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A local approach to runoff reduction

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Controlling runoff is a big concern in bodies of water from the Chesapeake Bay to the Gulf of Mexico. Congressman Reid Ribble represents northeastern Wisconsin, he has brought together farmers, conservationists, environmentalists and other stakeholders to work on reducing runoff into the watersheds in his district.

Ribble says with everyone represented at the table, they are looking for solutions rather than assigning blame. He says when the main focus is finding a solution, the “temperature comes down” and progress is made.

He says they have divided into small groups by watershed because ever watershed is different: different soil types, different inputs and different concerns. There is no one-size-fits-all situation so there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

The large group will reconvene in about 90 days to hear what the smaller groups have come up with.

Congressman Ribble talks about the effort:

  • Just one second please…..before you can fix the problem you must agree what the problem is….in this case it is very simple…..too many cows and not enough good spreadable land….and then you have that….GRAVITY THING…..lets see you guys fix that…..! Your problem could be fixed in one day….1. Limit spreading of liquid manure on all land with less than 25 feet to bedrock. 2. Limit spreading of liquid manure to 25 TONS per acre on all other land in Kewaunee County, it’s that Karst issue again. 3. Get signed land contracts on all rented or managed land, with new soil tests. 4. Install water/well monitoring systems on all farms with more than 500 milking cows. 5. Increase all setbacks to a minimum of 100 feet. 6. Increase manure storage from 180 to 270 needed. So far, I have not cost the state of the public one cent…..NOT ONE….! Let’s see your plan……are you man enough…..?

  • Dick, you simply are spewing Sierra Club talking points. The problem has literally nothing to do with cattle and the science backs that up. Remove EVERY SINGLE COW, PIG, LIVESTOCK from the region and farmers would simply fertilize their land with chemical-based phosphorous fertilizers. You’ve merely replaced the natural source with the artificial (and scarier) one. You have not even begun to address the issue in that case. The “obvious” solution is to tackle causes of erosion, and that is generally a manageable problem for farmers of all types and sizes.
    Follow the SCIENCE.

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