From Jack Larson, Allen Krause, Randal Gill, Michael Berg and Robert Laeser
To the editor:
Our Lafayette County Board will be voting on the county budget at its Tuesday, Oct. 16 meeting. The proposed budget includes a $50,000 cut for the Land Conservation Department (LCD) which will eliminate one of the four positions in the department. The LCD budget is partially funded by a grant from the state that is used to administer state programs and represents 35 percent of the LCD total budget.
LCD is responsible for the soil and water issues in our county as well as forming and administering:
Nutrient Management Plans, which must be in compliance with state standards by Dec. 31, 2015 for all cropland acres. Of the 342,000 crop acres in the county, approximately 3,000 acres, or only 1 percent, are currently in compliance.
Farmland Preservation (now called Working Lands Initiative)
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
The procurement and planting of trees
Educational programs and activities to promote the conservation of our soil and water quality
Water testing and many other important conservation practices
They also have been instrumental in the approval of an Ag Enterprise Area (AEA) for the towns of Argyle, Blanchard and Lamont. The AEA will provide additional Wisconsin state tax credits for farmers who participate in Working Lands Initiative in those towns. LCD is currently assisting with the application for another AEA in the towns of Gratiot, Monticello, Shullsburg and White Oak Springs. Wiota and Wayne will also be considered with this application.
If you value conservation of our natural resources in Lafayette County, and wish to continue participation in the listed programs, we encourage you to call your Lafayette County Board supervisor and tell him/her to take action to keep the Land Conservation Department intact.
Thank you for your consideration.
To the editor:
Our Lafayette County Board will be voting on the county budget at its Tuesday, Oct. 16 meeting. The proposed budget includes a $50,000 cut for the Land Conservation Department (LCD) which will eliminate one of the four positions in the department. The LCD budget is partially funded by a grant from the state that is used to administer state programs and represents 35 percent of the LCD total budget.
LCD is responsible for the soil and water issues in our county as well as forming and administering:
Nutrient Management Plans, which must be in compliance with state standards by Dec. 31, 2015 for all cropland acres. Of the 342,000 crop acres in the county, approximately 3,000 acres, or only 1 percent, are currently in compliance.
Farmland Preservation (now called Working Lands Initiative)
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
The procurement and planting of trees
Educational programs and activities to promote the conservation of our soil and water quality
Water testing and many other important conservation practices
They also have been instrumental in the approval of an Ag Enterprise Area (AEA) for the towns of Argyle, Blanchard and Lamont. The AEA will provide additional Wisconsin state tax credits for farmers who participate in Working Lands Initiative in those towns. LCD is currently assisting with the application for another AEA in the towns of Gratiot, Monticello, Shullsburg and White Oak Springs. Wiota and Wayne will also be considered with this application.
If you value conservation of our natural resources in Lafayette County, and wish to continue participation in the listed programs, we encourage you to call your Lafayette County Board supervisor and tell him/her to take action to keep the Land Conservation Department intact.
Thank you for your consideration.
