A Jan. 22 presentation of the Minnesota Statewide Conservation and Preservation Plan raised a few eyebrows among legislators from agricultural and wetland districts.
Deborah Swackhamer, an environmental chemist at the University of Minnesota and one of the plan’s authors, highlighted a few of the recommendations at a joint meeting of the House Environment and Natural Resources Finance Division and House Cultural and Outdoor Resources Finance Division. No action was taken
Swackhamer said that corn production, because of its pesticide use and excess soil erosion, impairs water quality. Pressure to grow more corn for ethanol production also has prompted corn planting on less than optimal land and puts stress on the environment, she added. The plan recommends that perennial plants be grown for production of cellulosic ethanol, a biofuel produced from wood, grasses or the non-edible parts of plants.
That recommendation did not sit well with Rep. Greg Davids (R-Preston), whose district includes agriculture land and a corn ethanol plant. He asked if the plan advocates for replacing such plants with cellulosic ethanol production.
Swackhamer said the plan is not that “black and white.” Rather, it addresses estimates that by the year 2015, Minnesota corn growers will not be able to keep pace with the demand for corn ethanol production. Cellulosic ethanol is viewed as a way to fill that gap and its production methods are less harmful to the environment.
One of the plan’s “critical findings” is a dramatic loss of wetlands and its effect on wildlife habitats.
Rep. Sarah Anderson (R-Plymouth) questioned the accuracy of the data used for the findings. Through personal experience with a family farm, Anderson said mistakes can occur. She requested to see the criteria that researchers used to define a wetland. The age of the data used could also be a factor.
Released in November 2008, the plan took two years to complete and included more than 170 researchers. It was funded by the Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund and is an assessment of the health of the state’s natural resources.
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