For Immediate Release
By: R-CALF USA Marketing Director Jaiden Moreland
Contact: R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard
Phone: 406-252-2516; r-calfusa@r-calfusa.com
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 25, 2025 – In comments submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), R-CALF USA urged the agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to adopt a more limited definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act (CWA), consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Sackett v. EPA. The CWA regulates the discharge of pollutants from point sources into navigable waters.
R-CALF USA stated that the current overbroad definition of WOTUS puts ranchers and landowners at risk of prosecution or civil penalties for routine land management practices, arguing that such regulatory overreach threatens private property rights.
The organization called for WOTUS to apply only to “relatively permanent waters” such as oceans, rivers and lakes and endorsed recommendations from the Pacific Legal Foundation. These include stricter limits on what qualifies as “navigable waters” and a requirement for a “continuous surface connection” for federal regulation to apply.
“Ranchers shouldn’t be punished for managing their own land,” said R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard. “The agencies should stop overreaching their authority under the Clean Water Act and respect the limits affirmed by the Supreme Court.”
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Ranchers Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF USA) is the largest producer-only cattle trade association in the United States. It is a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring the continued profitability and viability of the U.S. cattle and sheep industries. For more information, visit www.r-calfusa.com or call 406-252-2516.