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THE ASTORIAN • SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 2020
Ag interests applaud new federal water rule
Scales back
Obama policy
By CAROL RYAN
DUMAS
Capital Press
Groups
representing
farmers and ranchers are
hailing a fi nal rule that pro-
vides a clear defi nition of
Waters of the United States
under the Clean Water Act.
The new Navigable
Waters Protection Rule
replaces the Obama admin-
istration’s
controversial
2015 rule, which expanded
federal jurisdiction to nearly
all waterways and many
areas that only temporarily
hold water.
The new rule, announced
on Thursday, identifi es four
categories of waters that are
federally regulated under the
Clean Water Act:
• The territorial seas and
traditional navigable waters.
• Perennial and intermit-
tent tributaries.
• Certain lakes, ponds
and impoundments.
• Wetlands adjacent to
jurisdictional waters.
It also details waters
not subject to federal con-
trol — including features
that only contain water in
direct response to rainfall;
groundwater; many ditches
including farm and road-
side ditches; prior converted
cropland; farm and stock
watering ponds; and waste
treatment systems.
The American Farm
Bureau Federation said the
new rule achieves important
regulatory oversight while
allowing farmers to farm.
“Farmers and ranchers
care about clean water and
preserving the land, which
are essential to producing
healthy food and fi ber and
ensuring future generations
can do the same,” Zippy
Duvall, the farm bureau
president, said.
“That’s why we support
the new clean water rule.
It provides clarity and cer-
The Trump administration has announced a new Waters of the United States rule.
tainty, allowing farmers to
understand water regula-
tions without having to hire
teams of consultants and
lawyers,” he said.
The National Farmers
Union expressed appreci-
ation for the clarity in the
new rule but also urged
the Trump administra-
tion to ensure the availabil-
ity of clean water for future
generations.
“Family farmers and
ranchers have been confused
by ambiguous water regula-
tions for many years,” Roger
Johnson, the group’s presi-
dent, said.
“Now that we have a
more precise defi nition
of WOTUS, we hope that
farmers will better under-
stand which kinds of water
are subject to federal author-
ity and which are not,” he
said.
But farmers also need
access to clean, safe water
for their families, their farms
and their communities, he
said.
“When regulating natu-
ral resources, EPA (Environ-
mental Protection Agency)
and the Army Corps of Engi-
‘WE HAVE BEEN FUNCTIONING
UNDER A TANGLED PATCHWORK
OF WATER REGULATION
FOR FAR TOO LONG.’
Barbara Glenn | CEO of National Association
of State Departments of Agriculture
neers must balance certainty
for farmers, ranchers and
property owners with pro-
tections for our water sup-
ply,” he said.
The National Association
of Wheat Growers said the
rule provides more clarity in
Clean Water Act applicabil-
ity and defi nition of Waters
of the U.S.
“Today’s
announce-
ment is welcome news to
America’s wheat producers
who’ve dealt with years of
regulatory uncertainty,” Ben
Scholz, the group’s presi-
dent, said.
“Farmers are dependent
on protecting our natural
resources for safe and reli-
able water to grow crops
and for the communities that
DEL’S O.K. TIRE
farmers are a part of. To do
so, we need regulatory cer-
tainty and clarity as well as
a common-sense framework
for how the rules will work,”
he said.
The National Corn Grow-
ers Association said the 2015
WOTUS rule would have
increased regulatory bur-
dens and costs for farmers.
“Farmers are commit-
ted to protecting the envi-
ronment and implementing
on-farm soil health practices
like planting cover crops,
reducing tillage and more
carefully managing crop res-
idue,” Kevin Ross, group’s
president, said.
“This new rule gives the
fl exibility and clarity needed
to implement stewardship
practices without the threat
of government action,” he
said.
The American Soybean
Association said the 2015
rule was cumbersome and
confusing, and the new reg-
ulation will better provide
certainty and clear direction
for farmers.
“We have long rallied for
a replacement rule that pro-
tects our waterways while
still offering a workable
solution for farmers and
that does not impose undue
burden on agriculture,” Bill
Gordon, the group’s presi-
dent, said.
The National Cattlemen’s
Beef Association said the
2015 WOTUS rule was an
“illegal” effort to assert con-
trol over private property.
“NCBA
relentlessly
fought WOTUS on Capi-
tol Hill, at the agencies and
in the courts. Today, we can
rest a little easier knowing
that some power has been
put back in the hands of
landowners,” Jennifer Hous-
ton, the group’s president,
said.
The National Pork Pro-
ducers Council said the new
rule gives farmers greater
certainty while also protect-
ing water quality and the
environment.
“The previous WOTUS
rule was a dramatic gov-
ernment overreach and an
unprecedented expansion of
federal authority over pri-
vate lands,” David Herring,
the group’s president, said.
“We’re pleased EPA has
fi nalized a common-sense
rule, the Navigable Waters
Protection Rule, that works
with — not against — farm-
ers to protect our nation’s
waterways,” he said.
The National Milk Pro-
ducers Federation said the
new rule puts an end to years
of contentious rule-mak-
ing and will provide a com-
mon-sense approach to
regulation .
The National Associa-
tion of State Departments
of Agriculture said the new
rule will provide farmers
with certainty and a clear
view of how water will be
regulated on their land.
“As leading state ag offi -
cials, NASDA members are
responsible for protecting
natural resources in con-
junction with the Clean
Water Act,” Barbara Glenn,
the CEO of the association ,
said.
“We have been function-
ing under a tangled patch-
work of water regulation
for far too long. We look
forward to working with
the EPA to implement the
rule and eliminate ambigu-
ity while safeguarding our
nation’s water resources,”
she said.
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