ILLINOIS

CORN
GROWERS

ASSOCIATION P.O. Box 1623 Bloomington, 1. 61702-1623 Ph. (309) 557-3257 FAX (309) 827-0916

August 12, 1999

Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Working Group
National Center for Costal Ocean Science
WS 13446 SSMC4

1305 East-west Hwy.

Silver Springs, MD 20910

Comments on CENR Hypoxia Reports

From: Doug Wilson, President
Illinois Corn Growers Association

Thank you for the opportunity to offer comments from the Illinois Com Growers Association
CCGA) regarding the Committee on Environmental and Natural Resource on the Gulf of Mexico
Hypoxia issue. ICGA is trade association representing corn producers in Illinois and as such we
have a significant interest in this topic.

Science First

You will be receiving abundant information from other groups documenting problems or concerns
with the CENR report so I will keep my comments short and to the point. First and foremost ICGA
is concerned the hypoxia issue has become political and from the public perspective it is being
tainted by emotion rather than reason.

There are several key flaws with the reports which provide enough reason to reevaluate the Teport
and the entire approach to the issue at this point. We need to step back and re-establish focus on the
issue from a strictly science-based perspective.

Farming Management Has Changed

Agriculture has made, and continues to make, remarkable gains in addressing soil management and
water quality. Farm management techniques today have changed to the point of being almost
unrecognizable to our fathers and grandfathers.

Today, nitrogen rates per bushel have decreased significantly. Corn growers have cut nitrogen
application rates by 22 percent from 1984 to 1998. Most growers today are using 1.02 pounds of

nitrogen today compared to 1.31 in 1984.

ICGA is working to expand and accelerate this trend through promoting government conservation
incentives and through direct producer education efforts on proper nitrogen application rates and
other Best Management Practices.

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Find us on the intemet at: www. ilcom.org or e-mail Icom@licomn.org,


“T” By 2000

One of the best ways to address nitrogen movement to water without adversely effecting farmer’s
optimal yields is to fight soil erosion. Nitrogen in runoff from farm fields has been a concern in the
past, and continues to be a concern. However, we have made significant gains in fighting erosion,
and thus nitrogen movement, through the “T” by 2000 program. The “T” stands fortolerable soil
loss and relates to lowering soil loss to a level that nature can replace any minimal soil losses.

Keeping the soil in place and the nitrogen in the soil profile allows plants to utilize the nitrogen
directly or for natural degradation of the nitrogen to take place. We have almost attained “T” across
Iiinois. Having done so means we are also reducing the amount of phosphorus loss from farm
fields.

Conservation tillage, conservation buffers, soil testing, variable rate technology, integrated pest
management, global positioning, precision agriculture techniques, and biotechnology are providing
us with new tools and success stories.

Agriculture is doing its part in addressing environmental issues through ongoing voluntary programs.
The industry has earned the right to fair treatment on the Hypoxia issue and this will only come
about if impartial science rules our choices and decides our future direction.

Heavy handed and cumbersome regulations, excessive taxes or outside entities trying to micro-
manage a farmers business operations will not provide a long term or sustainable resolution on this
issue. Unbiased scientific evidence is a must, and once obtained, will help guide agriculture in
additional steps which may be needed.

Thanks you for your consideration.
Sincerely,

Dayle QUL,

Douglas Wilson

President
Illinois Corn Growers Association
P.O. Box 1623
Bloomington, IL 61702
Telephone - (309) 557-3257
Fax - (309) 827-0916