The United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (“NRCS”) issued a September news release announcing funding for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (“ACEP”) for fiscal year 2025....more
On August 16, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking input on its formulation of processes, priorities, and criteria for...more
For most, the Farm Bill is understood to provide a safety net for the nation’s agricultural producers and a nutrition-assistance program for the nation’s most vulnerable. This understanding is generally correct; the Farm...more
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), acting through its various agencies, including the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), offers a variety of loan, risk...more
Although colder weather makes spring construction seem far away, farmers and landowners would be wise to assess permitting and in-field environmental studies ahead of spring planting needs....more
Contractors know when they bid a public job that it’s the lowest and best bidder that will ultimately come out on top. Contractors and public bodies also know that when a public body rejects the lowest bid, it needs to...more
On September 1, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee issued an order in Ultima Services Corp. v. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, et. al., Case No. 2:20-cv-00041, as a result of the status hearing...more
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee recently issued a decision holding that a rebuttable presumption of social disadvantage for certain minority groups to qualify for inclusion in the Small Business...more
On July 19, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee issued an important decision where it declared that the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) rebuttable presumption of social disadvantage,...more
The United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (“NRCS”) announced on May 11th that it was investing $17 million in five Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership (“WREP”) projects....more
The Association of State Drinking Water Administrators and Ground Water Protection Council submitted April 7th comments to the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (“NRCS”) in...more
The United States District Court for the Southern District of South Dakota (“Court”) addressed in a July 2022 Opinion issues arising out of the application of the Swampbuster Act. See Foster v. USDA, No. 4:21-CV-0408-RAL...more
A United States District Court (Eastern District, Washington) (“Court”) addressed in an October 11th Order in the context of a Motion to Dismiss whether the doctrine of sovereign immunity applied to an oversight activity...more
The Memphis and Vicksburg Districts of the United States Army Corps of Engineers (“Corps”) issued a March 30th Public Notice announcing the issuance of General Permit 30. The Memphis and Vicksburg Corps Districts include...more
The United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) Natural Resources Conservation Service (“NRCS”) issued a March report titled: Conservation Practices on Cultivated Cropland - A Comparison of CEAP I and CEAP II Survey...more
The United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (“NRCS”) announced in a November 3rd news release that it is investing 11 million dollars in partnerships to restore wetlands for projects...more
Feral swine, an invasive species, have been a problem for years if not decades, and populations have been reported in at least 35 states with a total population “estimated at over 6 million,” as noted by USDA. At least one...more
The United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) Natural Resources Conservation Service (“NCRS”) promulgated a final rule on October 26th in the Federal Register making revisions to the Environmental Quality Incentives...more
The United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) published an August 28th Federal Register Notice and issued a final rule addressing the highly Erodible Land and Wetland Conservation provisions of the Food Security Act of...more
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) held a forum on its Agriculture Innovation Agenda (AIA) on August 16, 2020. The forum focused on science-informed policies and programs from government agencies with the shared aim of...more
The United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (“NRCS”) issued a National Bulletin (“Bulletin”) titled: Refining Source Water Protection Local Priorities for Fiscal Year 2021 - The...more
We wrote in early December that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) issued an “interim rule” to revise the terms and conditions of the Conservation Reserve Program and implement certain program amendments required by...more
The United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (“NRCS”) issued a December 13th news release announcing the availability of $35 million in conservation collaboration grants. Such grants...more
The United States Army Corps of Engineers (“Corps”) published a June 10th Notice to the Federal Register announcing the availability of the final 2019 National Wetland Plant List (“NWPL”). See 84 Fed. Reg. 26824. ...more
he Association of State Wetland Managers (“ASWM”) submitted February 5th comments to the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (“NRCS”) addressing the Wetland Conservation Compliance...more