioned – and more. Thanks to you, we
have made incredible progress in a short amount of time. With eight months
before the first buffer deadline for public waters, the DNR has released its
final maps. These maps were finalized after reviewing more than 4,200 public
comments and making 2,800 changes. Your collaboration in this process resulted
in more accurate maps ready for use.
Most notably, 74 percent of Minnesota’s counties are 60 – 100
percent in compliance with the buffer law. While this might surprise some, it
doesn’t surprise us, as we know Minnesota farmers and landowners are great
stewards of our lands. In fact, many farmers and landowners already had buffers
in place when the requirement became law. And others have responded to the
Governor’s call asking them to be part of the solution to clean up our valuable
water resources.
There’s still work to be done, of course. Soil water and
conservation district staff all over the state have been sending letters and
hosting public meetings to offer support to landowners ahead of the November 1,
2017 deadline for public waters to have buffers in place.
While the statutory goal of improving our state’s water quality is
firm, the law offers flexibility for landowners in finding site-specific
solutions. If buffers aren’t the best solution, landowners can use alternative
practices that achieve the same water quality benefits. State agencies, and local soil and water conservation districts
(SWCDs) stand ready to partner with you in making a smooth transition to the
new standards. SWCDs can help lay out flexible options for you to consider
based on the needs of your farm and your land. Landowners around the state have
already had success in working with their SWCDs to get these practices approved.
For example, landowners in Goodhue County have worked closely with
SWCD staff on alternatives to buffers including managed grazing,
installation of hayable buffers, native prairie plantings, and enrollment in
the Conservation Reserve Program. As a result, an estimated 77 percent of the
required buffers are already in place.
Another alternative practice to consider is enrolling in the
Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP). More than
360 farmers have already entered this voluntary program and are therefore in
compliance with the buffer requirement. We’re proud to report these farmers
have implemented 619 new conservation practices on 211,000 acres of farmland.
What does this mean in terms of water quality conservation? Currently, 12.1
million pounds of sediment has been kept out of our lakes, rivers and streams
and 17.4 million pounds of soil has stayed put.
MAWQCP certification is achieved one-on-one with farmers to implement
practices and management customized to the site conditions, while fully meeting
the science-based requirements to achieve water protection.
Northfield area farmer Dave Legvold was the first to be MAWQCP certified in
Dakota County. “I’m pleased the state is offering the Certification Program as
an alternate to the buffer requirement because every farm is different,” said
Legvold. “I’m also pleased to see these early positive results.”
We are committed to helping our agriculture community even more. From the
new Minnesota Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (MN CREP) to the federal
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to local cost-share, there is financial
assistance available to landowners who need it. Each of these voluntary programs
are available to farmers across the state.
What’s more, Governor Dayton included $3.8 million in his tax bill in
financial assistance for farmers for installing water quality buffers. This
amounts to $40 per acre per year for each tillable acre converted to a buffer
strip. Counties and watershed districts would also receive aid to assist in
implementation. Information on alternative options and financial assistance can
be found at www.bwsr.state.mn.us/buffers.
The success of this effort is greater than one individual, one agency or
lawmaker. It relies on all of us taking individual action and by working
together we can make a difference for future generations. Thank you farmers and
landowners for the implementation so far, and the work yet to come. Our actions
today will benefit our children and grandchildren who will inherit a cleaner,
healthier Minnesota.
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John Jaschke is Executive Director of the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources
Dave Frederickson is Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Tom Landwehr is Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
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