Iowa judge rules in favor of 'Swampbuster' conservation protection measure
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A District Court judge in Iowa has ruled in favor of an effort to protect the state's wetlands.
The legal move protects a key environmental provision, known as Swampbuster.
The Union of Concerned Scientists says 30 million acres of wetlands in the Upper Midwest are responsible for preventing at least $23 billion per year in residential flood loss costs.
The Iowa Environmental Council's General Counsel Michael Schmidt said the court ruling was crucial in protecting those sensitive areas.
"It is important because it protects wetlands in agricultural areas that would otherwise probably be farmed over," said Schmidt. "Those wetlands are important because they reduce flooding downstream, they provide really important habitat for wildlife, and they improve water quality by filtering the water that moves through them."
Critics of Swampbuster and other environmental conservation provisions call them unconstitutional, and claim they infringe on land owners' property rights.
At least half of the state's lakes are closed for recreation in the summer because they are polluted with runoff from nearby animal confinement operations.
Schmidt said reducing the environmental benefits of wetland protections would have made matters worse, especially as the number of severe flooding events is on the rise.
"Wetlands also provide the water quality benefits," said Schmidt, "that are really important for drinking water, because we have some significant drinking water problems in the state as well. "
Swampbuster and other environmental provisions are part of the Farm Bill, which is up for renewal, but is already more than two years behind schedule.
