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February 2, 2001

Wetlands ruling applauded
The American Farm Bureau Federation has applauded a Supreme Court decision that says the Army Corps of Engineers cannot rely on the so-called "migratory bird rule" to assert jurisdiction over isolated wetlands. The court agreed with assertions in a brief filed by the American Farm Bureau Federation, the North Dakota Farm Bureau and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, that the Corps' jurisdiction was without authority under the Clean Water Act.

"The decision clearly reaffirms for farmers and ranchers across the nation that governmental agencies cannot arbitrarily move to expand federal water regulations," AFBF President Bob Stallman said. "The court saved millions of additional acres of agricultural land from falling under the Corps' regulatory thumb. This should effectively end the Corps' most liberal stance on the isolated wetlands issue."