Ag Law In The Field

My guest for this episode is Austin and Ft. Worth-based attorney, Jim Bradbury. Not only is Jim a well-known and brilliant agricultural law attorney, he is also an avid fly fisherman, outdoorsman, and is absolutely hilarious on Twitter (@jimbluewind).  As he explains, he has a variety of clients across Texas including everything from private landowners to major industry groups.  He advises clients in a number of areas, including environmental issues, conservation easements, oil and gas leases, and condemnation matters. Today, our focus is the Waters of the United States ("WOTUS") rule.  We walk through some background on the Clean Water Act and the new rule defining WOTUS promulgated by the EPA and Corps of Engineers.  We then discuss legal challenges to the WOTUS rule and the recent Executive Order signed by President Trump.  Finally, we discuss why landowners are (or should be) concerned about this issue, and tackle it from a practical perspective, discussing how this really impacts landowners in the field.