Recently, there has been articles published concerning Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 103F.48 or more commonly called the "Buffer Law". During the 2015 session Governor Dayton, the Department of Natural Resources and lawmakers worked quickly to get the law passed. Governor Dayton and the others claimed the intent of legislation was to keep farm chemicals and other pollutants out of Minnesota waters.
Ironically, while passing a law to keep farm chemicals and other pollutants out of Minnesota waters, the legislature amended Watershed District Law, Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 103D.335, subdivision 21, to allow watershed district to acquire property for flood mitigation measures and operate or lease out any of that property for agriculture purposes during periods the property is not needed for flood control.
Keep in mind that the farmed property is located within the water impoundment site and all waters will be released directly into a drainage system or some other natural waterway. In other words, while the private agriculture sector on the outside of the impoundment would be attempting to keep farm chemicals and other pollutants out of Minnesota waters, the government-operated farm operation would be releasing polluted water.
To make the situation worse the water from the private agriculture sector will drain directly into the pool that contains the polluted government farm water. Therefore, making all the water in the impoundment pool polluted before it is released into drainage systems or natural waterways.
To make the situation even more ironic is that Flood Hazard Mitigation projects are to include natural resource enhancement programs. In other words, land within the flood control site is to be seeded into natural grasses creating natural resource enhancements, a requirement of the Mediation Agreement of 1998.
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This is a requirement for the project to be eligible for state cost share funding through sales of general obligation tax-exempt bonds. However, it now appears that is no longer a requirement, the government-generating revenue takes priority over having clean and safe water.
While state officials passed legislation to force private property owners to set aside their property to create a buffer zone to keep farm chemicals and other pollutants out of Minnesota waters, they granted Watershed Districts the authority to acquire land under the guise of flood mitigation/control to generate revenue from farming activities and release polluted water into drainage ditches and natural waterways.
Maybe we should be more concerned about what government entities are doing with property they acquire than private citizens.
Jim Stengrim, Park Rapids
