AFBF Court Ruling Provides Ag Power Against Corps

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled landowners may challenge the federal government whenever the Army Corps of Engineers tries improperly to dictate land usage with regulations designed to protect water.  American Farm Bureau senior counsel for public policy Danielle Quist says the ruling means provides farmers and ranchers options against the Environmental Protection Agency and the Corps of Engineers.

“When a farmer or a rancher gets an approved jurisdictional determination that’s issued by the Corps of Engineers, if they believe that the Corp of Engineers has over stepped the bounds of the Clean Water Act after they exhaust all of their administrative remedies they can filed a lawsuit in federal court.”

Quist said last week’s unanimous ruling will save farmers and ranchers time and money.

“They have that option to go to court and not spend years trying to get a permit a permit that they may never get or a permit, that they may not be able to accept, and have to go to court at that later period of time,” Quist added.

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