AFBF - American Farm Bureau Federation
11/11/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 11/11/2026 05:43
Farm Bureau Supports Updating the Federal Permitting Process
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Autumn Lankford Higgins
Director, Government Affairs
Chad Smith
Associate News Service Editor, NAFB
The American Farm Bureau Federation supports an attempt to modernize the federal permitting process. Chad Smith tells us legislation in the Senate could bring major improvements.
Smith: A 417-page bill before Congress contains the most comprehensive permitting package the Chambers have considered in years. Autumn Lankford Higgins, director of government affairs for the American Farm Bureau, talked about the new permitting legislation.
Higgins: The Senate permitting package is the most sweeping attempt in years to speed up how the U.S. government approves energy and infrastructure projects. First, it puts firm deadlines on environmental reviews and permits. Second, it narrows who can sue and how long they have. Third, it gives the federal regulators more power to approve interstate transmission lines.
Smith: There are several parts of the legislation that will be good for farmers and ranchers.
Higgins: It seeks to line up the reviews required by these laws so that our members needing federal permits for grazing or harvesting timber don't have to wait for years. It narrows the scope of projects requiring review. The bill also includes important updates to legal challenges to these projects.
Smith: Higgins said parts of the bill could use some improvement.
Higgins: We see this as an expansion of the federal government's ability to use eminent domain to acquire land to build transmission lines. Another area that we would like to see changes is the time frame in which states are given before federal authority kicks in, giving state and local authorities only a year to notify landowners, hold hearings, explore options.
Smith: She said there are still several steps to go in the legislative process. Chad Smith, Washington.
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