Champaign, April 25, 2000: Twenty-four conservation, outdoor recreation, and family farm advocacy organizations in Illinois today sent a letter to Illinois Farm Bureau president, Ron Warfield, requesting that, “Illinois Farm Bureau end its history of resisting efforts to find long-term solutions to polluted agricultural runoff.”

“Polluted agricultural runoff is the number one water quality problem in Illinois, and Farm Bureau leadership has ignored this problem for too long,” said Robert Moore, Executive Director of Prairie Rivers Network. “Enough is enough.” {Continue Reading »}

Springfield, April 11, 2000: Prairie Rivers Network today released the report, Amber Waves of Gain: How the Farm Bureau is Reaping Profits at the Expense of America’s Family Farmers, Wildlife and the Environment. The report describes how Farm Bureau has used its considerable political power to build an agribusiness empire, while family farmers and the environment pay the costs.

In September of last year Prairie Rivers released Dirty Water, Dirty Business, a report which examined Illinois Farm Bureau’s policies, business interests, and their impact on the environment. The information in Dirty Water, Dirty Business is supported by the findings of Amber Waves of Gain and a recent 60 Minutes report on the Farm Bureau. {Continue Reading »}

Springfield, April 5, 2000:  Prairie Rivers Network today released Pollution Paralysis, a report compiled by the National Wildlife Federation which documents the slow progress of states in dealing with polluted runoff from urban and agricultural lands.  In Illinois, agriculture is responsible for 29% of the state‚s impaired waterbodies.

“Illinois has a long way to go in restoring our rivers and streams,” said Robert Moore, Executive Director of Prairie Rivers Network.  The two main problems facing Illinois‚ rivers are nutrient-based pollution and siltation problems associated with the agricultural industry.  {Continue Reading »}