NRCS staff from both Dakotas met with U.S. Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue last week when he visited South Dakota to talk about improving the backlog of wetland determinations. State Conservationist Jeff Zimprich says the Secretary stressed the importance of being accurate and consistent when making drainage decisions on wetland areas.
Zimprich says NRCS has come a long way in decreasing the backlog of wetland determinations in South Dakota. At its height there were 3,500 to 4,000 pending cases and a wait time of two to three years.
He says NRCS staff have a tough balancing act approving drainage in these wetland areas and yet protecting the natural resources.
Perdue also toured the Ochsner farm north of Aberdeen to see the wetland areas on their land and get a better idea of the drainage issues farmers in the Prairie Pothole Region are facing.
