Delaware Farm Bureau News Jul Aug 2017

From the President’s Desk: Working on deer damage solutions

Delaware farmers are pleading for relief from severe damage to their crops caused by an increasing deer population. Delaware Farm Bureau has been working aggressively on this issue on behalf of all farmers since spring.

We requested a meeting with Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Michael Scuse and DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin. That meeting was held on July 17, with several farmers invited. Farmers requested a program that would allow them to hunt on their farms with severe deer damage May through August – when the damage actually occurs as a long term solution.

According to DNREC’s website, the Division of Fish and Wildlife has two assistance programs for “situations where established deer hunting seasons do not provide adequate regulating of the deer population for commercial farming operations.” The Deer Damage Assistance Program (DDAP), created in 1996, and the

Severe Deer Damage Assistance Program (SDDAP), initiated in 2006, are designed to promote the harvest of antlerless deer.

Farmers may contact the Master Hunters Program, which includes more than 220 experienced, certified hunters who may be able to provide assistance. To reach them, farmers may contact volunteer coordinator Chris McKinley at (302) 735-3600 or by email at chrisdu850@verizon.net. He will contact Master Hunters to see how they can help.

DFB also scheduled a meeting with legislators during the Delaware State Fair to share the extreme deer damage and discuss introducing legislation in 2017.

Senator Gary Simpson, Representative Harvey Kenton and Representative Rich Collins all participated.

The only real solution in Delaware would be to allow farmers to harvest deer in the summer, especially in June and July when they are doing the most damage.

The harvest of deer between May 16 and August 14 is prohibited in Delaware due to the occurrence of the fawning season.

In certain counties of Maryland, year-round hunting is allowed, under specific circumstances, by holders of Deer

Average yield from a healthy soybean field in 2016 exceeded 40 bushels an acre in Delaware

Management Permits. Non-farming residents also are fed up with deer destroying their landscaping, and motorists are fearful of deer causing serious accidents. Deer also are associated with the increased prevalence of Lyme disease.

What can farmers do?

Provide Delaware Farm Bureau with facts, figures and photographs

of deer damage on your farm. DFB will create a package to share with legislators and request legislation in 2018 to protect farmers and residents from continual damage. Proprietary information will be protected. Harvest mapping would be ideal, along with the hunting zone (found on DNREC’s website) in which the field is located. Email photos and information to carol.kinsley@defb.org, or mail or bring them to Delaware Farm Bureau, 3457 S. DuPont Highway, Camden DE 19934.

Delaware Farm Bureau News Editor Carol Kinsley carol.kinsley@defb.org Graphics/Production Designer Heather Kline heather.kline@defb.org 302-697-3183

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Delaware Farm Bureau

President Kitty Holtz

Delaware farmers are experiencing severe crops losses amounting to thousands of dollars. One farmer estimated a loss of more than $50,000.

Rescinding WOTUS rule is ‘step in right direction’

Farmers across the nation may have breathed a collective sigh of relief on June 27 as the U.S. EPA sent to the Federal Register a proposal to rescind its controversial rule defining “waters of the United States” and re-codify the regulatory text that existed prior to 2015.

The Clean Water Act says that the EPA can regulate “navigable waters,” meaning waters that truly affect interstate commerce.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said, “Farmers and ranchers across this country are cheering EPA’s proposal to ditch its flawed Waters of the U.S. rule. We know the importance of clean water, and farmers and ranchers work hard to protect our natural resources every day.

“But this rule was never really about clean water. It was a federal land grab designed to put a straightjacket on farming and private businesses across this nation. That’s why our federal courts blocked it from going into effect for the past two years. Today’s announcement shows EPA Administrator Pruitt recognizes the WOTUS rule for what it is — an illegal and dangerous mistake that needs to be corrected.”

Withdrawal of the WOTUS rule will not harm water quality. It was never implemented because it was stayed by a federal district court

and a federal court of appeals.

The rule was challenged in multiple courts by all sides, including environment groups, state and local governments, farmers, landowners, developers, businesses and recreations groups.

Challengers noted numerous substantive and procedural defects in the rule, including that the rule exceeds EPA’s statutory authority, imposes burdensome regulatory

Pruitt, Zinke visit state Farm Bureau presidents in D.C.

Two high-ranking Trump administration officials – EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke – made guest appearances July 11 during AFBF’s Council of Presidents meeting in Washington. Pruitt discussed with state Farm Bureau presidents the EPA’s recent decision to begin rescinding the Waters of the U.S. rule, as well as other issues of concern to America’s farmers and ranchers.

“EPA is returning power to the states and standing with farmers who have been hurt by misguided policies of the past,” Pruitt said. Following the meeting, Pruitt said, “The farming industry deserves

uncertainty, was promulgated in violation of mandatory procedural requirements designed to ensure a well-informed result, and is otherwise unlawful.

The rule imposed enormous regulatory road blocks and costs for simply moving dirt in low spots on the landscape. Its definition of “tributary” was so broad that it even included landscape features invisible to the human eye.

A proposed replacement rule could be issued by the fourth quar-

ter of this year, or the first quarter of 2018, at the latest.

This is a vital step in the right direction for all Delawareans, protecting our land, water and property rights.

Your comments needed to help EPA DITCH the WOTUS RULE! Send your comments to EPA to support the repeal of the illegal 2015 WOTUS rule via this link:http://www.fb.org/advocacy/wotus-your-comments-needed-to-help-epa-ditch-the-rule/

Pam Bakerian, Delaware Farm Bureau executive director, talks with EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, during AFBF’s Council of Presidents meeting July 11.