HARRISBURG - Soil losses in the United States amount to a staggering $lB billion each year reports State Conservationist Graham T. Munkittnck of the USDA Soil Conservation Service. ‘‘Water from rainfall and snowmelt alone causes an estimated loss of 3 billion tons of sold each year,” he says. “Pennsylvania suffers 70 million tons of soil erosion annually. “This high level of sod erosion causes lost food and fiber production. Streams, lakes and reservoirs fill up faster with sediment, or just plain mud,” he adds. One government study shows sod loss causes an additional loss of over $1 billion each year in plant foods such as nitrogen. Sod erosion happens in three major steps. First, Munkittnck explains, topsod is loosened by the impact of raindrops or action of water runoff; second sod particles are moved along with water; and third, they are deposited at new locations which may not be the most desirable. Erosion goes on all the tune. CONTACT US For MANURE HANDLING EQUIPMENT Semi- and Liquid Spreaders - Ground Driven - Easy Running Priced Reasonably PIT ELEVATORS COMPACT ROTO BEATERS ALLIS CHALMERS AND WISCONSIN POWER UNITS SPECIAL Brand new 456 mowers While they last *1895 PLATE SHEARING - BRAKE WORK smucker WELDING & MANUFACTURING 2110 Rockvale Road Lane., PA 17602 PH-(717)687-9198 Soil loss costs $lB billion annually Normal erosion (called geologic erosion) occurs where water and wind remove sod or rock from slopes that have not been disturbed by man. Ths is natural and unavoidable “But man accelerates erosion when he breaks up the sod surface and removes protective sod holdmg vegetation,” Munkittnck emphasizes. Accelerated sod loss can occur from growing crops, irrigation, mining, raising livestock, logging, urban and rural construction, and recreation, unless preventive measures are used. Over the years, SCS has determined the average loss each different sod can tolerate without reducing its productive capacity. Some areas can lose only one ton of sod per acre per year, whde others can lose as much as five tons without damage. Technology for controlling sod erosion is relatively simple, Munkittnck explains, but in a democratic country, application of conservation measures is primarily voluntary and, therefore, the application is at a Cut soil losses much slower rate than needed. But these efforts must not be minimized. Without existing conservation practices, cropland sod losses would be another one billion tons each year. “The years of leaving land because it is worn out are gone because there is no place else to go, Munkittnck says. “We must work carefully with the land we have and preserve it for future generations." By the 1980 s, the U.S. govern ment had spent approximately $l5 Few candidates attend farmland preserve talks present than their were can- An exchange of views developed didates. between Aamodt and Wenger over Noone from the public attended how approval of the preservation the session, which was designed to legislation might be best secured give legislative candidates an Aamodt expressed the belief that explanation of the county’s a Democrat would gam broader proposed deed restriction program support for farmland preservation and give then an opportunity to ask 111 the cities, any questions about it or the state Wenger explained he has always legislation that is needed to un- had bipartisan support for his plementit. legislation, such as the Eight To Principal reason for the light Farm bill, which passed the Senate turnout of candidates appeared to last week, be the 3:30 p.m scheduling of the “H we put partisanship in meeting. agricultural legislation, then weTe Attending candidates were Anna in trouble,” Wenger said E. Groff, R-Lancaster, candidate “Fanners are in a mmointy and for the 96th District; Harry S if we split them into two parts, then McMichael H, D-Columbia, 98th we’ll have nothing.” District; Harry F. Muscarelh, D- Republican County Cora- East Petersburg, 97th District; missioner James E. Huber and Norman 0. Aamodt, D- Democratic Commissioner Jean CochranviUe; and Noah W. Mowery then exchanged sup- Wenger, R-Stevens, candidates for portive statements for their the 36th Senatorial Seat. respective party standard bearers LANCASTER Less than a third of the invited candidates showed up at a public forum meeting of the Lancaster County Agricultural Preserve Board on Friday, May 7, in the Lancaster County Courthouse. Of the 17 candidates for Lan caster County seats in the Generaly Assembly and State Senate, five were present at the session. Actually, there were more members of the Preserve Board billion for conservation efforts This sum, spent over a 40-year period, represents less than one percent of the gross national product during 1975 alone Competing land and water uses and shared boundaries between public and private landowners can complicate conservation efforts "One key to making a com bination of voluntary and regulatory measures work is for each landowner and user to par ticipate and assist in identifying erosion problems and help in Crop insurance hearings begin WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Jesse Helms, chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, has an nounced that oversight hearings on the federal crop insurance program will be held May 20 and 21. Senator Thad Cochran, chair man of the Subcommittee on Agricultural Production, Marketing and Stabilization of Prices, will chair the hearings, which are scheduled for 10 a m in 7IMMEPMAN HOLLANDERRD. 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PA 19507 1 i 1717)933-4114 Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, May 15,19t2—133 designing long-range conservation strategy for their land,” Munkittnck concludes In 1978, Pennsylvania soil conservation districts and the SCS took a big step to involve local people They asked local people to express their”opinions on natural resource problems “More than 89 percent said erosion is still a problem Iden tifying the problem is the first step in solving it,” the SCS chief ex plains. Room 324 Russell Senate Office Building. Cochran said the hearings will focus on the Federal Crop In surance Corporation’s marketing program, general producer at titude toward the program, and adequacy and cost of FCIC coverage. Cochran has invited represen tatives of farm organizations, the Administration, and the crop in surance industry
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