Perennial plants have always played crucial roles in protecting the environment – our soil, air, and water resources. Perennial forages provide these same services, and do a better job than annual crop plants, especially in the short growing season of the northern USA and southern Canada. In doing so, perennial forages improve the sustainability of farming systems.

The American public is increasingly interested in how farming affects the environment. According to a Gallup Organization poll in 2001, over 80% are concerned about water and air pollution and the loss of wildlife habitat. Another poll in 1999 by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press showed that over 80% of the American public agreed with the statement: ‘There need to be stricter laws and regulations to protect the environment.’ Nearly 90% of Midwest respondents in a survey conducted by American Farmland Trust in 2001 said they would favor additional incentives for farms that put management practices in place to protect water quality, enhance wildlife habitat and protect ground water recharge systems.

Growing perennial forages, especially in strategically selected places on the landscape, can go a long way toward satisfying the public’s demand for responsible farming, and in keeping farmers in business. This paper conveys ways that perennial forages help protect the environment, focusing on prevention of nitrate losses and remediation of nitrate-contaminated sites.