WASHINGTON, D.C. — Cattle producers voiced their concerns with the Environmental Protection Agency’s and Army Corps of Engineers’ ongoing Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rulemaking attempt at a roundtable June 6 organized by the Kansas Livestock Association.
“Cattle producers are grateful for the opportunity to share their perspective on WOTUS and explain how rules crafted in Washington will impact the daily operations of farms and ranches across the country,” National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Environmental Counsel Mary-Thomas Hart said in a news release. “To be successful in their operations, cattle producers need a clear, limited WOTUS definition that finally provides much-needed certainty after years of shifting rules.”
Aaron Popelka, vice president of legal & government affairs, Kansas Livestock Association, said “We supported the Navigable Waters Protection Rule, particularly because it gave some bright, bright lines for our producers to decide, ‘Do I need to talk to EPA, or do I need to talk to the state regulatory agency?’”
Shawn Tiffany, president-elect, Kansas Livestock Association, said, “Changes in practices, whether it’s adoption of new management strategies, are much better incentivized by education rather than regulation.
“There is a misconception that [cattle feeders] don’t care about the environment, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. The fact that my operation is large only means that my stewardship mindset impacts more acres.”
Dan Meyerhoff, executive director, Kansas Association of Conservation Districts, said, “If we increase regulations and make things more stringent it’s going to hinder the voluntary conservation efforts that I think are very successful in here.”
A recording of the roundtable is available at bit.ly/3xDmy0o.
