Policy Radar: Nitrates bill to aid farmer-led efforts
Tuesday, May 3, 2022
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from DBA
A bill that will better equip Wisconsin farmers to meet nitrates-related groundwater regulations and allow flexibility to try new practices was signed into law in April. Act 223 has three key components: - Grants of up to $50,000 for farmers to implement innovative practices that optimize the application of commercial nitrogen. Farmers will team up with University of Wisconsin- Extension.
- Crop insurance rebates of $5 per acre for farmers who plant cover crops.
- An additional, limited-term hydrogeologist position at UW-Extension to develop groundwater information, such as soil depth-to-bedrock maps that help farmers tailor cropping practices.
Providing flexibility, funding and scientific data is a positive, practical step forward as our farmers look to enhance their conservation efforts and remain in compliance with existing rules.
This was part of a comprehensive plan proposed a year ago by DBA along with Clean Wisconsin, The Nature Conservancy and WI Land+Water. DBA has worked with TNC for five years to empower farmers to tailor on-farm conservation. This has been a game-changer in several areas, where our members are leading by example in their watersheds. Over the past few years, DBA has expanded our focus to include Clean Wisconsin and WI Land+Water to ensure water regulations are science-based, practical and productive. As DBA President Amy Penterman said when the bill was signed, “Our farmers understand the leadership role they can, and do, play in shaping solutions to Wisconsin’s complex water quality challenges. … We also realize this is a piece to a much larger puzzle the state must invest in to achieve long-term success — clean drinking water and economically sustainable farms.”
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