The fiscal year appropriations bill that President Trump signed includes a reauthorization of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). The Hagstrom Report says it funds the Army Corps of Engineers civil works program that builds and maintains the ports and inland waterways that are vital to the agriculture industry. Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa says, “it’s important that Congress pass …
Inspect Center Pivot Irrigation Systems Now to Prevent Issues Later
By Cale Cloud, David Hall for CAES News Now is a good time to winterize and perform some preventive maintenance on center pivot irrigation systems. Irrigation system maintenance during the winter months is very important because it can ensure a system’s longevity, and regular maintenance can also potentially reduce the risk of experiencing downtime at critical crop stages during the …
Commissioner Nikki Fried on Florida Seizing Wetlands Permitting From EPA
(FDACS) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signed an agreement granting Florida authority to issue construction permits in protected wetlands, an authority previously handled for many years by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the EPA. In the 43 years since states were allowed to seek wetland permitting authority, only two had requests approved, and none since 1994. Both of …
Conservation Efforts Continue on Florida’s Farms, Ranches Amid Pandemic
(USDA/NRCS/FL) — USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Florida continued its conservation work across the state despite a year marked with a pandemic and natural disasters. The agency helped farmers, ranchers and forest landowners implement conservation practices to help conserve natural resources and boost their bottom lines. Additionally, NRCS launched new online tools that increased the efficiency, effectiveness and delivery of crucial …
USDA Updates Conservation Standards
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) recently completed and published updates to its set of National Conservation Practice Standards, which include 58 standards that have been updated or revised since August. According to Acting NRCS Chief, Kevin Norton, those standards cover a wide range of practices including irrigation water management. He notes that USDA’s conservation efforts include a …
What’s Happening on America’s Lands, Soils, and Waters?
(USDA/NRCS) — NRCS You may be curious about what’s happening on the lands across the United States over time. If we didn’t have the data collection of the National Resources Inventory (NRI), we could only guess. NRI collects data on natural resources, soil and water conservation practices, irrigation, and many other farming practices so we can not only know what …
Facts of the Flow: Lake Okeechobee, 2020 Year-to-Date
(SFWMD) — Here is the latest update on inflows into Lake Okeechobee for the calendar year to date. This data is provided by SFWMD’s DBHYDRO database. There has been no back-pumping into Lake Okeechobee from the Everglades Agricultural Area this year. Source: South Florida Water Management District Sponsored ContentNuseed Carinata Covers New GroundJuly 15, 2024CIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2024TriEst …
Registration Deadline Approaches for Hurricane Michael Timber and Irrigation Recovery Block Grant Programs
(FDACS) — The registration deadline for the Florida Timber Recovery Block Grant Program and the Florida Irrigation Recovery Block Grant Program is Friday, November 20. Since the program launched in August, more than 1,500 registrations have been received and nearly $10 million in crop loss payments have been issued to agricultural producers and forest landowners who suffered damage from Hurricane Michael in 2018. “I am incredibly proud of our …
Commissioner Fried Comments on Florida Request to Assume EPA Responsibilities on Clean Water Act
(FDACS) — On the final day of virtual public hearings on the state of Florida’s request to assume the administration of the Clean Water Act’s Section 404 program from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Commissioner Nikki Fried, an independently-elected member of the Florida Cabinet, offered the following: “Just before an election, the DeSantis administration is furthering their relentless drive to consolidate power, seizing authority from the federal government and …
Insurance, Water Issues on the Table for Legislative Session
(NSF) — Florida senators will be asked to eliminate the state’s no-fault auto insurance option and increase spending to repair the state’s natural springs, the incoming Senate president said Thursday. Senate President-designate Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, told business leaders that lawmakers meeting for the 2021 legislative session also will need to consider efforts to keep polluted Central Florida waters from flowing …