By: Doug Busselman, Executive Vice President

As the seconds tick past on our way to Earth Day 2009, we’re all in anxious anticipation on how much more special things will be this year because of the advantages the cause now has with the current Administration having authority.  Given the power in the Congress to do whatever needs to be done, it should be clear sailing on shaping a more beneficial outcome for improved well-being of all things environmentally proper.

For those who engage in direct interaction with natural resources, the frame-of-mind might not be quite as optimistic.  The differences of opinion boil out to be between those who believe in responsible use of natural resources and those who don’t.

Under current circumstances, the camp who don’t believe in responsible use of natural resources are those who don’t believe that ANY use of natural resources.  Their concept is founded on the perspective that man lacks the capability to do good, when it comes to natural resource use.  Preservation needs to be the mantra with as much government as possible in place to limit, restrict and outright ban natural resource use.

When I was growing up on the farm in Southwestern Minnesota, I had the advantage of seeing grass grow, be cut for hay or eaten by livestock.  I took for granted that the grass would grow back and that pastures needed to be managed by rotating the livestock eating the grass to a different pasture at appropriate times.  Although it wasn’t considered to be such a big deal at the time (at least in an obvious sense by me) that my father’s pursuit of growing crops, raising livestock to provide for his family was in need of government oversights to the extent that we seem to require now.

My first-hand absorption process of a conservation ethic came through lessons, literally “in the field” where techniques of farming sought to reduce soil erosion or applications of nutrients were intended to enrich soil productivity.  Growing healthier animals or more bountiful crops were taken to be beneficial activities and measurements of success. 

Being good stewards of the land and practicing as good of resource management activities as we were aware of, seemed to be natural inclinations that producers engaged in without watchdogs from the alphabet agencies empowered through their controls of permits, pre-approved resource plans or other tools.

I’m not so sure that things have changed with agricultural producers over the years since I was young.  It seems more of a case as those who wanted more control pursuing their agenda and being able to take advantage of a much higher percentage of the general public not being connected or aware of what was taking place.

The redefining of “conservation” evolved from being responsible natural resource users to an anti-use, zealotry where you can’t use the word grazing without the prefix of “over”.  

As more and more advocates for agricultural production get involved and improved understanding is enhanced we hope the foundations for public policy might again be anchored on principles of responsible use of natural resources.