(Undated)– A new report from the Union of Concerned Scientists says 30 million acres of wetlands in the Upper Midwest are at risk of destruction by industrial agriculture and other heavy industries. The authors say the U-S Supreme Court’s recent decision to strip some federal protections from wetlands accelerates the potential loss.
The Union’s Stacy Woods says because of the role wetlands play in flood mitigation, states in this region are likely to have a harder time limiting damage from a major rain event…
While Minnesota’s laws might help offset some of the federal impact, the report says neighboring states like South Dakota and Iowa are more vulnerable to wetland loss. It adds that if lawmakers can agree, there could be opportunities in the Farm Bill debate to bolster existing conservation programs.
(Courtesy Minnesota News Connection)
