MONTANA IS FIGHTING TO SAVE OUR WATER
PLEASE JOIN THE FIGHT
From: Nicole Rolf
Date: 05/28/2014
Subject: Submit Comments on EPA's proposed Waters of the United States rule
ACTION ALERT | CLEAN
WATER ACT: Is a farm pond navigable? What about a ditch or ephemeral
stream? If EPA finalizes its new expansive Water Rule, virtually every
area that gets wet or has flow during rainfall could be regulated.
Montana Farm Bureau is
asking members to submit comments to EPA and oppose this new rule.
Ponds, ditches, ephemerals (land that looks like a small stream during
heavy rain but isn’t wet most of the time) and isolated wetlands dot the
nation’s farms and ranchland. The proposed rule would expand EPA’s
regulatory authority under the Clean Water Act (CWA) to these types of
land features and waters, giving the agencies the power to dictate
land-use decisions and farming practices in or near them. MFBF, along
with American Farm Bureau and other interested parties, are working
diligently to make sure the rule is not made permanent, but we need your
help to put pressure on the EPA so they know this rule is unnecessarily
heavy handed and will harm the farms and ranches that produce food for
our great nation.
Normal farming and
conservation activities, such as fencing, brush management and pruning
shrubs and trees, were exempted by Congress and have never required
permits under the Clean Water Act. However, EPA and the Corps would now
require farmers and ranchers to meet otherwise voluntary Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) standards for these everyday
normal farming activities and voluntary conservation practices, or else
face Clean Water Act liability. By linking the normal farming exemptions
to NRCS standards, the rule would make voluntary conservation standards
subject to EPA enforcement. You can learn more at the Ditch the Rule
website: http://ditchtherule.fb.org/
The rule will make it
more difficult to farm and ranch and will essentially give the EPA veto
power over land use decisions, even on private property. This is why we
need you to oppose the rule! If you have any questions, please let me
know! EPA released the proposed rule in the end of March and has only
allowed a 90 day comment period so please get your comments OPPOSING the
rule to them as soon as possible!
Please submit your comments by clicking here: http://capwiz.com/afb/issues/
Thank you!
Nicole Rolf
Nicole Griffin Rolf
Montana Farm Bureau Federation
Director of National Affairs
Eastern Montana Regional Manager
406-232-1559 (office) 406-951-2429 (cell)
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