This week the Iowa Department of Natural Resources released their list of 2020 Impaired Waters in Iowa which shows 61 percent of rivers and streams and 67 percent of lakes and reservoirs impaired. Environmental Activist Groups were quick to jump on that and blame agriculture totally for that problem. Iowa Pork Producers Association President Mike Paustian says it’s everybody’s responsibility to protect the environment and pointing fingers at one segment is counter-productive.

He says most of Iowa’s pork producers including himself have been proactive in protecting the state’s waters and have a very positive environmental footprint due to the positive practices they utilize for applying manure.

Following the DNR report, environmental activists started calling for a moratorium on all large agricultural operations. Paustian says size doesn’t have anything to do with how well the producer implements his or her nutrient management plan.

Paustian says another positive step producers have taken is their growing of cover crops where they’re able to apply manure and keep the beneficial impacts of that in the soil.