Prairie Grass Plantings

Minnesota Buffer Law

In 2015 the governor of Minnesota passed a law to reduce nitrate and fertilizer runoff from agricultural fields. The Minnesota buffer law states that you need to have at least 50 feet of buffer around all fields that drain into public water. The buffer law is mandatory in Minnesota. A buffer is something that is between two things, like when you are sitting on a couch the buffer between you and the ground is the couch. In the buffer you will have to have a long lasting plants, like prairie grasses. A prairie grass buffer with the deep rooted plants can absorb the nitrate and fertilizer runoff that may flow to public water. Scientists have found that the buffer should be at least 50 feet to significantly reduce nitrate and fertilizer runoff.

National Buffer Law

If we want to reduce nitrate and fertilizer runoff in Ames we need a buffer law in Iowa. We can even reduce nitrate and fertilizer runoff in the United States by passing a national buffer law. We can inform farmers about the need of a buffer around their fields, especially around fields that may drain to public waters. If farmers are motivated to follow the Buffer Law it will be easy for us to pass the law. To help try to pass the law we have sent emails to the governor of Iowa, senators of Iowa, the Iowa DNR, the EPA, and president Trump . We were able to get the initial responses from all of them.

Responses