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Dairy order California Farm Bureau will join Dairy Cares and other agricultural organizations to make public comments on the Califor- nia State Water Resources Control Board’s updated dairy order to address waste dis- charge in the Central Valley. The update came after two months of review and meetings with stakeholders. The order was set to be heard and voted on at the board meeting this week. Waters of the U.S. The American Farm Bureau Federation is backing proposed changes to the federal definition of “waters of the United States,” or WOTUS, saying the revisions would provide clearer limits on which waters and private properties fall under federal regulation. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced the supplemental proposal earlier this month, opening a 30-day public comment period following its publication in the Federal Register. The proposal builds on a 2025 rulemak- ing aimed at revising the WOTUS defini- tion after the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Sackett v. EPA. The new lan- guage would narrow the scope of waters
rules governing when wolves can be killed to protect livestock. The order does not immediately re- move the wolves from federal protection. Instead, it starts a review that could lead to those changes. In addition, the order calls for the Agricul- ture and Interior departments to review how ranchers’ claims for livestock losses caused by predators are investigated and paid. The administration said the goal is to make those claims easier to evaluate and process. The agencies are specifically told to consider evidence beyond the presence of bleeding beneath an animal’s skin when determining whether a wolf attack caused a livestock death. The order also directs the Interior De- partment to consider changing the rules governing when wolves can be killed. The goal is to give federal officials more flexibility to respond to immediate threats to people or livestock, including situations in which a particular wolf can be identified as the source of the problem. The order also puts country-of-origin labeling for beef back on the table. With- in 90 days, the Agriculture Department is directed to review whether the federal
subject to federal jurisdiction compared with the agencies’ earlier proposal. Wolves, beef labeling President Donald Trump signed an ex- ecutive order Sept. 4 aimed at changing federal policies that affect ranchers, with a focus on wolf protections, compensation for livestock losses and how beef is labeled. The order gives federal agencies 90 days to review rules that affect ranchers and rec- ommend changes intended to improve their finances and access to markets. It also directs agencies to work toward lowering grocery prices for consumers. One of the biggest changes could involve gray wolves and Mexican wolves. The Interior Department has 90 days to determine whether the two types of wolves have recovered enough to be removed from federal protection under the Endan- gered Species Act. If the department finds that they have met the recovery standards, it is directed to begin the process of remov- ing or reducing their federal protections. The order also calls for recommenda- tions to Congress on delisting the wolves and directs the administration to work with states on removing them from state lists of protected species and changing
government has the authority to require beef sold in the United States to carry mandatory country-of-origin labels. The department must also study the economic effects of such a requirement. After that review, the Agriculture De- partment could propose new regulations or ask Congress to change the law to re- quire the labels. Trump’s order also tells federal agencies to make sure the changes they pursue benefit consumers through lower food prices when possible. Trade dispute Canada imposed retaliatory tariffs last week on roughly $20 billion of U.S. goods, including a range of agricultural and man- ufactured products, following the U.S. de- cision to impose 50% tariffs on Canadian goods in several sectors. In response, the Trump administration announced plans to ban imports of certain Canadian products, including alcoholic beverages, whey and dairy products, and other commodities. The escalation follows a breakdown in negotiations between the countries over the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement and other trade challenges, with both sides seemingly growing further apart as the row deepens.
September 16, 2026 Ag Alert 13
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