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�a Minnesota Wetlands populated,ailin in f9 areas By Steve Karnowski percent of the state's wetlands "That Prairie Pothole area is Associated Press overall,meaning they support the Number One priority for diverse and healthy plant Ducks Unlimited in our con- Minnesota's wetlands are communities and are essen- servation area," Tori said. healthy overall but are suffer- tially in their native states. "Although the report may ing in agricultural and popu- However, 33 percent are in indicate their health isn't well, lated areas, the Minnesota fair or poor condition, mean- we remain pretty optimistic Pollution Control Agency said ing their vegetation is degrad- that we have some pretty in a pair of reports released ed from the original state and good tools to help things out Thursday just ahead of the non-native invasive plants on the landscape." waterfowl season. such as cattails and reed Those tools include incen- The reports paint a picture canary grass are pushing out fives in the 2014 farm bill for of two distinct parts of Min- native plants. farmers to improve their wet- nesota. Around three-fourths Fertilizer runoff from agri- lands and money from the a of the state's wetlands are in culture and other sources is state's Legacy Amendment d north-central and northeast- aggravating the problem, the that's available for wetland o ern Minnesota, mainly forest- two reports suggested. restoration,he said. E ed areas where they've "Excess phosphorus and Minnesota has lost about > thrived because of less devel- nitrogen levels from runoff half the wetlands it had prior opment and less-intensive pose a significant threat to to European settlement to land use. The reports said 80 the biological integrity of draining and filling for agri- percent of the state's other these wetlands," Michael culture and urban develop- . wetlands — in heavily agri- Bourdaghs, author of the ment. It now has about 10.6 cultural and more populated report on vegetation quality, million acres of wetlands, by 3 parts of central,southern and said in a statement. the Department of Natural J western Minnesota — aren't Ducks Unlimited hasn't had Resources' estimates. The ! faring nearly as well. time to review the studies in state's main focus so far has l The broader of the two detail, said Gildo Tori, the been on trying to preserve or 4 reports used vegetation qual- group's regional director of increase its wetland acreage, s ity as a key indicator, partly public policy.But he said that a no-net-loss of quantity poli- because it can affect a wet- many of those stressed wet- cy. But the MPCA recom- land's value as habitat for lands are located where the mended placing a greater °i ducks, geese, insects and Prairie Pothole Region, a cru- emphasis on promoting no- other wildlife. cial waterfowl habitat, over- net-loss of quality. It rated vegetation quality laps western and southern Minnesota's.waterfowl hunt- as "exceptional" in about 49 Minnesota. ing season opens Saturday. Pitter Patter. Celebrations. i Announce Call 651 -222-1111 your new for an order ►r arrival o form today. � I the world. PIONEER PRESS TwinCities=�com i