Iowa is number two in cancer rates among U.S. states. Iowa is the only state whose cancer rate is increasing.
Millions of dollars have been won in cancer lawsuits against industrial agricultural entities.
Iowa is number one in industrial agriculture pollution going into rivers and streams in the Mississippi watershed and the Gulf’s Dead Zone. And, Iowa’s amount of pollution is increasing.
The three rivers in Iowa whose industrial agriculture pollution is increasing the fastest, and need the most help, are the Upper Iowa, the Turkey, and the Yellow.
The state of Iowa put together the Roadside Management Program (60 counties have one) understanding that planting prairie in ditches would create a sponge both above and below the surface which can absorb some 12 to 14 inches of water an hour, making county ditches the first line of defense against field surface water runoff, tile line runoff, soil erosion, and some mitigation of the chemicals and toxic animal waste which contribute to human diseases, including cancer.
Since these three Supervisors seem hell-bent on getting rid of the first line of defense, should the State immediately quit funding the numerous public, and public/private, watershed projects in Winneshiek County?
When these Supervisors say they don’t care about ditches they are also saying they don’t care about our health and our water.
If you are surprised by the culture war attacks on the environment, conservation, and libraries, you shouldn’t be. In the Oct 25, 2022 edition of the Driftless Journal, Tom Hanson wrote that the Republican Supervisors understood their “assignment”.
Winneshiek County Republicans, you really need to take your party back from the culture war cabal at the embarrassingly named Club 45 before the nature of our county is forever ruined. These three Republican Supervisors should resign.
Bob Watson
Rural Decorah