AFBF maps show potential breadth of EPA's proposed water rule

A series of maps released by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) shows how the EPA will radically expand its jurisdiction over land use if its controversial Waters of the United States rule takes effect as expected.

This expansion comes even as major parts of the rule remain largely incomprehensible to experts and laypeople, alike.

“Farmers face enforcement action and severe penalties under EPA’s new rule for using the same safe, scientifically sound and federally approved crop-protection tools they’ve used for years,” AFBF President Bob Stallman said.

With the maps, it is possible to see the dramatic expansion of EPA’s regulatory reach, stretching across wide swaths of land in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Montana. In Pennsylvania, for example, 99 percent of the state’s total acreage is subject to EPA scrutiny. Landowners have no reliable way to know which waters and lands within that area will be regulated, yet they must still conform their activities to the new law.

“This rule creates a new set of tools for harassing farmers in court, and does it all with language that is disturbingly vague and subject to abuse by future regulators. It’s worth saying again: The EPA needs to withdraw this rule and start over," Stallman said.

Up-to-date maps can be found here:
• Montana WOTUS Maps: www.fb.org/tmp/uploads/MontanaWOTUSMap.pptx
• Pennsylvania WOTUS Maps: www.fb.org/tmp/uploads/PennsylvaniaWOTUSMap.pptx
• Virginia WOTUS Maps: www.fb.org/tmp/uploads/VirginiaWOTUSMaps.pptx