# Pitch Black



## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

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ND wetlands went up in flames this fall and all of us are poorer for it. They were burned, disked, and even drained onto someone else. The loss affects water retension and filtering, flood control, aquifer recharge, and low on the list...public wildlife. The picture says it all.

In early Dec a group of ND wildlife orgainizations is meeting in Bismarck to discuss issues. I would challange the national habitat organizations to show up at that meeting along with staffers of our congressional delegation, ND Ag Commissioner, and both national farm orgainizations. There has to be a better way than a match and a propane torch. The new farm bill will be constructed this winter and there should be a payment to save these wetlands. One that is higher than a few bushels of grain or an insurance check. 
If we can't improve it, we'll find out why.


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## target (Aug 10, 2006)

Dick Monson said:


> ND wetlands went up in flames this fall and all of us are poorer for it. They were burned, disked, and even drained onto someone else. The loss affects water retension and filtering, flood control, aquifer recharge, and low on the list...public wildlife. The picture says it all.
> 
> In early Dec a group of ND wildlife orgainizations is meeting in Bismarck to discuss issues. I would challange the national habitat organizations to show up at that meeting along with staffers of our congressional delegation, ND Ag Commissioner, and both national farm orgainizations. There has to be a better way than a match and a propane torch. The new farm bill will be constructed this winter and there should be a payment to save these wetlands. One that is higher than a few bushels of grain or an insurance check.
> If we can't improve it, we'll find out why.


Dick I agree 100%, If any of these wetlands drained were new ditches I would report them to NRCS, this is a violation of the swampbuster act in the current farm bill. There are punishments to these actions.

Have you contacted any of these organizations to attend your meeting, such as DU, TNC, USFWS, and G and Fish?

I also encourage people to promote the USFWS wetland easement program. This program protects the wetlands from the exact problems you mentioned above. There is a good payout and it is a perpetual easement. This program is outstanding and very important to the protection of ND depleting resources.


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## DJRooster (Nov 4, 2002)

hey, guys let farmers farm. Besides, that if they were meant to be wetlands they will become wetlands again. Ditching is very tightly monitored by neighbors and the farm program. The wet cycle may be ending and thus wetlands may no longer be wetlands and they may turn back into some of the most productive land on the farm.


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## target (Aug 10, 2006)

DJ,

I don't think either of us mentioned anything about not being able to farm. I just believe that wetland and farming are a lot more compatible then many would leave you to believe. I also think that there should be more legislation to protecting the wetlands, many people just see these as obstacle to farming, however they are much more important to everyone than people realize. Dick mentioned some of these benefits in his first post.


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

> I also encourage people to promote the USFWS wetland easement program.


 They aren't interested in preserving the existing wetland, as they get more bang for the buck by restoring drained wetlands. And they told me the funding is limited. 
I would like to see a payment (program) to leave the wetland that is so good it would be the first choice of the landowner. Something like no crop history neccessary, leave it in native wetland plant cover, and a surpayment that is better than adjoining cash rent. Make the wetland a bonus for the owner instead of a detriment. Swampbuster is gutted and not enforced anymore.


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## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

Now to top this off, corn futures where down this AM on talk that many CRP acres will be opened up early to plant corn!!!!!!

So boys we are going to reap what we elected again in the Three Stooges! None are going to do anything to protect existing wetlands,nor try and promote the CRP program.


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## USSapper (Sep 26, 2005)

I think DJ is right, as everybody knows, the wet cycle has pretty much ended which in turn has dried up alot of the smaller cattail sloughs. Is it still considered a wetland if there is no water in it? These temporary wetlands that farmers are trying to convert backinto productive farmland don't hold water long enough to be benificial towards wildlife-actually in turn could be harmful. Think about, mallards thrive on these small sloughs during the spring hatch, there is very little water in the slough from the spring melt due to past years of little snowfall in the region and the same will probably happen this year; before the hatch, the slough dries and the mallard and chicks have to water to find safety in. This results in the death of the chicks. This may cause the birds to locate near bigger water next year where they have a better chance at survival. I guess i have to side with the farmers here just because they are trying to make something off nonproductive land(dead land)for anything- and plant a few extra acres-Everyone should know that draining of the land is highly illegal and thats not what is happening here. If it was that would be another story but what is happening here is because of the drought


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## target (Aug 10, 2006)

USSapper said:


> Is it still considered a wetland if there is no water in it?


Yes it definately is considered a wetland when there is no water in it. It would then make it a temporary or seasonal wetlands.



USSapper said:


> I guess i have to side with the farmers here just because they are trying to make something off nonproductive land(dead land)for anything- and plant a few extra acres


With or without water they are very beneficial to the wildlife and more importantly to the people. These are the wetlands that hold water and prevent flooding and runoff. These are the wetlands that control erosion and recharge the water supplies. They also supply habitat for wildlife.

When these wetlands are farmed through there is sedimentation which then over time destroys this wetland.


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## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

Have to agree........Even if we leave wildlife out of the picture, there is no reason to not leave these temporary wetlands in place. They are what protect us in spring flooding. The Devils Lake basin farmers are finding this out in a hurry!!


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## target (Aug 10, 2006)

djleye said:


> The Devils Lake basin farmers are finding this out in a hurry!!


 :thumb:


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## BigDDL (Sep 29, 2004)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that according to Swampbuster (and other legislation) that a wetland that dries up must remain dry for a period of ten(?) years before it can be used for farming again. If my memory is correct this rule was put in place so that wetlands would not be destroyed just because a couple of "dry" years occurred.


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## target (Aug 10, 2006)

BigDDL said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that according to Swampbuster (and other legislation) that a wetland that dries up must remain dry for a period of ten(?) years before it can be used for farming again. If my memory is correct this rule was put in place so that wetlands would not be destroyed just because a couple of "dry" years occurred.


I do not believe that is true, in fact I have never heard of anything like that before. I believe swampbuster pertains mainly to drainage ditches


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## Chuck Smith (Feb 22, 2005)

Alot of the wetland drainage issues are overseen by many branches of goverment.....Your local, state, and national laws.

Most wetlands your can drain if you get the correct permits. Now getting the permits can be difficult or easy, depending on what hoops you have to jump through(state, local, national or all).

ALot of the things getting burned or tilled up might not be "Wetlands" they might just have been area's that have been wet in previous years and now the farmer can finally get back in and work the land.

With corn selling at the prices it has lately you will see more land getting tilled that has been idle in the past years. Also people might not be renewing CRP.


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## crtrgtr (Feb 5, 2004)

From what I have heard "wetlands" are defined by the type of vegitatoin growing in an area, not by standing water. The "old school" farmers will tell you potholes are a good thing during dry times, as water attracts water.But to many people now days farm with productive and non- productive numbers in their head,sorry if this offends anyone, just my feelings. Yes draining is illegal but now there is a loophole for that by saying water used to drain here 1,500 years ago, they are just cleaning out an existing drain. Sorry to those I am offending but I hate to see draining and I hate to see shelterbelts ripped out just to get another acre of productive land. As you can probably tell I don't farm but most of my family either did, or does and they made it fine without draining or ripping out tree rows.


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