If you follow any type of farming publication, or ag social media you can see the #DitchtheRule campaign out in full swing. If you haven't been following, #DitchtheRule is the push by the agricultural community to stop the EPA's change to the definition of the Waters of the United States. The proposed changes would make man-made ditches (even those that do not flow most of the year), wetlands, any pond area (even private half acre ponds, or small field ponds), drains and tiling all navigable, thus putting them in the EPA's jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act. By having this federal control of the water, farmers applying fertilizers and pesticides to adjacent lands may have to seek additional permits, or may not be able to use these products at all. It also could make problems for farmers wishing to plant additional acreage that is not currently used for agriculture. Overall, this seems to be an overreach of the EPA's control in commerce and of privately held property.
I am very wary of any federal agency taking claim to property owned privately. I don't agree that more regulation will help the process of commerce, nor that it is the best way to keep the waterways clean. I do think it gives us a chance to review what we are doing privately to protect the water, and what programs are out there for us to educate, promote, and support water and agriculture.
As a farmer, I can take a look at my nutrient management plan. I can see what I am applying to the fields, use the proper amounts, and see if I am having my desired effect. When looking at these things, I need to realize that anything flowing into the "little ditch by the road" will eventually make it into bigger water. Using buffer strips, cover crops, crop rotation, and other soil conservation practices are things that I can do to reduce the chances of run-off. Applying manure and fertilizers at the right time in relation to rain, plant maturity, and incorporation will make them more effective and less likely to end up in our waters. I also need to respect the wetlands as nature's filter for our waters. That 2 acre wetland may have me itching to farm it, but it really does a lot of the dirty work for my farm. These techniques are being used by farmers, but there is always room to improve.
In Michigan, our water is a big deal, and we have many organizations to help us keep the water clean. We have a great relationship with NRCS(Natural Resource Conservation Service), an active Michigan Department of Argriculture and Rural Development (MARD), and farmer-fair Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). On a more local level, we have watershed organizations that seek to educate farmers, and the general public on how to clean or better maintain our waterways. We also have a great voluntary environmental farm certification, titled MAEAP (Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program). In this program, farms undergo audits in different areas of crop, livestock, and farmstead management and receive recommendations to reduce our environmental impact. After making the updates, farms are visited again, and if it meet the standards of environmental stewardship, it will become a MAEAP verified location for the next few years. Thousands of farms in Michigan have undergone this process.
As we move forward in the discussion about our waters, we need to realize that while this rule may not pass, the call for water conservation will not. Farmers are stewards of the land, and due to our
use of the land we will have to take responsibility for our waters as well. This isn't something to be taken lightly, but it does give us a chance to show our role as front-line environmentalists. By showing additional care to our water, we will reap the rewards of good stewardship, keeping our farms and our communities running clean and strong.
