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WOTUS top of mind at ’23 AFBF Convention

The president of the American Farm Bureau Federation says they have concerns with the EPA’s final Waters of the United States Rule.

Zippy Duvall says the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to revert to the pre-2015 WOTUS framework is disappointing.

“We still think that it is going to be a very confusing rule to our farmers,” he said during the 2023 AFBF Convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Sunday. “It will cause us to have to have consultants and lawyers to help us identify what is and what isn’t waters of the U.S.”

He says the agency attempted to clarify the rules around prior converted cropland, ponds and ditches.

“But overall, this rule muddies the water,” Duvall said. “I think this is very bad for agriculture across the country.”

The final rule would go into effect in early March, but Duvall says the American Farm Bureau will continue to advocate for a more commonsense framework.