The Environmental Protection Agency’s Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Advisory Committee (FRRCC) has issued their report on the Waters of the U.S (WOTUS) rule. The FRRCC’s recommendations include: Ensuring EPA compliance with the Clean Water Act and Supreme Court precedent limiting federal jurisdiction over bodies of water. Developing a clear definition of WOTUS that is easily interpreted by farmers and ranchers. Protecting WOTUS exemptions …
Alabama SWCC on Installation of Irrigation Pivots
Back in 2019, the Alabama Soil and Water Conservation Committee (SWCC) worked with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) to identify watersheds that would have funding priority for new irrigation systems. To update that progress, Alabama SWCC Executive Director Dr. William Puckett, told Southeast AgNet this week about the four areas of the state they are working with. Learn more …
Changes to Clean Water Rule Will Hurt Family Farms
(WASHINGTON, January 5, 2022) — Farming members of the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) will participate in a roundtable on Thursday, Jan. 6, to discuss the impact of the proposal to repeal and replace the Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR). The event is hosted by the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Advocacy. The Biden administration recently proposed a “step …
New WOTUS Slated for February Unveil
Politico reports the White House and the Environmental Protection Agency target February for the administration’s WOTUS debut. The Waters of the United States rule continues its seesaw reputation since first announced during the Obama administration. The Trump administration overhauled the rule, and now the Biden administration is doing the same. The EPA moved last month to formally remove the Trump-era …
NCBA Dealing with EPA Issues, Including WOTUS
While 2021 has been a busy year for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), their efforts on many fronts will continue in 2022. NCBA Chief Environmental Counsel Scott Yager explains what some of those issues are as they deal with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). And when it comes to the Waters of the United States (WOTUS), Yager says NCBA is working …
USDA?Continues to Invest in Wetland Mitigation Banks
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) continues to award grant funding for the Wetland Mitigation Banking Program (WMBP). The latest one announced this week is nearly $5 million and will support development of mitigation banks for the restoration, creation or enhancement of wetlands to compensate for unavoidable impacts to wetlands at another location. This latest announcement adds to the more than $12.4 …
DeSantis Pitches $99.7 Billion Budget
(NSF-TALLAHASSEE/Dec 9, 2021) — Saying that Florida is “clicking on all cylinders,” Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday proposed an election-year $99.7 billion budget that would funnel money to education, the environment and law-enforcement officers while giving motorists a temporary gas-tax break. The proposal, which came as DeSantis runs for a second term in November, will be a starting point for …
Agricultural Water Use Changes Proposed
Taylor Langford O’Bannon, food safety Extension agent for the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), shared information on the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) proposed changes to the Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule. The changes pertain specifically to Subpart E (Agricultural Water). “The proposed changes, if finalized, will replace the pre-harvest microbial quality criteria and testing …
Alabama Producers Urged to Complete Irrigation Questionnaire
The Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries (ADAI) wants to remind producers who performed agriculture irrigation upgrades in 2021 to complete an irrigation questionnaire. Hassey Brooks explains how eligible applicants can receive an irrigation tax credit. Ultimately, the Alabama Department of Revenue will issue the irrigation tax credit, but ASAI is responsible for collecting completed irrigation questionnaires from producers. The deadline date …
Reactions to Latest EPA Announcement on WOTUS
Thursday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Army released a proposed rule to re-establish the pre-2015 definition of “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS). The proposed rule would remove the Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR), which was finalized in 2020 and provided long-overdue certainty and clarity for farmers affected by the scope of WOTUS jurisdiction. Various commodity …