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Buffer law getting better, but “not there yet”

Joe Smentek

The director of public affairs for the Minnesota Soybean Growers says legislators improved the buffer law this year, but further clarification is needed.

Joe Smentek tells Brownfield the association was very frustrated when the original rule was signed into law last year.

“Minnesota is a very diverse state (and) our farmers face very different issues when it comes to keeping soil and inputs on their fields.  And they know what those issues are, so to try to come in and say there is a one-size-fits-all approach that’s going to fix it…we knew that just wasn’t the way to go about it.”

The original proposal mandated 50 foot buffers around all waterways in the state, but amendments this year included the removal of private ditches from the rule’s jurisdiction.

Smentek says the buffer law is still not as robust as it should be.

“We’re still getting a lot of pushback from some agencies and legislators, so we do have a lot of work left to make sure those alternatives are there to ensure we’re getting the best conservation practices out there on the landscape.”

Minnesota Soybean continues to evaluate the DNR buffer maps that were made public earlier this summer, and Smentek says there are aspects that need to be cleaned up.

 

 

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