Environmental Law, Zoning, Planning & Land Use, Agriculture

Growing Rural/Metro Schism in the Minnesota House

by Gail Kulick | Winthrop & Weinstine, P.A. on 3/29/2013

The downside to being in the majority in any partisan legislative body is the difficulty of managing a diverse group of members. This challenge is very evident this session in the Minnesota House of Representatives;...more

Oregon Land Use Bills Aim to Limit Wetland Restoration

by Michael Gelardi | Davis Wright Tremaine LLP on 2/5/2013

Three Oregon legislators have introduced bills on behalf of the Oregon Farm Bureau requiring land use permits for wetland restoration on farmland....more

Growing Michigan - Fourth Quarter 2012

by Kimberly A. Clarke, Kristiana M. Coutu, Matthew B. Eugster, Bruce Goodman, Steve Kluting, Aaron M. Phelps, Dean F. Reisner, Peter G. Roth | Varnum LLP on 12/29/2012

In This Issue: - MISS Dig Bills Pass in Michigan Senate, Stall in House - Farm Bill Still Stalled - Ag Groups Urge Action on Estate Taxes - SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans Now Available in Michigan - Michigan...more

Michigan Farmers Concerned About Wetland Use Permit Changes

by Aaron M. Phelps | Varnum LLP on 12/21/2012

Michigan farmers have been exempt from seeking permits for various activities since the 1980s, including performing drain maintenance within a private agricultural drain. They have also been allowed to "construct new...more

Appellate Court Holds That Regional Water Quality Control Board Approval Of Discharge Permit For Dairies Fails To Satisfy...

by Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann & Girard on 11/12/2012

In a decision filed on November 6, 2012, the Third District Court of Appeal held that the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (“Regional Water Board”) failed to comply with the State’s anti-degradation policy...more

ARB Initiates Potentially Controversial Agricultural Equipment Regulation

by Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP on 9/28/2012

I. Background The California Air Resources Board (“ARB”) recently commenced development of a new regulation targeting emissions from “off-road” agricultural equipment, such as tractors and combines. The “In-Use...more

State Water Resources Control Board Issues Draft Order Staying Provisions of Central Coast Agricultural Order

by Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann & Girard on 9/13/2012

On September 10, 2012, the State Water Resources Control Board (“State Board”) issued a Draft Order which, if adopted, will stay certain provisions of the agricultural order and related monitoring and reporting program orders...more

Home News South Seneca Public Speaks Out on Puppy Mills, Fracking

by Steven Getman on 8/29/2012

Public Speaks Out on Puppy Mills, Fracking by Aneta Glover | Posted: Wednesday, August 29, 2012 2:28 pm With a much smaller than expected group assembled, Supervisor Walter Prouty called the Town Board Meeting to order,...more

Notice of Public Hearing: Town of Romulus, New York, Right to Farm law

by Steven Getman on 7/19/2012

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a public hearing will be held before the Town Board of the Town of Romulus, New York, at the Town Office Building, 1435 Prospect Street, Willard, New York 14588 at 7:30 p.m. on AUGUST 15, 2012 at...more

McAfee & Taft AgLINC Agriculture & Equine Industry Newsletter - July 2012: General permit now available for pesticides applied to...

by McAfee & Taft on 7/18/2012

For decades, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act has provided regulation for the application of pesticides. However, in 2009, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals required the Environmental Protection Agency...more

McAfee & Taft AgLINC - Summer 2012

by McAfee & Taft on 7/17/2012

Inside This Issue: - The Equal Access to Justice Act: A valuable tool for farmers in crop insurance disputes - Avoiding hidden liabilities with employee housing agreements - H-2A workers: A solution to farm labor...more

Notice of Public Hearing: Town of Ovid, New York, Puppy Mill Moratorium

by Steven Getman on 7/11/2012

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED LOCAL LAW, TOWN OF OVID, NEW YORK PROPOSED LOCAL LAW NO. BB OF THE YEAR 2012: A local law enacting an Eighteen-month Moratorium On The New Construction/Establishment Of Kennels And/Or...more

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Issues Final Land-Based Wind Energy Guidelines for Wildlife Protection

by Parker Moore on 4/26/2012

On March 23, 2012, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released its “Land-Based Wind Energy Guidelines.” The new voluntary Guidelines provide a tiered, scientific process for addressing potential wildlife impacts...more

Ninth Circuit Ruling that Rainwater Runoff from Logging Roads Is a Point Source Discharge Requiring NPDES Permitting Is Under...

by Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP on 1/23/2012

In August, 2010, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued its opinion in NEDC v. Brown, in which the court overturned more than 35 years of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations governing storm...more