Wisconsin Farmers Union applauds the Assembly’s passage of a number of the Speaker’s Water Quality Task Force bills yesterday.
“The farming practices promoted by these bills, including cover crops and managed rotational grazing, point us in the right direction when it comes to protecting soil and water,” said Wisconsin Farmers Union president Darin Von Ruden.
Wisconsin Farmers Union also applauded the Assembly’s investments in County Conservation staff and Farmer-Led Watershed projects, noting their critical role in disseminating best farming practices throughout Wisconsin. “We really encourage the Senate to follow the Assembly’s lead, and pass the following Senate bills:
SB 715 (Grazing, Cover Crops, and Farmer-Led Watershed grants)
SB 718 (Nitrate Reduction Pilot Project)
SB 722 (Center for Watershed Science and Education and WGNHS)
SB 723 (County Conservation staffing)
SB 724 (Well Compensation Program)
As well as two other bills endorsed by the Task Force:
SB 575 (Farmland Preservation)
SB 632 (Well Pollution Notification).
“These bills are a good start,” Von Ruden continued. He noted that more work remains to be done, including making sure that even more families with contaminated wells have access to the well compensation program, and securing a permanent funding source for clean water initiatives. “Here in rural Wisconsin, we should not have to be afraid of the water coming out of our faucets. We applaud the bipartisan approach of Representative Novak and Representative Shankland in leading the Water Quality Task Force, and we look forward to continuing to work with the legislature, state agencies, Governor Evers, and county conservationists to ensure both successful farms and clean water.”
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