Unfortunately, most environmentalist will not look at the whole picture and come up with solutions to blend. This includes all the farm agencies I have to deal with. Their way or the highway and it better be with their approval!
My husband and I have a different philosophy. We have never taken government money for any part of our farming operations. If you have ever seen what hoops they make you jump through you would understand why. And in order to cash in to any of it you have tons of paper work to provide every year plus inspections - if needed - to go through every year or so. We decided just keeping up with the mandatory paperwork was bad enough.
So several years back we decided to put in a prairie grass field in an area located in a flood plain. It would protect the ground and provide a wildlife area. Plus my husband is into protecting and feeding wildlife. Okay ... he also likes to provide his own hunting area. But we have always practice conservation using grass water ways, tile, ditching, minimal tillage etc. Well this year the government came up with a new form for our annual mandatory CAUV (Calculated Agricultural Use Value) submission.
Our local farm bureau won a lawsuit to require our county auditors to re-evaluate farm ground. In the past they taxed woods, roads, waste ground - whatever that is - and any set a side for conservation areas as prime farm ground. Unfortunately if you put land into conservation WITHOUT their approval and have the paperwork to prove it, you can not claim it as set a side for conservation. Obviously, we are not smart enough to see it floods and take steps to protect it plus we are not getting government money to do it so they cannot control it.
Now if we had gotten approval and had the government pay for the cost and had it inspected then we could. But we also would have to sign a contract to maintain it for a set number of years - 10 is an average. Plus they can dictate if they decide they need more corn ground then you will be planting it in corn. Oh, and if they want they can pay us in commodities instead of actual cash. So we could get corn or soybeans instead. Yes, I real all contracts! So all our conservation ground is taxed as prime farm ground. Just my little piece of rebellion.
And yes, I know I am ranting. The USDA survey just arrived - all bazillion pages of it - and you would not believe what they ask! On the front is the standard "you MUST fill this out or else" statement. Really?
Lisa