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What will President-elect Trump do with WOTUS?

The head lobbyist for Syngenta says the future of the Waters of the United States Rule will be a top issue for agriculture next year.

Mary Kay Thatcher says there’s a chance President-elect Trump could return to the Navigable Waters Protection Rule established during his first presidency.

“Whether they just pick that up as it is, but I think at least we’re going to move in that direction a long way,” she said. “I don’t see any indication that the president or his advisors have changed their minds about that.”

Speaking to Brownfield at the 2024 NAFB Convention in Kansas City, she said she expects the issue to be addressed early in the new administration.

“I would be surprised if the first point out of EPA is not a changing of the definition of WOTUS,” Thatcher said. “It’s hard for me to believe any politician doesn’t know Waters of the US is the most important thing in rural America.”

Courtney Briggs, senior director of government affairs with the American Farm Bureau Federation, recently told Brownfield WOTUS continues to cause a lot of confusion for farmers and ranchers. She says the Biden administration didn’t adequately define the rule.

TRADE TALK INTERVIEW: Mary Kay Thatcher with Syngenta