R-CALF USA

R-CALF USA Urges EPA to Rein In Overreach on WOTUS Rule

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.”

Source: R-CALF USA