“The process of evaluating a wind lease can be complex, and the signing of such a lease involves a long-term commitment by the landowner. Leases can be as short as a few pages or as long as a hundred pages. As a general rule, longer lease documents provide more detailed responsibilities for the leasing parties and are more likely to provide specific answers for disputes that arise in the future. It is also important to note that nearly all leases are option agreements and do not guarantee that wind energy will be developed on the property. [Read more →]

A new study by the Union of Concerned Scientists shows that misguided federal farm policies encouraging the growth of confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) have shifted billions of dollars in environmental, health and economic costs to taxpayers and communities.

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Iowa Farmers Union president Chris Petersen of Clear Lake testified before Congress regarding the Clean Water Restoration Act of 2007 on April 16 in Washington, DC. He was one of only a handful of agricultural organization representatives from across the US invited to testify.

Speaking before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Petersen said, “Any legislation impacting clean water must be clear enough for farmers to be able to predict which lands and waters will be covered.” [Read more →]