Secretary Naig Comments on the U.S. Supreme Court’s Decision in Sackett v. EPA

May 26, 2023

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig released the following statement today after the United States Supreme Court issued a decision in the case of Sackett v. EPA:

“The Supreme Court’s decision is a step in the right direction, by finally addressing significant regulatory uncertainty that has lingered for far too long. The decision better defines the regulatory scope of the federal government as it relates to America's land and water. Curtailing this expensive and burdensome federal overreach gives Iowa farmers the confidence to continue using modern farming practices and will allow further acceleration of important conservation work across our state.”

Source : iowaagriculture.gov

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.