IARN — Many questions were raised by producers about the environmental ideas raised by the Biden campaign during the election season. Many were worried how much regulation would be enforced, and how much control they would lose to the federal government over their land. Now that we are looking at a Biden administration in 2021, but a good possibility of a Republican-controlled Senate, there will need to be more negotiation. Iowa’s Senior Senator Chuck Grassley talked about his concerns over environmental policies.
The Biden team has outlined a program they have dubbed the “Climate 21 Project.” This 300-page blueprint would work to reverse Trump Administration changes to environmental policies enacted during the Obama Administration. Many of these initiatives are aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. One program calls for a carbon bank at the United States Department of Agriculture. This bank would pay farmers and foresters for storing carbon on their land. The proposal is gaining a lot of traction, even among some prominent Ag groups. Senator Grassley says he is still studying the plan to see if it could benefit Iowa producers. However, his biggest concern does not lie there. His eyes are focused squarely on a possible return of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule.
For more on this story, including comments from Senator Grassley, visit the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network.
