Change is coming to rural America faster than the speed of light. Here’s a roundup of what’s new that will impact agriculturalists in the future.

1. "'30 x 30' — Progressives pushing for massive federal land grab" by Spike Jordan for The Fence Post

Just a few days into office, President Joe Biden released a flurry of executive orders, among them, Executive Order 14008, “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad” (86 Fed. Reg. 7,619), which he signed Jan. 27. Contained in that order is the “30 x 30” program, a radical and aggressive push forwarded by environmental and climate change activists to put 30 percent of the land and water in the United States under permanent protection by 2030.

2. "Senate bill eyes $15 bill in grants for rural broadband buildups" featured on Merit Talk

The American Broadband Buildout Act is meant to bridge the digital divide between urban and rural America by “matching grants to assist states and state-approved entities build the ‘last-mile’ infrastructure to bring high-speed broadband directly to homes and businesses that lack it,” the senators said.

3. "Protect Animals from Unnecessary Suffering and Exploitation — Proposed ballot initiative could affect ranching” by Tabatha Stewart for Elbert County News

Related:Biden administration: Will farmers see another WOTUS redo?

“The Protect Animals from Unnecessary Suffering and Exploitation — or PAUSE — proposed initiative for the 2022 ballot was filed with Colorado legislative staff last month. It aims to make some serious changes to the existing animal cruelty laws across the state.”

4. “Hammonds’ grazing permit rescinded by Biden administration” by David Steves and Monica Samayoa for OPB

The Biden administration’s Bureau of Land Management on Friday rescinded a grazing permit that was granted to Eastern Oregon ranchers who were previously convicted of arson on public lands. It reverses the decision by former President Donald Trump’s Interior secretary, David Bernhardt. He had granted the permit to Dwight and Steven Hammond on Trump’s final day in office. The permit gave the Hammonds the privilege to graze livestock on public land for 10 years.

5. “What’s in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 for agriculture?” for American Farm Bureau Federation

“Agricultural provisions of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 appropriate an estimated $10.4 billion for programs designed to strengthen the agricultural and food supply chain, e.g., animal surveillance or COVD-19 mitigation efforts for agricultural workers; additional resources to purchase and distribute agricultural commodities to nonprofits, restaurants or other food-related entities; increase access to health care in rural communities; and provide debt relief and other support programs for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.”

Related:What does Biden’s climate team mean for farmers?

The opinions of Amanda Radke are not necessarily those of beefmagazine.com or Farm Progress.