Joint resolution establishing soil health week and day

68th Legislature 2023 SJ 9.1 - 1 - Authorized Print Version – SJ 9 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 9 1 INTRODUCED BY B. GILLESPIE, J. ELLIS 2 3 A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF 4 MONTANA ESTABLISHING THE FIRST WEEK IN APRIL AS MONTANA SOIL HEALTH WEEK AND THE 5 FIRST WEDNESDAY IN APRIL AS SOIL HEALTH DAY. 6 7 WHEREAS, recognizing soil as an essential natural resource, and Montana's agricultural producers 8 and professionals as playing a critical role in managing Montana's soil and water resources; and 9 WHEREAS, Montana is home to more than 27,000 agricultural producers who are reporting less farm-10 related income; and 11 WHEREAS, the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the United States Department of 12 Agriculture defines soil health as the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that 13 sustains plants, animals, and humans; and 14 WHEREAS, the concept of soil health across the Montana landscape is not new, but is only recently 15 recognized as needed to prevent soil degradation and the degradation of soil can be rapid, while the formation 16 and regeneration processes can be very slow; and 17 WHEREAS, as of 2007, an average of 6.4 tons of topsoil per acre were lost every year due to erosion 18 in Montana, compromising the productivity of agriculture in the state; and 19 WHEREAS, agriculture is Montana’s top industry, generating more than $3.7 billion in services and 20 products to the state’s economy; and 21 WHEREAS, Montana’s fish, wildlife, and diverse ecosystem generate almost $4 billion a year to 22 Montana's economy and provide one-ninth of the total jobs that are dependent on soil health; and 23 WHEREAS, healthy soil increases nutrient availability and helps capture, retain, and store more water, 24 increasing the economic viability of farms and ranches, the availability of water for municipalities and 25 recreational uses, and in-stream flows for power generation; and 26 WHEREAS, as soil organic carbon increases, so does its water holding capacity, increasing 27 agriculture's resilience to drought and water shortages; and 28 68th Legislature 2023 SJ 9.1 - 2 - Authorized Print Version – SJ 9 WHEREAS, farming and ranching are vital to economic development for Montana's tribes and rural 1 communities; and 2 WHEREAS, healthy soils provide productive grazing; bountiful crops; clean air; water free from 3 sediment, nutrients, and other pollutants; and diverse wildlife and landscapes through five basic functions: 4 (1) help to control where rainfall, snowmelt, and irrigation water goes as water and dissolved 5 solutions flow over or into and through soil; 6 (2) sustain a diverse, productive plant and animal life; 7 (3) filter and buffer potential pollutants; 8 (4) cycle and recycle nutrients of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and other nutrients that are stored 9 and transformed in the soil; and 10 (5) provide physical stability by supporting soil structure, human structures, and archeological 11 artifacts; and 12 WHEREAS, there are six basic principles of soil health that contribute to the long-term prosperity and 13 resilience of our state's, counties', and cities' soil and water resources: 14 (1) minimize soil disturbance and external inputs, including reduced tillage; 15 (2) maximize plant and microbial diversity; 16 (3) maintain the presence of living roots; 17 (4) keep the soil covered, including with cover crops and crop residue, to armor the soil; 18 (5) integrate animals into land management, including grazing animals, birds, benefici al insects, or 19 keystone species, such as earthworms; and 20 (6) incorporate the context of local conditions in decisionmaking, including, for example, soil type, 21 topography, and time of year; and 22 WHEREAS, Montana has designated the Scobey as its official state soil; and 23 WHEREAS, the State of Montana should be actively raising awareness of the importance of soil health 24 and promoting its stewardship to safeguard this resource for future generations ; and 25 WHEREAS, awareness facilitates the necessary changes in agricultural practices to sustain our 26 Montana soils for the centuries to come and celebratory activities will bring greater awareness and appreciation 27 of the merits of healthy soils and the producers that cultivate them in Montana. 28 68th Legislature 2023 SJ 9.1 - 3 - Authorized Print Version – SJ 9 1 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF 2 THE STATE OF MONTANA: 3 That the first week of April be designated as Montana Soil Health Week. 4 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Wednesday of the first week of April be designated as Soil 5 Health Day and that the people of Montana, the Montana Department of Agriculture, the Montana Department 6 of Natural Resources and Conservation, and the Montana Association of Conservation Districts are encouraged 7 to observe the day. 8 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Secretary of State send copies of this resolution to the director 9 of the Department of Agriculture, the Office of the Governor, the director of the Department of Natural 10 Resources and Conservation, the director of the Montana Association of Conservation Districts, and Montana’s 11 Congressional Delegation. 12 - END - 13