DES MOINES –Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today highlighted the important conservation work that has been achieved in Iowa during the last 70 years as part of Iowa Soil and Water Conservation Week. Governor Culver has issued a proclamation recognizing November 22-28, 2009 as Soil and Water Conservation Week.
“This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Iowa law that started our statewide conservation efforts,” Northey said. “This is a great opportunity to acknowledge all that has been accomplished to prevent soil erosion and protect water quality in the state, but also recognize that we still have work to do.”
The severe erosion during the “Dust Bowl” years of the 1930s brought about the first efforts to prevent soil erosion, which also helped protect water resources. Iowa passed a law in 1939 to establishing a state agency and the means for soil and water conservation districts to organize. This legislation declared it the policy of the State of Iowa to: preserve soil and water; protect the state’s tax base; and promote health, safety and public welfare of people of Iowa.
Today, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s Division of Soil Conservation and the 100 Soil and Water Conservations Districts located in each county are fulfilling Iowa’s conservation mission declared 70 years ago. Other conservation partners include USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and Iowa State University.
The Department’s Division of Soil Conservation provides state leadership in the protection and management of soil, water and mineral resources and assisting soil and water conservation districts and private landowners to meet their agricultural and environmental protection needs.
The Department partners with the state’s 100 Soil and Water Conservations Districts, the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and Iowa State University on conservation projects.
“With new environmental concerns, flooding and other conservation issues, the work of the Department’s Division of Soil Conservation and all the conservation partners in the state remains vitally important,” Northey said. “Iowa’s soil and water, along with the efficiency of our famers, is what makes our state so productive. It is vital that we preserve these resources that are responsible for such a significant part of our state’s economy.”
Soil and Water Conservation Week recognizes that the abundance of our agricultural products and the quality of life we enjoy are dependent upon the proper use and management of soil and water resources. Iowa’s farm commodity producers are harvesting the bounty of the rich soils of this great state. A copy of the Governor’s proclamation can be viewed by clicking here.
Northey, a corn and soybean farmer from Spirit Lake, is serving his first term as Iowa Secretary of Agriculture. His priorities are the expanding the opportunities surrounding renewable energy, promoting conservation and stewardship, and telling the story of Iowa agriculture.
