ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota
Department of Agriculture (MDA) will hold a listening session in Crookston, Minnesota, on Thursday, February 21, to gather input on the
Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program. The new program has
been in development over the past year and is designed to accelerate voluntary
adoption of on-farm conservation practices that protect Minnesota’s water resources. Farmers who implement and maintain
approved conservation plans will be certified and in turn assured that their
operation meets water quality goals and standards for a set period of time.
MDA officials
are seeking feedback on the program prior to its implementation. Farmers and
rural landowners in the northwest region of the state are encouraged to attend
the session, Thursday, February 21, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
at the University of Minnesota
Crookston Ballroom.
The Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification
Program is the result of a state-federal partnership that includes the
Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA),
the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), the Minnesota Board of Water and
Soil Resources (BWSR), the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR),
the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service
(NRCS), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
