IFB Resolutions Committee members discussed many issues, such as grain moisture standards. page 3
USDA’s latest crop report delivered more bearish news for corn and soybean markets. page 14
YouTube star Greg Peterson will advocate for ag with Commodities Conference attendees. page 4
EPA: Some ‘waters of the U.S.’ concerns ‘ludicrous’ Monday, July 14, 2014
BY DEANA STROISCH FarmWeek
Two sections Volume 42, No. 28
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy last week defended the agency’s proposed rule defining “waters of the U.S.,” calling some concerns “ludicrous.” McCarthy trekked to Kansas City, Mo., meeting with farmers and speaking before the Agricultural Business Council. Speaking to reporters beforehand, she said the goal of the visit was to “help us ditch the myths and misinformation, and instead help us focus on facts.” “While there are some legitimate concerns out there with the rule ... we’re hearing some concerns that really are, to put frankly, they’re ludicrous,” she said. ”And I want to dismiss some of those myths about the proposal.” Among them: • EPA plans to regulate small, unconnected waters, including puddles on lawns, driveways and playgrounds. “Now that’s just silly,” she said. “This proposal is all about protecting
waters that science tells us can have a significant impact on downstream water quality. That’s what it is. No more.” • EPA plans to regulate every ditch. “For the first time ever, we make it clear that we don’t regulate all ditches,” she said. • EPA plans to regulate groundwater. Also false, McCarthy said. “All normal farming practices are exempt. Period,” she said. “We don’t shrink current exemptions; we actually expand them. Bottom line is with this proposal, if you weren’t supposed to get a permit before, you don’t need to get one now. That is the reality.” Illinois Farm Bureau stands by its objections to the proposed rule, said Lauren Lurkins, IFB’s director of natural and environmental resources. “Our objections are based in fact and law, and the proposal constitutes an unreasonable increase in federal regulation over land and water, which is contrary to the intent of the Clean Water Act and Supreme Court cases,” Lurkins said. The proposed rule, issued by the
EPA and Army Corps of Engineers, states that the following are federally protected under the Clean Water Act: • Most seasonal and rain-dependent streams. • Wetlands near rivers and streams.
Action request issued Illinois Farm Bureau wants members to call the White House this week to urge President Barack Obama to “ditch the rule” defining “waters of the U.S.” “If the drains and ditches that cross between, among and within farm fields and pastures are regulated as ‘navigable waters,’ the implications for farmers and ranchers will be disastrous,” the action request states. Calls to the White House, 202456-1111, should be made between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. CST Tuesday through Thursday.
• Other types of waters may be protected, if a case-specific analysis shows that they have a “significant nexus” — either alone or in combination with similarly situated “other waters” — to a traditional navigable
water, interstate water or territorial seas. EPA says the rule merely clarifies which wetlands and streams are “waters of the U.S.” IFB and other agricultural groups disagree, saying the rule would expand EPA’s jurisdiction beyond what Congress intended. McCarthy said the proposed rule is “getting a lot of support from farmers and ranchers across the U.S.” “Their voices are being a little bit drowned out by those who sort of enjoy the anxiety that’s created,” she said. “It gives more visibility to certain groups.” Adam Nielsen, IFB director of national legislation and policy development, said, “EPA’s public relations campaign to minimize the concerns of farmers and defuse this issue is evidence that we are making progress in our effort to defeat this proposal. “We will continue to factually explain how EPA’s proposal would negatively impact farmers, and encourage as many farmers as possible to speak out against this example of regulatory overreach,” he said.
UAVs prove useful to first-time farm fliers
BY DANIEL GRANT FarmWeek
Periodicals: Time Valued
The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, offers much more than military applications or a thrill for technology enthusiasts. Farmers last week at the Precision Aerial Ag Show in Decatur demonstrated and dis-
cussed the value of taking crop scouting methods to new heights with various models of remotely operated aircraft. “We bought (a UAV) primarily for scouting purposes — my knees aren’t what they used to be — and it’s lived up to that,” said Matt Hughes, a farmer from Shirley, who purchased his first drone in January. Hughes said he now can scout a field with mile-long rows in a matter of minutes with his UAV. “The data is what it’s all about,” Hughes said. “(The drone) costs a lot less than a four-wheeler and it fits in my backseat.” UAVs range in price from a few thousand dollars to well into five figures. But most farmers can get started with a UAV that provides quality images of their fields for $2,000 to $4,000. “The cost is not terribly expensive and you can do a lot of things (with a UAV),” said
Chad Colby, ag consultant and drone expert, discusses the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for farm purposes during the Precision Aerial Ag Show in Decatur. Colby holds a quad-copter ship, which weighs about 5 pounds, next to a fixed-wing machine. Colby said there are a number of different UAV models on the market that serve various purposes. (Photo by Cyndi Cook)
Chad Colby, an ag consultant who spoke at the show. “This technology is very user-friendly. Anybody can do this.”
FarmWeek on the web: FarmWeekNow.com
Judy Graff, a farmer from Middletown, purchased a UAV this year for crop scouting. She said a $15 investment
for propeller guards protected the craft from any rookie mistakes during her first flights with it. “We used it this spring,” Graff said. “We had some heavy rains, and we wanted to see how some new waterways and terraces held up.” Matt Boucher, a farmer from Dwight, also purchased his first UAV this year and already gained tremendous value with a bird’s-eye view of his fields. “We used it to assess winter damage to our wheat fields and, because of the use of our UAV, we decided to tear it (wheat) up and put in corn,” Boucher said. “We recently had a windstorm that knocked corn down,” he continued. “Instead of walking the fields for hours and hours, within minutes we got a really good handle on how much damage we had (via UAV images).”
See UAVs, page 3
Illinois Farm Bureau on the web: www.ilfb.org ®