Jack Field, Washington cattleman and Executive Vice President of the Washington Cattlemen’s Association says it doesn't matter where cattlemen raise their cattle or hang their hat, all cattlemen should be concerned over the proposed Environmental Protection Agency's proposed Waters of the U.S. rule. He says it will have a profoundly negative impact on producers anywhere in the United States.
"We're extremely concerned that this proposal will dramatically narrow the exemption for normal agricultural, ranching and civic cultural activities and also create a de facto best management practice list which would be interpreted as an 'ag practices act' by taking what are currently voluntary incentive based activities established by the Natural Resource Conservation District and creating those as a requirement that must be adhered to strictly as by letter of the practice," Field said.
"The concern that we have is that if a producers don't have a NRCS practice implemented that is listed on the prescriptive list of 56, then they would be required to obtain a 404-Permit," Field said. "I don't think any rancher has ever thought or would ever assume there would be a need a permit for grazing cattle on a riparian area or for installing a fence."
"The idea that would we would have to have this level of regulation is dumfounding," Field said. "Its going to absolutely nothing to enhance water quality, rather than in my opinion I think chill producers on volunteer based incentive based conservation."
Field says in visiting with NRCS representatives they are very worried about the EPA using their voluntary practices as a club over the head of cattle producers.
"They're extremely concerned," Field said. "They want to be sure that they can continue to maintain the existing nonregulatory, voluntarily incentive based relationship that they have with producers and landowners."
According to Field this is a massive land grab by the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers are looking at the 'Waters of the US' proposal.
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