Federal Policy

Midwest Farmland Values Up In the Third Quarter

Posted on January 14, 2021 by Land Report Editors

The overall 2 percent rise represents the first year-over-year increase in ag land values in the past six years with Indiana and Wisconsin leading the way at 6 percent and 3 percent, respectively. Illinois grew 2 percent with Iowa at…

Federal Land Idling Program at Lowest Level Since 1988

Posted on December 21, 2020 by Land Report Editors

The program includes the voluntary Conservation Reserve, which gives landowners annual rent payments for fragile farmland that has idled for a decade or more. A 2018 expansion hasn’t caught on with landowners according to Successful Farming, which estimates a net…

Tagged with: Conservation Reserve, idle farmland
Posted in Agriculture, Conservation, Farming, Feature, Federal Policy, Hunting, News Desk, Water

Land Investment Expo Set for January 12

Posted on December 18, 2020 by Land Report Editors

Online or in person, get ready to attend the 2021 Land Expo in downtown Des Moines. BY CARY ESTES Iowa has long been fertile ground for both farm policy and national politics. This has been especially true since 1972, when…

Posted in Agriculture, Cary Estes, Farming, Feature, Federal Policy, Great Plains, Iowa, News Desk

The Sweetest of Deals

Posted on December 16, 2020 by Land Report Editors

SOLD! A broad coalition rallies to preserve a beloved COLORADO landmark. By Cary Estes | Photography by Todd Winslow Pierce The path to commercial development of Colorado’s Sweetwater Lake took a detour down Memory Lane as a nostalgia- fueled community…

Posted in Cary Estes, Colorado, Conservation, Feature, Federal Policy, Public Land, Recreation, Water, West

Mexico Fulfills Water Treaty Obligations

Posted on December 3, 2020 by Land Report Editors

Many doubted that Mexico would succeed in delivering enough water to the U.S. after the long-running dispute came to a boil in September. Farmers, ranchers, and other Mexicans seized the La Boquilla Dam in the northern state of Chihuahua, sparking…

Tagged with: 1944 Water Treaty, Chihuahua, drought, Farmers, La Boquilla Dam, Mexico
Posted in Agriculture, Farming, Feature, Federal Policy, International, News Desk, Water

Farm Income Hits 7-Year-High in 2020

Posted on October 14, 2020 by Land Report Editors

The largest direct farm payments ever – to the tune of a record-smashing $37.2 billion – have bolstered farm sector income in 2020. While seeking to soften the impact of the pandemic throughout the ag sector, the Trump Administration directed…

Tagged with: COVID, direct farm payments, USDA
Posted in Agriculture, Farming, Feature, Federal Policy, News Desk

Finance Committee Slams Bogus Appraisals and Shady Tax Deals

Posted on October 2, 2020 by Land Report Editors

The bipartisan Senate Finance Committee determined that inflated property appraisals and “sham partnerships” often enabled tax cheats to claim more in deductions than lawfully allowed. Investigators unearthed emails detailing how crooked syndicators engineered easements to yield more lucrative tax breaks…

Posted in Conservation, Feature, Federal Policy, News Desk

Fish & Wildlife Service Proposes Rule Defining Habitat

Posted on September 24, 2020 by Land Report Editors

This landmark development will impact the listing of endangered and threatened species. The agency’s proposed definition aligns with the Supreme Court’s 2018 decision in Weyerhaeuser Co. v. the US Fish and Wildlife Service, which held that an area may only…

The Conservation Fund Acquires Colorado’s Sweetwater Lake

Posted on September 18, 2020 by Land Report Editors

The 488-acre purchase of one of Colorado’s largest natural lakes means the water and surrounding terrain will fall under federal protection thanks in part to the Great American Outdoors Act, which the Senate passed on June 17. Once approved by…

Burger King Wins Dismissal of Vegan Lawsuit

Posted on September 2, 2020 by Land Report Editors

US District Judge Raag Singhal tossed out a lawsuit that accused the fast-food giant of deception when it came to the preparation of its “Impossible Whopper.” A group of seven plaintiffs initiated the class action back in November. They alleged…

Tagged with: Burger King, federal court, Impossible Whopper, lawsuit, vegan
Posted in Feature, Federal Policy, News Desk