{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=e753a402-1305-448b-b5c7-dd4d372b382f", "Senators Fight to Protect Farmers and Hunters from Burdensome Regulations", "2013-10-31", "2013", "2013-10", "Republican", "House", "AR", "John Boozman", "B001236", "www.boozman.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Mark Pryor (D-AR), John Boozman (R-AR), Thad Cochran (R-MS), and Mary Landrieu (D-LA) today introduced the Farmer and Hunter Protection Act to prevent the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) from unfairly penalizing farmers and sportsmen for rolling their fields during hunting season. During the summer of 2012, weather conditions in the Southeast caused some harvested rice fields to re-head, creating accidental second growth crops. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may now view these second growth crops that have been rolled as baited fields, even though this practice was recommended by local cooperative extension services as a way to return nutrients to the soil. Inadvertent baiting of a field can level a fine of up to $100,000 for a farmer, $15,000 for a hunter, and prohibit hunting on the land. \u201cIt\u2019s inexcusable that the Fish and Wildlife Service may force our farmers and hunters to pay a fine for a long-standing agricultural practice,\u201d Pryor said. \u201cThis irresponsible action would not only harm our families\u2019 way of life, it would negatively impact hunting season\u2014which is a huge driver of economic activity in Arkansas. Our common-sense bill will resolve this issue and ensure the rights of Arkansans are protected.\u201d \u201cThis is a common, recommended agriculture practice Arkansas farmers have followed for generations. Threatening to penalize our farmers for this normal procedure is bad policy that will have a lasting impact on the industry in addition to the sportsmen who use the land. Allowing state cooperative extension offices the ability to determine what is acceptable is a commonsense solution,\u201d Boozman said. \u201cThis an example of a regulatory process gone wrong.\u00a0 Farmers and hunters, who follow recommended land management practices, should not be subjected to unfair and costly penalties,\u201d Cochran said. \u201cSportsman\u2019s Paradise is not just a slogan on our license plates; it\u2019s a way of life in Louisiana. By unfairly fining farmers and hunters for tried and true techniques, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services would make sportsmen, hunters, and farmers the next endangered species. As someone who enjoys hunting, I know how important the hunting season is in Louisiana. The last thing our hunters and farmers need is senseless and ridiculous regulations ahead of this year\u2019s hunting season,\u201d said Landrieu. The Farmer and Hunter Protection Act would allow each state\u2019s cooperative extension service to distinguish between normal agriculture practices and baiting.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=e753a402-1305-448b-b5c7-dd4d372b382f"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8030862081795931, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}