The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Army are calling on communities to propose roundtables to provide input on the implications of the new “WOTUS” rule. The regional roundtables will engage stakeholders representing many perspectives in important conversations designed to help the agency work to develop an enduring definition of the “Waters of the U.S. Rule” that supports public health, protects the environment, agricultural activity, and economic growth.
The EPA says in a news release, “Crafting a lasting definition of WOTUS means that we must bolster our understanding of how different regions experience and protect our nation’s vital waters. These roundtables will provide a great opportunity to deepen our shared knowledge. They also represent an opportunity among a suite of strategic tools that the agencies can utilize to obtain input on this important topic.”
The EPA and Army are announcing a process for stakeholders to submit nomination letters with a slate of participants to potentially be selected as one of ten geographically focused roundtables. The agencies are inviting stakeholders to organize a targeted set of interested parties and regional representatives to participate in these discrete roundtables. For more information on the guidelines, go to www.epa.gov/wotus
The National Association of Farm Broadcasting and the American Farm Bureau Federation contributed to this report.