MADISON – The Department of Natural Resources has removed a provision requiring mandatory vegetative buffers to prevent agricultural polluted runoff.  The Clean Water Coalition suggests that mandatory buffers be phased in, rather than removed completely.

The proposed rules to prevent polluted runoff are an important opportunity for the state to improve water quality and protect our natural resources.  Water pollution from urban areas, construction sites, new roads, and agriculture will be limited under the new rules.  However, without mandatory buffers, agricultural water pollution will be only partially addressed.

Vegetated buffer strips of land along waterways prevent streambank erosion, filter out pollutants and sediment, protect groundwater, improve aquatic and wildlife habitat, protect against flooding, and increase natural beauty.  Buffers are also beneficial to farmers; they prevent equipment rollovers near sloping banks, shield fields and livestock from wind, and can even increase a farmer’s bottom line through the savings in fertilizers.

“The state will receive federal dollars for farmers to create buffers through the continuous CRP and CREP programs, but we need further measures to protect the threatened and impaired waters that are ineligible for funds and for when the federal funding programs terminate," says Scott Froehlke, chair of the River Alliance of Wisconsin.

"The DNR," Froehlke added, "argues that Wisconsin will lose these federal funds if we require buffers now.  However, we would not lose federal funding with a phase-in approach to buffers.”

The Clean Water Coalition proposed this phase-in approach to the policy setting boards of the Departments of Agriculture and Natural Resources in December.  Under the proposal, vegetative buffers could be phased in as a mandatory requirement first for outstanding natural resource waters, exceptional resource waters, impaired waters and drinking water sources, and later for all other areas of the state.

“Phasing in 20 to 35 foot buffers is an important way to ensure that buffers are adequate for curbing runoff while acknowledging the cost of installing buffers everywhere in the state,” stated the Clean Water Coalition.

“This phase-in approach ensures that waterways are prioritized and limited funds are used to focus initially on farms that are directly affecting polluted waterways as well as protecting relatively pristine lakes and waterways.”

The Clean Water Coalition includes 33 conservation and water protection groups advocating for control of polluted runoff from farms, streets and construction sites.  You can see the Coalition's letter to the Natural Resources Board (dated 12/18/01) proposing the buffer phase-in by clicking here.