An American Farm Bureau economist says farmers’ conservation practices
have resulted in greater numbers of Upper Midwest waterfowl.
“The total duck population in 2018 was 17 percent higher than the long-term
average,” said Veronica Nigh, “Certainly that’s something to quack about.”
Fears were not realized that Clean Water Rule changes would result in farmers
no longer preserving habitat and turning away from being good stewards of the
land, said Nigh.
“The message from all the data that we combed through is very clear,” said
Nigh, “that farmers are participating in conservation programs that have noting
to do with the Clean Water Act.”
Nigh says nearly one in four CRP acres in the Dakotas, Montana and Minnesota,
the Prairie Pothole Region, are enrolled in voluntary wetland programs.
Continue reading Conservation practices build duck populations at Brownfield Ag News.
