The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) has welcomed a newly proposed Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule from the Environmental Protection Agency and the US Army Corps of Engineers, calling it an important step toward regulations farmers can understand and follow.

The proposal tracks the framework the Supreme Court set in its Sackett decision, which narrowed federal authority over certain waters and wetlands. AFBF president Zippy Duvall said farmers want to protect natural resources and clean water, but need rules that are practical, predictable and clear enough that ordinary field work does not become a legal risk.

Uncertainty has been the sector's main complaint for a decade. Changing interpretations of WOTUS over the past decade left producers unsure which waters fell under federal jurisdiction and worried about breaking rules they could not interpret in the course of normal farming. A clearer definition, the federation says, lets them make land decisions without fear of unexpected penalties.

Duvall noted that farmers already work under a wide range of environmental standards and share regulators' goal of clean water, since their businesses depend on healthy soil and water. The organisation is still reviewing the details but says it is optimistic the rule could bring long-term stability.

Farm groups have long asked for a definition that survives changes of government. AFBF says it will follow the rulemaking and file comments; the outcome will shape land use, compliance and water regulation for years to come.

Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Source: Farms.com