National Cattlemen's Beef Assocation Concerned with WOTUS Court Decision

The National Cattlemens Beef Association expressed strong disappointment in a decision by the US District Court in the Southern District of Texas to deny a nationwide preliminary injunction that would have halted the Biden administration's harmful Waters of the US rule from taking effect and NCBA’s General Counsel Mary Thomas- Hart says that while the preliminary us injunction was denied, the court did, however, a proven injunction in Texas and Idaho. Regarding the WOTUS rule.

“We're certainly happy for our producers in Texas in Idaho, right that they don't have to deal with the additional burden.”

But she says having only two states approved for a WOTUS injunction could create more confusion.

“There is a lot of confusion created when we kind of have a checkerboard pattern of you know, states that are or aren't subject to any given rule, right? Whether it's noticed or otherwise, having, you know, kind of a state-by-state approach makes things confusing for regulated stakeholders including farmers and ranchers

without the nationwide preliminary injunction.”

Thomas- Hart says the rule has taken full legal effect for all states, with the exception of Texas and Idaho. The Environmental Protection Agency finalized the latest WOTUS rule at the end of 2022 and NCBA with its litigation partners filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the rule on January 18 of 2023. In a press release, and NCBA says they will continue efforts to defend the nation's farmers and ranchers.