NRCS Swampbuster Enforcement Failed in Dakotas According to Report by Office of Inspector General

This year, the Office of the Inspector General conducted a study on wetland conservation that concluded the National Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) has seriously failed to protect upper Midwest wetlands. According to the report, the NRCS has made several rulings that violate the USDA stipulation that farmers who drain wetlands for production can lose farm program payment. This oversight has led to the conversion of wetlands to cropland in South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa. The report highlights the importance of wetlands as the link between land and water and as “some of the most productive and dynamic habitats in the world” (1). The purpose of the audit and subsequent report is to make recommendations that reduce the destruction of these important water systems.Read the full report here: https://www.usda.gov/oig/webdocs/10601-0003-31.pdf.