D Loop Media

At issue is the continual carelessness in which our waters in this country are treated. There is nothing novel in this concern. While legislation such as the WLA and WRP have been large steps in the right direction, there are still issues of decreased interest in WRP, CRP, and CREP enrollment practices at a private and public level, and continued drainage under replacement programs and agricultural exemptions under several state level legislative efforts (such as the Wetland Conservation Act here in Minnesota). Wetlands continue to be lost at unacceptable rates (80,000 acres per year nationwide).

In short, supplements to existing state and federal wetland protection laws need be implemented. That being said, it’s troubling to consider the possible future of the Wetlands Reserve Program in the 2009 Farm Bill, a staple program in current wetland conservation efforts (more that 2,000,000 acres of wetlands enrolled). Reformation of the WRP is imperative to its survival. The current wetland enrollment cap under the WRP is 250,000 acres annually. Demand by American farmers to enroll far exceeds this cap, a 3:1 margin. Funding in the 2009 Farm Bill for the WRP must increase acreage caps and revisit the initial monetary incentives as established in 1990 (incentives have become less attractive since inception due to increased commodity prices and subsequent lack of dedicated dollars to the WRP to compete with this trend). The WRP is essential in the drive to curb substantial wetland losses. Again, current efforts need to be supplemented not depleted.

What is at stake? More than is commonly understood. While wetlands certainly serve as oases for wildlife, wetland loss has societal ramifications: wetlands largely mitigate flooding by serving as storage reservoirs for water that has breached the floodplain; wetlands are large filtration basins that purify water before its entrance into groundwater aquifers used for municipal water supply.

The goal here is threefold:

1. Increase WRP acreage caps

2. Renew and expand funding for WRP in the 2009 Farm Bill

3. Continue to explore new opportunities for the conservation and

    preservation of the Nation's shallow waterways

Enough is enough