It seems like the more news there is, the harder it is to find out the facts. Important news about land legislative issues, such as tariffs and WOTUS, can get lost in a sea of opinion pieces. Let’s take a look at the simple facts surrounding five of the most pressing issues in the land industry.
Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule
WOTUS is one of the most controversial land legislative issues in the land industry. This law was written to clarify water resource management but sparked a debate about property rights.
“Many (wetlands) are already covered under the Clean Water Act,” said Russell Riggs, RLI’s Government Affairs Liaison for the National Association Of REALTORS® (NAR) and Senior Regulatory Representative for NAR, in an interview with REALTOR® magazine. “This expands it beyond navigable waterways to little streams, ditches, and isolated wetlands that were never really intended to be covered by the Clean Water Act. WOTUS would sweep in thousands of smaller water bodies under the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency and now you’re talking about all kinds of different permitting, regulatory burdens, as well as infringements of property rights.”
Many land organizations, including RLI, opposed the rule and have been avid advocates for its repeal and reform. In response to the land industry, the Trump Administration put the rule under review. At time of publication, WOTUS has been revived in 26 states.
Russell Riggs will be speaking on key land legislative issues at the 2019 National Land Conference in Albuquerque, NM, giving an update on the latest legislation affecting the land real estate industry.
The 2018 Farm Bill
On September 30th, 2018, the 2014 Farm Bill expired. The Farm Bill expired because Congress couldn’t reach an agreement on the many influential land legislative issues that this bill governs, such as:
This bill covers dozens of incredibly important and complex land legislative issues. Changes made to this bill will impact every corner of the land industry. Landowners, investors, and consumers will all be impacted. It’s important that your representatives in D.C. hear what you have to say about the Farm Bill. RLI has a strong voice in D.C., thanks to our member-driven Government Affairs Committee and by keeping members informed on the latest land laws in blog posts, social media, and D.C. Updates.
Update: The Farm Bill Passed
Tariffs
Tariffs are a tax a country puts on a product made abroad. The intention is to motivate Americans to buy local products at a cheaper price. At the time of publication, there is a ten percent tariff adding up to $200 billion on Chinese imports. President Trump is expected to raise tariffs in the future.
In retaliation, China imposed tariffs on American products, including soybeans, pork, milk, fruit, and many other crops. Soybeans, in particular, have struggled. The Chinese tariffs have driven soybeans prices down and some soybean farmers are struggling to pay the bills.
“Farmers see that pain right now,” said American Soybean Association CEO Ryan Findlay in an interview on CNBC. “You have to have the prices to pay the bill — and the prices aren’t there right now.”
During a record production year, many farmers are storing soybeans in the hopes that the trade war will soon end. The long-term impacts, good or bad, are unknown right now.
Bailout
To help ease the economic stress of the ongoing tariff war, the USDA authorized a $12 billion bailout plan for farmers.
Farmers who met the criteria would receive incremental payments from USDA programs. The first $6 billion was distributed in late August. Additionally, the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) set up the Food Purchase and Distribution program to buy $1.2 billion in American goods that were impacted by the tariffs.
Endangered Species Act
In an 8-0 vote, the Supreme Court ruled to limit which habitats can be protected under the Endangered Species Act. The central point of the debate was if lands where endangered species weren’t currently living, but might one day, protected under the law.
“Only the ‘habitat’ of the endangered species is eligible for designation as critical habitat,” the chief justice said highlighting how the scope of the law as written now is limited. “Even if an area otherwise meets the statutory definition of unoccupied critical habitat because the secretary finds the area essential for the conservation of the species, [the law] does not authorize the secretary to designate the area as critical habitat unless it is also habitat for the species.”
Staying up to date on land news is tricky, especially when so many key land legislative issues are always being updated or debated. We hope this article offered a no-nonsense look at the current state of several pressing land laws. If you’d like to get more involved with the Advocacy side of RLI, consider applying for our Government Affairs Committee and make sure to check back regularly to our DC Updates page for the latest news about the latest legislative issues affecting the land industry. Remember – your voice deserves to be heard in Congress!
About the Author: Laura Barker is a freelance writer based out of California for the REALTORS® Land Institute. She has been with RLI since October 2017.