Ag groups are speaking out against a new WOTUS rule, saying it creates confusion in the ag community.
It will replace the Navigable Water Protection Rule put in place during the Trump Administration and will revert back to similar protections seen during the Obama years.
Government officials say it offers more protections to rivers, lakes, and wetlands, but leaders at the American Farm Bureau say it only creates more confusion, especially since the Supreme Court is yet to rule on Sackett vs. EPA.
“This rule does not provide the needed clarity and certainty that the regulated community has long called for. This rule allows the federal government to expand their jurisdictional reach over private property. It is clear that the agencies have doubled down on their use of the troubling significant nexus test, which will require landowners to hire environmental consultants, attorneys, and engineers to ensure that they are in compliance,” said AFBF Senior Director of Government Affairs, Courtney Briggs.
The new rule goes into effect in 60 days. There is no timetable on when the Supreme Court will have a decision in the Sackett vs. EPA.
