Federal, state leaders sign MOU on water quality
By Janet Kubat Willette
jkubat@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 02/02/2012 9:15 AM
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The Technical Advisory Committee charged with developing the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program is expected to meet before corn planters roll this spring.
The committee will put the meat to the bones of this certification program, said Matt Wohlman, assistant commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
The bones could be equated to the Memorandum of Understanding signed by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa Jackson and Gov. Mark Dayton.
The signing ceremony in the ornate governor's reception room is but the first step in the process of a developing the first in the nation water certification program.
"Governor, there's a reason why Minnesota is the first state for this effort," Vilsack said at the Jan. 17 signing ceremony. "It's because Minnesota has a history of producers who care deeply about the land and water and Minnesota has a tradition and a value system that understandsand appreciates the importance of good soil and clean water.''
"I think your state also understands and appreciates the economic opportunity that's connected both to agriculture and outdoor recreation," he continued.
The Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program is designed to accelerate farmers' voluntary adoption of conservation practices. Farmers who opt to participate will be given assurance that their farms will meet water quality standards and goals during the length of the agreement.
These so-called certainty agreements have been used in other areas to encourage wildlife habitat conservation. USDA worked with landowners in 11 western states to protect habitat for the sage-grouse on ranch lands in those states.
The agreements kept the sage-grouse off the Endangered Species list through providing more habitat, but also allowed ranchers to raise their cattle, put their kids through college and go to the cafe now and again, said Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Dave White.
The goal is to replicate this effort with water quality. Agriculture is concerned about regulation, White said, and the goal is to give farmers certainty that they will be allowed to continue to farm as long as they follow the whole farm conservation plan developed to address threats to water quality on their land.
"In my mind, it's a proactive way to address this issue," White said.
At this point, there are more questions than answers about what the certification process will look like and even who will service on the Technical Advisory Committee. It's up to Minnesotans to figure that out.
The ball's in ag department commissioner Dave Frederickson's court now, White said.