Among agriculture groups responding to Judge Erickson’s ruling:
  • Arkansas Farm Bureau.
“The judge clearly made the right call,” said Randy Veach, Arkansas Farm Bureau President, a cotton, soybean and corn farmer from Manila (Mississippi County). “I’ve never met the man, but I want to shake his hand. He obviously sees the world with clear eyes and that should be applauded.
“This has not been a debate about how water should be regulated. It has been an effort to see just how far the U.S. citizens would allow a government agency to get into their business. Hopefully, this injunction is the first step toward total dismissal of EPA’s efforts to supersede local and state authority.”
  • National Corn Growers Association.
“We support the judge’s decision in North Dakota, which should give the courts and the public more time to figure out how to proceed with WOTUS,” said Chip Bowling, NCGA president. “The Army Corps of Engineers has stated this rule is not based on science or law and is unlikely to withstand a legal challenge. When even the federal agencies responsible for this rule can’t agree on its constitutionality, it’s time for EPA to withdraw the rule and start this process over.
“It is EPA’s view that this injunction only applies to the 13 states that filed the request. We believe EPA is incorrect. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time. Whether the injunction applies to 13 states or all 50, the WOTUS rule will have serious consequences for every farmer and rancher in America. It must not be allowed to stand.”
  • National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
“EPA’s rule is nothing more than an attempt to put more land and water under federal jurisdiction, blatantly disregarding private property rights,” said Philip Ellis, NCBA president. “Over the last year and a half, the agency continually ignored the concerns of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, farmers, ranchers and landowners across the country, to the point of calling the concerns of cattle producers ludicrous. In fact, only six months after receiving over one-million comments the agency pushed forward to finalize the rule, a clear indication there was no intention of considering public comment or stakeholder input.”
  • National Association of Wheat Growers.
“This decision provides breathing room for grower concerns to be discussed in the courts without enforcement of the EPA’s draconian new rule hanging over the heads of our nation’s family farmers,” said Brett Blankenship, NAWG president.
“We will watch closely the ongoing lawsuits and call on Congress to take action to address the regulation in a comprehensive manner.  It is time for action to send the regulation back to the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers to be rewritten.  Wheat growers support clean water and know the importance of protecting the natural resources that sustain our farming operations, feed our families and feed a growing world population.  The Waters of the U.S. regulation expands the reach of the Clean Water act and falls short in providing clarity to growers."