WISCONSIN STATE FARMER: AG says regulatory certainty critical to agribusiness, economy

Schimel has also been busy defending the state of Wisconsin from federal overreach against the Obama Administration’s regulations like the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule. WOTUS clarified what types of water bodies are applicable under the regulations of the Clean Water Act, so-called “navigable waters.” In 2015, a multi-state coalition, including Wisconsin, filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the legality of the rule adopted by the EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Last February, President Trump issued an executive order to re-evaluate WOTUS, beginning what many saw as a repeal of the rule. “That rule would have drastically expanded federal authority to regulate natural resources in Wisconsin, including virtually any body of water – isolated streams, 100-year floodplains, even ditches next to your field,” Schimel said. “This regulation would have absolutely crippled the ag industry in Wisconsin because it would require federal permits for daily activities carried out on farms. If you think local and state permit processes are time-consuming, expensive and intrusive…”

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Photo Credit: Colleen Kottke, Wisconsin State Farmer