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USDA seeking Mississippi basin proposals

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking proposals for improving the water quality in the Mississippi River. Local and state governments, farm groups, conservation organizations and others in 12 Mississippi basin states are invited to submit proposals by May 3rd. Sara Hopper is agricultural policy director for Environmental Defense Fund, she says the goal of the plan is to get producers to sign up and participate in existing conservation programs designed to reduce runoff into the river. She cites the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Wetlands Reserve Program and other working lands programs as examples. “We’re not talking about creating new green spaces; most of this is not focused on taking land out of production.” .

Hopper notes that agriculture is not the only source of pollution going into the Mississippi but curbing ag’s contribution to the problem is a step in the right direction. “It’s important to move ahead and tackle what we can.”

The states involved in The Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative are: Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin. The stakeholders eligible to submit proposals include local and state governments, farm groups, and conservation organizations. Stakeholders have until May 3 to submit proposals to the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Read more about the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative here:

AUDIO: Sara Hopper talks about the Initiative

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