Conservation Candidate Forum
A smaller than expected crowd turned out for Thursday’s conservation forum with area candidates. (photo by Ken Allsup/Oskaloosa News)
Oskaloosa, Iowa – The Mahaska County Conservation Coalition held a conservation forum inviting county supervisor candidates as well as candidates at the state level to talk all things conservation. Click here to find out what they had to say.
But with 80% of Mahaska County is farm land according to the USDA Rural Atlas — we asked the candidates how they would find a balance between conservation and agriculture. Here’s what your Mahaska County Supervisor candidates Tom Rielly and Mike Vander Molen had to say the topic.
“We have to promote best practices in farming. The farmers that I talk to – their soil is their lifeblood and I don’t think they want to see it washed down the Mississippi and on down. I think a good partnership the farmers, the county, the DNR, NRCS, promote the best practices in farming. Have the buffer strips put in place, do the tiling, do the terracing where it need be. If there is any kind of cost share that we can deal with then we certainly want to try and do that.” – Tom Rielly (D) Mahaska County Supervisor Candidate
“What we need to do is incentivize farmers to set aside some land and we’ve been doing a pretty good job of that, but you can’t be just taking land away just you know so wildlife purposes. But we need to incentivize some set asides some lands in which we can get our pheasant populations up or make sure we have good turkey populations. It’s just a balance there and striking the right balance.” – Mike Vander Molen (R) Mahaska County Supervisor Candidate
CRI also talked with candidates running for Iowa State Senate District 40 how they would find a balance between both agriculture and conservation.
“My real concern in all land use issues here in Iowa is that we maintain our agriculture land in production as much as possible. Yet in the same token, larger buffers or good buffers for good quality water. But I think farmers are looking at good stewardship practices and leaving their farms for not only for their children but their grandchildren and so on. I think it is kind of natural that they do that.” – Tim Tripp (D) IA State Senate District 40 Candidate
“It’s Iowa. We are the breadbasket of not only the county we are the breadbasket of the world so yeah we need a balance. You know, depending on any particular part of the state, the lay of the land is a big part of it and some areas are suited towards intensive farming and some are more suited towards habitat and those types of things so I think we have a pretty good mix.” – Ken Rozenboom (R) IA State Senate District 40 Candidate
