LARAMIE, WY, JULY 1, 2015--The Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation applauds the State of Wyoming for joining in a lawsuit filed against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Army Corps of Engineers over the agencies’ Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule. 

On June 29, 2015, the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finalized one of the most significant environmental regulations in our nation’s history. The final WOTUS rule expands the agencies’ regulatory footprint far beyond what they have historically regulated or are authorized to regulate.   

“The State of Wyoming has recognized the dangerous federal overreach by regulators through the WOTUS rule governing Wyoming’s water bodies,” said Ken Hamilton, Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation Executive Vice President.  “This rule is a land grab that puts property rights of Wyomingites at risk and does nothing to benefit water.”

“The rule exceeds the agencies' legal authority and fails to provide the clarity that was promised,” Hamilton continued.

“The American Farm Bureau and the state Farm Bureaus led the “Ditch the Rule” campaign to inform people about the impact of the proposed rule and work to have the proposed rule withdrawn.  That led to the EPA running a publicity campaign; the EPA spent a lot of time and money lobbying the public about how harmless they alleged this rule change would be,” stated Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation President Perry Livingston.  “They pulled out all the stops in an effort to convince folks they just want to save us when in reality they want more control over the land.”

“It is tremendously important that this regulatory overreach be turned back so that states can utilize the Clean Water Act as Congress intended,” Livingston said.

Noting legislative efforts would be easier and more efficient to fix the issue, Livingston stated the Farm Bureau also supports the efforts by the legislative branch to achieve that goal.

As of June 30, 2015, 27 state governments have filed lawsuits challenging the final rule.

The Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation is the state’s largest general agriculture organization.  The primary goals of the organization are to protect private property rights and help members achieve an equitable return on their investment.  Visit www.wyfb.org.