
In a study released by the Environmental Working Group, an estimated 7.2 million acres of wetlands and fragile lands were converted to cropland in 4 years.
The advocacy group, using mapping and geospatial technologies, found in Iowa, only two counties, Taylor and Adair, saw between 2,500 and 5,000 acres of wetland and wetland buffers converted to cropland.
These findings are linked to Congress’s actions concerning a new farm bill:
“The data strongly suggest that over-subsidized crop insurance policies are greasing the wheels of conversion to row crops,” said Craig Cox, EWG’s senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources. “The government is picking up too much of the risk of plowing up and planting fragile land, all at a cost of billions of dollars to taxpayers and untold environmental degradation.”
To learn more about the study and the possible repercussions, follow this link.