Illinois Nutrient Reduction Strategy

Illinois EPA is proposing a new nutrient reduction strategy to address concerns about water quality.  Prairie Farmer provides a good summary of the proposed strategy. The comment period is open.  Check the link in the Prairie Farmer article.  Here is the executive summary.  Check out the full strategy too.  Who is on the policy Working group is very eye opening.  One of the strategies that worries me is that they are advocating the Maximum return to nitrogen strategy. I understand the strategy and think it can be a good one under certain circumstances, but it may be yield limiting when environmental circumstances might indicate a need for a rescue treatment.

To their credit they are targeting urban runoff s well as agricultural.

If this does not seem real and urgent consider that the state of Ohio has recently adopted lawsconerning nutrient applications on runoff entering Lake Erie and other targeted watersheds.