2-406.

Legislative findings.

The Legislature finds that:

(1) With over ninety percent of Nebraska's land base in cropland and rangeland agricultural production, its agricultural sector is foundational to the state's economy. Nebraska agricultural producers face many challenges, from shrinking profit margins, depletion of natural resources, and extreme weather events, to increased public interest concerning the impact of current agricultural practices on the environment;

(2) Since the prairie was plowed for farming, Nebraska has lost topsoil and organic matter to both water and wind erosion. Soil erosion reduces soil productivity and deteriorates water quality. Organic matter is vital to soil fertility, structure, and water retention ability and is only at one-half of its original level;

(3) This state's soil and abundant water are Nebraska's most critical natural resources. The quality of both is vital for productive and profitable agricultural production, rural and urban economic viability, long-term food security, natural resource resiliency, and the associated influences on human health and quality of life. The relative quality and availability of the state's ground water and surface waters are directly impacted by the health of the land, particularly its agricultural soil;

(4) It is not uncommon to find nitrate levels in excess of federal drinking water standards in wells across the state. Elevated levels of nitrates in Nebraska's ground water are alarming as approximately eighty-five percent of Nebraska residents rely on drinking water pumped from the ground. While nitrate levels in Nebraska's ground water are gradually improving in some areas, they remain at troublesome levels elsewhere, particularly in the central and northeastern parts of Nebraska;

(5) The Healthy Soils Task Force created under section 2-402 concluded that healthier soils produced through best soil management practices improve yield stability, produce greater financial returns over time, reduce the need for chemical inputs, increase water infiltration rates and water storage capacity making soil more resilient to drought, flooding, and erosion, and protect and improve water quality. The task force also concluded that two significant barriers to adoption of healthy soil management practices by agricultural producers are uncertainty of the positive economic return on investment in healthy soil management practices and the lack of education and information available to a broader audience; and

(6) With the general public's growing interest in how food is grown relative to human health and long-term resiliency of our natural resources, greater adoption of healthy soil management practices is beneficial to both rural and urban contingencies. A voluntary grassroots effort to accelerate the means to protect and enhance Nebraska's soil and receive the benefits described in the task force report should be encouraged and supported.