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 …
NCBA: Tell the EPA to Support Clean Water and Clear Rules
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is urging cattle producers across the country to sign a letter they are sending to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asking them to support clean water and clear rules. The letter, directed to EPA Administrator Michael Regan, notes that livestock producers across the country faced years of regulatory uncertainty related to the definition of “Waters of the …
EPA, Army Announce Regional Roundtables on WOTUS
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of the Army are calling on communities to propose roundtables to provide input on the implications of the new “WOTUS” rule. The regional roundtables will engage stakeholders representing many perspectives in important conversations designed to help the agency work to develop an enduring definition of the “Waters of the U.S. Rule” that …
Irrigation and Nutrient Management BMPs
A Citrus Expo presentation about best management practices (BMPs) focused on what growers should be doing now in their irrigation and nutrient management programs. The presentation noted that current BMPs were developed prior to HLB’s discovery in Florida in 2005, and that studies are underway to revise the citrus BMPs for nitrogen and phosphorus. The presentation was created by University …
AFBF: EPA Should Keep “Navigable” in New WOTUS Rule
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) submitted recommendations last week on the definition of “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS). The comments were filed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers. In June 2021, the EPA announced its intent to revise the definition of WOTUS and solicited pre-proposal recommendations. In the recommendations, AFBF expresses disappointment …