Two Michigan Republican congressmen want the federal
government to chip in money for state programs aimed at keeping farm pollution out
of the Great Lakes.
They want the programs to be voluntary, but Ohio has adopted
some mandatory measures, such as no manure spreading allowed on frozen or
water-logged fields.
Farmers In Ohio also must attend training courses to gain
the right to spread commercial fertilizers.
Tim Walberg and Candice Miller, both
Michigan Republicans, said the initiatives should be modeled after the Michigan
Agricultural Environmental Assistance Program, which helps producers cut back
on fertilizer and pesticide runoff.
Growers who successfully participate in
measures such as manure storage and maintaining buffer strips along waterways,
qualify for official certification and financial assistance.
Under the bill, states could apply for
U.S. Department of Agriculture grants to administer and promote programs
similar to the one in Michigan. Farmers would get priority consideration for
conservation project funding.
"Responsible stewardship of our
land and Great Lakes will help ensure the health of our economy and environment
today and for generations to come," Walberg said.
The International Joint Commission, a
U.S.-Canadian agency, last year urged states and provinces bordering the Great
Lakes to ban manure spreading on frozen land.
But farm groups say voluntary programs
give them flexibility to choose the most effective management practices.
The Michigan Farm Bureau says more than
10,000 farmers have taken steps to enroll their land in the state program.
