Saturday, August 8, 2015

MN Buffer Strips and Pheasants Forever

We got into some interesting comments  at MinnPost MPCA Citizen Board after I noted that the farmers told me that it was actually the Sporting Group folks who helped to push the buffer strips through.  Which makes sense since enforcing the 16 foot buffer strips better would have been enough, increasing them to 50 ft was just overkill since the water does not enter the ditch over the top in most cases.  Those folks sure do like their Pheasant Habitat.
"Pheasants Forever on Buffer Strips ~125,000 acres or 18,750,000 bushels of corn... $65,625,000 in revenues... I sure hope it helps improve something." G2A
Also please note that Dayton is working around the new laws...  I am curious who he picks and what it is costing us tax payers?  Thoughts

5 comments:

  1. AnonymousAugust 10, 2015 at 3:51 PM

    Yeah...that's a lot of habitat for a non-native species. It also helps the native species, but still...

    Joel

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  2. JohnAugust 10, 2015 at 4:55 PM

    Conversion: ~195 sq miles

    Thankfully we farm where there are hills / pastures and not many ditches.

    Probably only have about 1/2 mile to deal with.
    (50 ft * 5280/2) / 43560 = ~3 acres

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  3. jerrye92002August 12, 2015 at 7:22 PM

    One has to wonder what extensive scientific research and cost-benefit analysis went into determining that 50 feet was the optimal distance for every field rather than, say, 27 or 82, or some number unique to each situation?

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  4. AnonymousAugust 13, 2015 at 10:03 AM

    50 feet is the closest to 3 rods (a rod being 16.5 ft.), so I think the question is: Why not 33 or 66?

    Joel

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  5. jerrye92002August 16, 2015 at 9:58 AM

    Good one. But how many of our highly-educated politicians even know that a rod is a unit of measurement, let alone its actual size? Even fewer know the origin of the term. "The furlong (meaning furrow length) was the distance a team of oxen could plough without resting. This was standardised to be exactly 40 rods or 10 chains."

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