Shelter belts and warning from soil experts
Travis Bateman
Farmer Staff Writer
As powerful spring winds once again whip across the Northern Plains, North Dakota officials and conservation advocates are warning that the state could be relearning hard lessons first seared into the prairie during the Dust Bowl era of the 1930s.
The renewed concern comes as the Dakota Legacy Initiative’s Windbreak Renovation Initiative continues pushing to restore aging shelterbelts and tree rows that for decades have protected farms, ranches, roads and communities from erosion and dangerous blowing dust. The program, supported through the North Dakota Forest Service and the Outdoor Heritage Fund, provides technical and financial assistance to landowners seeking to rehabilitate deteriorating windbreaks across the state.
The initiative arrives at a time when dust storms are again becoming a visible and sometimes dangerous feature across parts of North Dakota.
In recent weeks, powerful wind events across western and eastern portions of the state have generated near-zero visibility conditions on highways and stripped valuable topsoil from exposed fields. In May, strong winds across the Red River Valley created dust clouds that farmers said threatened soil health and reduced visibility for motorists.
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