November 23, 2021

Farm Bureau leaders attend WOTUS listening session

Topic: Issues

Bismarck, ND -- North Dakota Farm Bureau, along with American Farm Bureau Federation’s Vice President Scott VanderWal and leaders from around the state, attended Senator Kevin Cramer’s Waters of the U.S. Stakeholder Listening Session with EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox on Monday, November 22, 2021.

“Wholesale changes intended to reimplement the overreach contained in the 2015 WOTUS will be devastating to not only agriculture but also other small businesses and growing communities,” said NDFB President Daryl Lies. “The constant attack on states' rights is, at the very least, concerning and more possibly a violation of constitutional rights and separations.”

Leaders from every aspect of agriculture and energy along with builders, contractors, municipalities, counties and states worked hard on the WOTUS rewrite which provided more faith in how it operates and also restored state’s rights.

“This is all about freedom and private property rights, both of which this country was built on,” said VanderWal. “The states are best positioned to deal with their water issues and take care of natural resources.”

VanderWal said farmers and landowners need clarity which the Navigable Waters Protection Rule does.

Joining Senator Cramer and Administrator Fox was Senator John Hoeven, Lt. Governor Brent Sanford, North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring, and Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Jaime Pinkham.

NDFB is thankful to Senator Cramer for hosting the Stakeholder Listening Session. According to Lies, these meetings happen because of Senator Cramer’s position on the Environment and Public Works Committee and the respect he has from agencies in D.C.

VanderWal sat down with NDFB to share some of Farm Bureau's concerns about the proposed rule change.