ABC NEWS: Ranchers feel heard by Trump on environmental rules, but some others sound alarms

“America’s farmers and ranchers are true environmental stewards whose livelihood depends on their land,” Andrew Wheeler, the EPA’s acting administrator, told ABC News in a statement. “As such, we are committed to working closely with them and all of our stakeholders to provide greater regulatory certainty as we develop a new and improved definition of ‘Waters of the United States.’”

Waters of the United States (WOTUS), also called the Clean Water Rule, is like the Endangered Species Act, frustrating to some ranchers. The water rule was established by the Obama administration in 2015 to designate which waters, such as streams and wetlands, fall under federal regulations against pollution. The rule was delayed by legal challenges and in June the Trump administration proposed to revise it.

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Photo credit: Marty Smith