(FDACS/TALLAHASSEE, FL/Jan. 18, 2022) — Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced the appointment of West Gregory as the Director of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ (FDACS) Office of Agricultural Water Policy. “I’m honored to appoint West Gregory to lead our Office of Agricultural Water Policy. West Gregory has the unique experience and skillset – having worked …
Republican House Agriculture Committee Members Announced
We now know the Republican members of the House Agriculture Committee. Chair GT Thompson made the announcement this week. Fifteen Republicans are returning from last year, and there are 12 who are new to the committee this year. Notables from the Southeast who are returning are Austin Scott of Georgia, Kat Cammock of Florida, and Barry Moore of Alabama. There …
Georgia Legislative Session Underway
The 2023 Georgia State Legislative Session kicked off January 9th and the 40-day session will involve various issues of interest to those in agriculture. Georgia Agribusiness Council (GAC) President Will Bentley told Southeast AgNet’s Randall Weiseman, one major issue the General Assembly will deal with again this year is the budget. To keep track of activities during the 2023 legislative session, …
DeSantis, Cabinet Eye Land Conservation Deals
(NSF/TALLAHASSEE, FL/Jan. 11,2023) — Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet next week will consider a series of proposed land deals that include preserving more than 12,000 acres in Northwest Florida and keeping three ranches from future development. During a meeting Tuesday, DeSantis and the Cabinet will decide whether to spend $18.09 million to buy 12,439 acres in Liberty County. …
AFBF: More Uncertainty for WOTUS
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) says more uncertainty is ahead when it comes to the new Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule. The new rule comes as the Supreme Court will soon release a decision on a lawsuit against a previous version of WOTUS. AFBF Deputy General Counsel Travis Cushman says the new rule goes beyond the previous rule …
DeSantis Outlines Second-Term Environmental Plans
(NSF/TALLAHASSEE, FL/Jan. 10, 2023) — Gov. Ron DeSantis announced plans Tuesday to spend $3.5 billion in his second term on environmental projects such as restoring the Everglades and addressing water-quality problems. “This may be a bigger, more comprehensive executive order than we did four years ago. But I think that’s the right thing to do,” DeSantis, who was re-elected in …
Lawmakers Look to Stabilize Agriculture Industry
(NSF/TALLAHASSEE, FL/Jan. 4, 2023) — As Florida lawmakers look to reduce foreign ownership of farmland, Senate Agriculture Chairman Jay Collins said Wednesday he thinks growth is possible for the state’s agriculture industry. But first, the freshman Republican senator from Tampa said the goal is to bring stability to the industry, which was battered by Hurricane Ian and has struggled for …
Important Ag Provisions in the Omnibus Bill
President Biden signed the omnibus spending package into law that diverts a government shutdown and keeps it running until September 30, 2023. The bill with more than 4,000 pages contains many notable items important to U.S. farmers and ranchers. The bill includes $3.7 billion in disaster funding for crop and livestock losses due to drought and other problems in 2022. …
U.S. Congress Passes Omnibus Appropriations Bill
Includes USPF Supported Peanut Projects (USPF/Jan. 3, 2023/Washington, D.C.) — The U.S. Congress has passed the $1.7 trillion Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Omnibus Appropriations bill. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 consists of all 12 FY23 appropriation bills, including the $25.5 billion Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies funding bill. Included in the bill are peanut provisions …
Ag Reacts to EPA, Army WOTUS Rule
NCBA Statement On New WOTUS Rule (NCBA/WASHINGTON/December 30, 2022) — The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) issued the following statement on the Biden administration’s finalized Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule. “For too long, farmers and ranchers have dealt with the whiplash of shifting WOTUS definitions. Today, the Biden administration sought to finalize a WOTUS definition that will protect both …