As July ends, staff at the National Agricultural Law Center continue to bring trusted research and information in agricultural and food law to stakeholders across the country. Outlined below are many of the new NALC resources from the month of July.
Webinars
Voluntary Approaches to Agricultural Water Pollution Reduction: There are many contributing factors, through both point and non-point sources, to water quality impairment in the United States. Numerous agricultural groups and others are actively engaged in addressing water quality concerns throughout the country. Congress chose to address point source pollution under the Clean Water Act using a regulatory approach with mandatory and prescriptive standards and permits. States use a broad array of voluntary approaches that allow individuals to choose whether or how to follow a course of conduct that could reduce the negative impacts of agricultural runoff on water quality. This webinar discussed types of voluntary approaches to agricultural water pollution reduction, particularly focusing on the current state of water quality trading and adaptive management frameworks. A recording of this webinar can be found here.
In the Weeds: Legal Approaches to Dealing with Noxious Weeds on Farmland: Farmers and ranchers are familiar with noxious weeds—those invasive weeds that pose threats to the environment, people, and animals. Noxious weeds have always been a concern for agriculture due to their ability to affect crop yields and soil and livestock health. Nearly all states in the U.S. have enacted laws that list prohibited noxious weeds and assign responsibility for eradicating prohibited noxious weeds in certain circumstances. The webinar presented different approaches to controlling noxious weeds and compared state laws that address noxious weeds in agricultural areas. The speakers also compared various approaches for reconsidering noxious weed laws, discussing changes that may be necessary to adapt to evolving noxious weed issues. A recording of the webinar can be found here.
Blog Posts
- Iowa Supreme Court Dismisses Racoon River Lawsuit
- Judge’s Order Halts Minority Debt Relief Payments
- From Supreme court to State Courts, Important Enviro Rulings from June 2021
- New Law Changes Wetland Regulation in the State of Indiana
- Proposed Tax Exemption for Community Ag Lenders
- WOTUS Update: EPA Makes Announcement, Status Update for On-Going Lawsuits
- California State Court Issues Pretrial Ruling in Roundup Case
Outreach
- Harrison Pittman, Center Director
- Multiple presentations to Mississippi Farm Bureau members on ag law issues on July 21
- NASDA DEI Lunch & Learn: Moderated Discussion on USDA Discrimination Cases led by Stephen Carpenter, Deputy Director and Senior Staff Attorney, Farmers Legal Action Group on July 29
- Rusty Rumley, Senior Staff Attorney
- Spoke about Agritourism during a presentation for Missouri Farm Bureau in Rolla, MO.
- Discussed Heir Property during a presentation with Farm Service Agency staff in Eastern Arkansas.