By the Echo Press Editorial Board
11:45 am, Feb. 3, 2021
Farmers are sometimes unfairly attacked for not doing enough to help the environment but many of them are good stewards of the land. They’ve shown it by signing up for the Conservation Reserve Program.
U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith are encouraging Minnesota producers and landowners to enroll in CRP by the Feb. 12 deadline. The CRP, administered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency, is one of the largest private-lands conservation programs in the U.S.
Participants receive an annual payment in exchange for removing environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and planting species that will improve its condition. Farmers plant long-term, resource-conserving vegetation such as grasses or trees, known as “covers,” to control soil erosion, improve water quality and enhance wildlife habitat. With so many lakes and streams in Douglas County, the program takes on added importance.