Farmer and ranchers are one step closer to having freedom from over-regulation by a federal agency. Today, Environmental Protection Association Administrator Scott Pruitt officially announced the proposal to repeal the 2015 Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) Rule.

According to Montana Farm Bureau Federation President Hans McPherson, “Some of our members have met with Administrator Pruitt to tell their personal stories of how WOTUS would have a detrimental effect on their farm or ranch,” the Ravalli County diversified rancher said. “Of course, farmers and ranchers want clean water, but the regulation of puddles and irrigation ditches was certainly an overreach of federal power. Montana Farm Bureau is extremely pleased with this announcement.”

The American Farm Bureau was instrumental from the beginning in concerted efforts to remove this onerous proposal. “Farmers and ranchers across this country are cheering EPA’s proposal today to ditch its flawed Waters of the U.S. rule. We know the importance of clean water, and farmers and ranchers work hard to protect our natural resources every day,” said American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall. “This rule was never really about clean water. It was a federal land grab designed to put a straightjacket on farming and private businesses across this nation. That’s why our federal courts blocked it from going into effect for the past two years. Today’s announcement shows EPA Administrator Pruitt recognizes the WOTUS rule for what it is—an illegal and dangerous mistake that needs to be corrected.”

Farm Bureau will continue to support the proposal, and Montana Farm Bureau members will be encouraged to speak with their congressmen about seeing this rule does not come to light again.

“EPA should ditch this rule once and for all, go back to the drawing board, and write a new rule that protects water quality without trampling the rights of businesses and the states,” Duvall concluded.