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Hi, I'm Amanda! My family farms corn and soybeans in Southwest Michigan. I'm also a practicing attorney.

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So Long, WOTUS!

February 28, 2017

In move that many in rural America were waiting for, President Trump signed an executive order asking the EPA to reconsider the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule. The order comes after a federal court put the rule on hold while legal challenges to the rule were litigated. The newly-minted EPA Secretary Scott Pruitt was a big critic of the EPA and WOTUS, and has promised to kill the rule.

If you’re a little unsure of what the heck WOTUS is, and why farmers are happy it’s going away, you can read my previous commentary on it here and here. As a brief summary, the EPA promised that the proposed rule would clear up some ambiguities about what is considered a “navigable water” under the Clean Water Act, but it seemed to only create more confusion. Specifically, farmers were concerned that it could include drainage ditches and occasional puddles in fields. That could mean that every time we wanted to apply inputs to our fields, we would have to apply for the EPA for a permit. Unfortunately, crops cannot wait several months for the federal bureaucracy to issue a permit if they’re being threatened with pests and weeds.

The American Farm Bureau Federation, which has largely led the battle against WOTUS – both through advocacy and the court system, applauded the President’s actions today. AFBF President Zippy Duvall issued a statement saying:

President Trump’s executive order to ditch the Waters of the U.S. rule is a welcome relief to farmers and ranchers across the country today.

The flawed WOTUS rule has proven to be nothing more than a federal land grab, aimed at telling farmers and ranchers how to run their businesses. The Environmental Protection Agency failed to listen to farmers’ and ranchers’ concerns when drafting the rule and instead created widespread confusion for agriculture. Under the rule, the smallest pond or ditch could be declared a federal waterway.

Farmers and ranchers have been calling for a common-sense approach to regulatory reform, and today the Trump administration responded to that call. EPA has too long been characterized by regulatory overreach that disregards the positive conservation efforts of farmers and threatens their very way of life. Today’s action is as much a beginning as an end, and there is much work to do to ensure that any revised rule is transparent and fair for America’s farmers and ranchers.

Now, before we begin celebrations, WOTUS isn’t quite over just yet. While President Trump’s executive order asks the EPA to reconsider the rule, and it is very likely Secretary Pruitt will do just that, there is a still a formal process. The EPA will have to start with a proposal to repeal it, notice and comment periods, and issuing a final rule repealing it. There is no doubt that we will see certain groups, who are already attempting to peg this as a great threat to our nation’s water, fight to keep the rule.

However, I am confident that this is the first step in eliminating WOTUS and saying goodbye to it for good!

 

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Filed Under: Government Affairs Tagged With: environment, EPA, federal government, water, WOTUS

Comments

  1. Phil Townes says

    March 10, 2017 at 3:37 pm

    The tragedy of the commons. Zippy lied. The Rule clearly excluded diches and ponds. Thanks to Zippy, Trumpy and their effete, bottled-water chugging ilk, Alabama pig farmers are now free to drain their land into the Flint River and poison people who like Appalachicola oysters while Midwestern farmers keep feeding the anoxic dead zone in the Gulf.

    • Amanda says

      March 10, 2017 at 7:07 pm

      It usually helps to read the links I cite to before making comments that demonstrate you obviously do not know what you’re talking about.

Hi, I'm Amanda. My family farms corn and soybeans in Southwest Michigan. I'm an attorney and I'm passionate about agriculture!

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thefarmersdaughterusa

I'm Amanda. My family farms corn and soybeans in Southwest Michigan. I'm an attorney by day, and "agvocate" at night.

Amanda Zaluckyj
Some of the #soybeans are starting to turn--finall Some of the #soybeans are starting to turn--finally!
Green soybeans as far as the eye can see. I took Green soybeans as far as the eye can see. 

I took this photo over the weekend. These beans should be turning yellow and drying for harvest. So why aren't they? Because...the spring drought.

Seeds need water to germinate. But after we planted we didn't have rain for weeks. So those seeds just sat in the dirt and never sprouted. Then, finally, it rained. And the tiny plants started popping up.

The problem? It was several weeks too late for planting. The question is whether they'll be ready to harvest before the snow flies. We have shorter seasons in Michigan, so it'll be close.
Sunsets on the #farm are the best. 😍 Sunsets on the #farm are the best. 😍
💜💜 💜💜
Don't let anyone make you feel bad about not purch Don't let anyone make you feel bad about not purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables. It all counts.

#modernagriculture #foodproduction #usfarmers #usagriculture #usfarms #food #knowyourfarmer #knowyourfood #modernag #farms #sustainableagriclture #sustainablefarming
I visited one of my favorite local farm stands ove I visited one of my favorite local farm stands over the weekend. I thought I'd buy a couple zucchini and cantaloupe. But the zucchini looked more like clubs, and the cantaloupe was too ripe for my taste. So I passed on those and bought some tomatoes that maybe cost more than I would have preferred.

But you know what I didn't do? I didn't complain about the zucchinis' size. I didn't fuss about the melons' ripeness. I didn't criticize the tomatoes' price. Instead, I smiled at the lovely lady and made small talk as I paid and went about my day. 

Why? Because I remember what it was like being out by the side of the road hot day after hot day. I know that we all poured everything we had into that produce. I remember how defeating it felt when some criticized it. I know that the price is probably around market value, even if it's cheaper in the grocery store. And I know that the farm family behind that cash register is giving everything they have to chase a dream.

I won't be the one to rain on their parade. 

#Respect
Happy #nationaldogday from Mischa! #nationaldogda Happy #nationaldogday from Mischa!

#nationaldogday🐶 
#pittiemix 
#blacklab 
#mischa
Mischa and I are home on the farm for the weekend. Mischa and I are home on the farm for the weekend. And we're loving it.
It isn't one or the other. Farmers care about all It isn't one or the other. Farmers care about all of it.

#agriculture #farming #sustainablefarming #sustainability
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