By Matthew Wilde
Recommendations released today by Iowa’s Soil and Water Future Task Force to implement and fund water infrastructure projects can help improve water quality and soil health, according to Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) leaders.
The task force, spearheaded by the Greater Des Moines Partnership, proposed 10 strategies to help Iowans meet the goals of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy — a science-based initiative to reduce nitrate and phosphorous loads entering Iowa waterways from point and nonpoint sources by 45 percent.
Environmental experts from ISA and the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance were members of the task force made up of agriculture, business, conservation and city leaders.
“We applaud the recommendations put forth by the task force to improve environmental quality. They are insightful, forward-thinking and, equally important, feasible, said ISA President Wayne Fredericks of Osage.
“The Iowa Soybean Association is pleased to have played a role in assisting the task force in developing its recommendations. They are in keeping with ISA policy supporting the creation of dedicated and reliable funding for implementing the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy,” he continued. “They also underscore the importance of collaboration by emphasizing public and private partnerships, an approach long championed and exemplified by Iowa’s soybean farmers and their association.”
Some of the key proposals include developing a statewide implementation plan for the strategy, using watershed management authorities and providing dedicated sources of funding. These include Gov. Terry Branstad’s plan to renew and expand the 1-cent sales tax for school infrastructure to include water quality initiatives, an ISA-supported plan to provide tax credits to landowners to build conservation practices and establishing an Iowa Soil and Water Health Revolving Loan Fund.
Roger Wolf, ISA director of Environmental Programs and Services, served on the Executive Committee and helped to develop recommendations.
“This work is exciting in that it brought together more than 80 public, private, agriculture, urban and conservation entities to address the critical issue facing our state,” Wolf said. “The report has several innovative ideas that have the potential to be game changers for water quality in Iowa. The revolving loan fund is a particularly innovative idea that would provide a way to finance the infrastructure that supports implementation of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy.”
A series of stakeholder sessions were hosted by the task force across Iowa’s economic, rural and urban sectors to understand the needs and challenges of the state’s soil and water health.
Fredericks said the report provides momentum to act now to make generational improvements to Iowa’s land and water resources. The nutrient reduction strategy can make a positive and long-lasting impact but only if it is embraced and properly funded, he said.
The Osage farmer added that Greater Des Moines Partnership CEO Jay Byers and task force co-chairs Steve Bruere and Larry James are to be recognized for their commitment to furthering collaboration among many constituents on the issue of water quality and developing real-world solutions that can have a positive impact now and for generations.
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