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The Realtors® Land Institute Applauds The New WOTUS Rule

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January 23, 2020 (Chicago) – The REALTORS® Land Institute applauds the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for replacing the 2015 Clean Water Act, also known as Waters of The U.S. (WOTUS), with a new Clean Water/WOTUS rule that provides much-needed and long-awaited regulatory certainty for landowners nationwide.

The new rule brings clarity to which level of government – federal or state – oversees land that is usually dry but may take on water depending on weather. The new rule does not change who oversees permanent waterways, such as lakes, rivers, streams and other bodies that always or usually contain water. However, it does make clear that usually dry areas, like Prior Converted Crop (PCC) land, should not be considered federal waters and will remain excluded from their jurisdiction.

The 2020 National President of the REALTORS® Land Institute Kyle Hansen, ALC, responded to the news with the following comment, “The REALTORS® Land Institute and National Association of REALTORS® have long been strong supporters of the review and repeal of the WOTUS rule so that clarifications like this could be made to ensure that both private property rights and clean waterways are protected. This is a big win for landowners across the country, and a perfect reminder of the importance of using a qualified agent to help you navigate both the local and federal regulations that can come with conducting a land transaction.”

About the Realtors® Land Institute
The Realtors® Land Institute, The Voice of Land, continually strives to maintain its status as the acknowledged leader for all matters pertaining to the land real estate profession. The Realtors® Land Institute provides the expertise, camaraderie, and valuable resources that are the foundation for all land real estate professionals to become the best in the business. For more information, visit rliland.com or call 800.441.5263.

For additional information, please contact:
Jessa Friedrich, MBA, Marketing Manager
800-441-5263 | jfriedrich@realtors.org

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Farm Bill Passes House and Senate, Heads To President Trump’s Desk

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After passing both the House and Senate, the Farm Bill (also known as the Agriculture Improvement Act), is headed towards President Trump’s desk for his final seal of approval. The President is expected to approve the bill, saying yesterday that the bill is in “very good shape”.

The bill was overwhelmingly approved by the House, passing by 369-47, after being passed by the Senate on Tuesday.

If this Farm Bill gets President Trump’s final signature, the bill will renew crop insurance and expand the acreage of the Conservation Reserve Program. The bill will also allocate $225 million towards “Agriculture Trade Promotion and Facilitation”, which will help ease the financial impact on farmers during tariff wars. Overall, the Farm Bill is expected to cost $867 billion.

Environmental Protection Agency and Army propose a new definition of the WOTUS

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On December 11, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army proposed a new definition of the Waters of the United States rule (WOTUS). This proposal is the final step in the process to review and revise the controversial rule following President Trump’s 2017 “Restoring the Rule of Law, Federalism, and Economic Growth by Renewing the ‘Waters of the United States’ Rule” Executive Order.

 

“Our proposal would replace the Obama EPA’s 2015 definition with one that respects the limits of the Clean Water Act and provides states and landowners the certainty they need to manage their natural resources and grow local economies,” said EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “For the first time, we are clearly defining the difference between federally protected waterways and state protected waterways. Our simpler and clearer definition would help landowners understand whether a project on their property will require a federal permit or not, without spending thousands of dollars on engineering and legal professionals.”

wotus proposal epa signing december 11

RLI Past President Bob Turner, ALC, attended the official signing. “We will finally have clarification of the rules, we will be able to easily determine what is Federal waters and what is not without having to hire engineers, consultants and lawyers to get a determination,” said Turner. “This will allow landowners, farmers, developers, home builders, and conservationist to own, improve, develop, maintain and pass on to future generations with a clear, understandable and implementable definition.” Read more.

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WOTUS Rule Sees Revival in Twenty-six States

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The controversial Waters of the US (WOTUS) Rule is being re-implemented in 26 states after a federal judge’s ruling that the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers improperly suspended it. “U.S. District Judge David Norton in South Carolina agreed with environmental groups that the agencies failed to follow the public-comment requirements of the Administrative Procedures Act in implementing a suspension rule this year that was intended to delay enforcement of the 2015 rule. The APA requires agencies to take public comment on regulatory actions before implementing them,” stated a recent article on AgWeek.

The REALTORS® Land Institute and National Association of REALTORS® support the review of the WOTUS rule as laid out by President Trump’s Executive Order to ensure that both private property rights and clean waterways are protected.

States Under Jurisdiction of WOTUS as of 9.20.2018

This image represents the most current information available as of September 20, 2018.

RLI Joins Coalition to Protect Prior Converted Cropland (PCC)

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The RLI Board of Directors recently approved the Governmental Affairs Committee request to participate in a broad industry-based coalition to ensure that prior converted cropland (PCC) exclusions are retained in the revision of WOTUS rules. PCC are areas that were converted from wetland to non-wetlands for the purposes of agricultural commodity prior to December 1985 and should not be subjected to WOTUS rules. RLI is joining the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Cotton Council, and many others to protect the PCC exclusions.