The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers announced intent to repeal and replace the Navigable Waters Protection rule.

The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) calls the intent to rewrite the Navigable Waters Protection rule a blow to agriculture.

“The American Farm Bureau Federation is extremely disappointed in the Environmental Protection Agency’s announcement of its intention to reverse the environmentally conscious Navigable Waters Protection Rule, which finally brought clarity and certainty to clean water efforts,” AFBF President Zippy Duvall said. “Farmers and ranchers care about clean water and preserving the land, and they support the Navigable Waters Protection Rule.”

Agricultural groups expressed concern of returning to burdensome and unclear regulations.

“When you start talking about ephemeral features, features that are ditches or even less than ditches, they only have water in them when it rains, all of a sudden you’re really kind of glossing over the fact that you’re regulating land use, as opposed to water,” AFBF Senior Director of Regulatory Relations Don Parrish said. “If that’s their target, the whole issue of where water ends and land begins, there’s a real question mark on the landscape, and it’s going to create all kinds of issues.”

Farm Bureau noted the Navigable Waters Protection Rule announced last year accomplished the goals of clean water, clear regulations and respect for property rights. EPA’s intention to reverse the rule washes all of that away, AFBF said.

“(EPA) Administrator Regan recently recognized the flaws in the 2015 Waters of the U.S. Rule and pledged not to return to those overreaching regulations. We are deeply concerned that the EPA plans to reverse the Navigable Waters Protection Rule, which puts the future of responsible protections at risk. We expected extensive outreach, but (this) announcement fails to recognize the concerns of farmers and ranchers,” Duvall said. “We call on EPA to respect the statute, recognize the burden that overreaching regulation places on farmers and ranchers and not write the term ‘navigable’ out of the Clean Water Act. On this issue, and particularly prior converted croplands and ephemerals, we also urge Secretary Vilsack to ensure that we don’t return to the regulatory land grab that was the 2015 WOTUS Rule. Clean water and clarity are paramount, and that is why farmers shouldn’t need a team of lawyers and consultants to farm.”