(Spirit Lake)—Representatives of the U.S.D.A’s Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service were at Tuesday’s Dickinson County Board of Supervisors meeting reminding county officials to carefully consider any drainage projects and the possible impacts they may have on land enrolled in CRP and other conservation programs.
Larry Lago of Farm Service Agency reminded supervisors that county officials need to be especially aware of the rules and regulations for the various programs when it comes to any improvements or new installation of drainage tile…(click here for comment.) “The County Committee is the one that actually is responsible for those CRP contracts and if there’s a violation of the terms and conditions of maintaining that CRP cover because the county is doing some type of disturbance of it because of a drainage project or a cleanout project, that CRP participant could have their contract terminated and they would be assessed damages and so on.”
Lago and Mark Schutt of the local NRCS office requested county officials contact their offices whenever such projects are on the drawing board.
They say that so far, no landowner in Dickinson county has had their program benefits affected by such action, and their goal of meeting with county officials is to keep it that way.
