BISMARCK, N.D. – Parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin are dotted with so-called “prairie potholes,” wetland depressions that fill with melted snow and rain. Some are ephemeral (they come and go when conditions are right), while others are,
The EPA also calls the Prairie Pothole region “one of the most important wetland regions in the world” because of its importance to waterfowl species and reducing downstream flooding. The area is also known for its rich soils, so agriculture and potholes coexist. But because the EPA regulates agricultural activities within the region, many agency employees in places like Washington, D.C., don’t have firsthand experience with the region and the practical aspects of farming in and around the prairie potholes. .
A small pothole in a meadow in a field near Pingree, North Dakota, on June 25, 2024.
Jenny Schlecht/Agweek
As part of its 30th annual
The North Dakota Grain Growers Association spent part of the morning of Tuesday, June 25, trying to change that by giving EPA employees a bird’s-eye view of the Prairie Pothole region.
During the annual tour, NDGGA brings EPA employees from offices across the country to North Dakota for an up-close look at modern agriculture. The 2024 tour, based in Bismarck June 24-28, has a packed schedule of trips to farms and agribusinesses in the central part of the state.
Initially, the agenda called for EPA officials to conduct aerial tours of the Prairie Pothole region on Monday, but the heat and humidity that day moved the tours to Tuesday morning, a slightly cooler, more pleasant day. and safer for flights.
Kayla Pulvermacher, executive director of NDGGA, was not involved in any of the flights, but said a pilot told her the angle of the sun Tuesday morning was perfect for illuminating the waters dotting the landscape east of Bismarck.
EPA employees who were on the first of two flights out of Bismarck Aero Center arrived somewhat in awe of the views and expressed their willingness to take seats from anyone in the second group who didn’t want to fly. There were no takers.
Kaitlin Picone, senior advisor for stakeholder engagement in EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs, had never been to North Dakota and was looking forward to seeing the potholes and learning more about agriculture firsthand.
EPA employees and representatives from North Dakota agricultural groups chat in the lobby of the Bismarck Aero Center between flights over the Prairie Pothole region. This downtime on the North Dakota Grain Growers Association E-Tour that brings EPA employees to the state helps build rapport and understanding between the two groups. Photo taken on June 25, 2024.
Jenny Schlecht/Agweek
“I’m very excited to be here and learn, again, about the different things, the different crops that are grown, and experience and get up and see the prairie potholes, and you know, a lot of the different regional issues and geography that is unique to the potholes of North Dakota,” he said.
Part of his job is to solicit feedback on the impact of potential regulations. Experiences like the E-Tour help with that, she said.
“It’s incredibly important. “Many of us don’t have the opportunity to regularly go out into the countryside and experience farming,” she said. “Many of our employees have agricultural or other training, but others do not.”
Going out to a farm and talking to farmers is the only way to get new perspectives, find out what people are facing and how EPA decisions impact farmers, he said.
Pulvermacher, in her first year as executive director, said the fact that NDGGA has spent 30 years showcasing the state’s agriculture to EPA officials shows that the organization doesn’t just talk when it comments on regulations.
“Honestly, I think this is the most important thing we do as an organization,” he said.
Casey Burchill, director of Valley City’s NDGGA, said the bump ride was an important part of the E-Tour. Burchill grows corn, soybeans, spring wheat, and winter wheat, and Valley City is located directly in the Prairie Pothole region.
A prairie pothole surrounded by cattails sits at the edge of a field near Medina, North Dakota, on June 25, 2024.
Jenny Schlecht/Agweek
The Prairie Pothole region “covers a good portion of our state,” he said, and he thought it was important to show regulators how buffer zones around potholes could affect farmers in the region.
Buffer zones around bodies of water have been cited as a way to prevent fertilizer and pesticide runoff from entering the water cycle. However, farmers have wondered how such zones would work around potholes, which may be there one year and not for many others, or even only for part of a growing season, depending on when and how rain falls. It’s vital that regulators see for themselves what the region is like, NDGGA representatives said.
While Burchill is in his second year as director and was experiencing his first E-Tour, he said the NDGGA has heard over the years how influential his work has been in organizing the tour. The early-career officials took the tour and then rose through the ranks of the agency and used the knowledge they gained in North Dakota.
“Talking to our guys who have talked to the EPA people, and what they bring back from this, is very, very influential in some of their decisions,” he said. “It gives you a little more practical perspective on what they’re doing. So yeah, it’s great conversation at dinner parties or just sitting here waiting at the airport. Is very good”.
Burchill said there are many hot-button regulatory issues facing agriculture, including regulations surrounding the Endangered Species Act and various pesticide labels.
Picone encourages farmers and agricultural groups to continue participating in their comments on EPA regulations and decision-making.
“We talked a lot about the intersection right now of the Endangered Species Act and our regulations and how we’re going to disseminate and explain things going forward,” he said. “I think it’s something we’re looking for a lot of feedback on.”
While the EPA regulations are of great interest to North Dakota agriculture, both Burchill and Pulvermacher said the farm bill remains the top priority and concern for agricultural groups.
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