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Show October 1975 Utah Farm Bureau News Page S--2 Water Quality Control Stales rights are only one facet of current questions about control of water quality in the United States. The issue, which has several aspects, finds Farm Bureau taking sides with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on one question. That is the question of whether EPA has the authority to exempt smaller livestock and poultry producers from having to get a discharge permit to allow animal wastes to leave their farms. EPA regulations have only called for licensing of larger producers, with at least 1,000 animal units. Those operations have been considered significant polluters. However, a combination of several environmental organizations recently sued EPA, claiming the government agency didnt have the right to exempt smaller producers from the permit requirement. They won their court case, and EPA is now awaiting a hearing on its appeal, with Farm Bureau members hoping for a reversal so that the exemption of small producers remains in effect. Utah state health department officials are calling for a state water pollution law' that would bring control into state hands and out from under federal government regulation. Supporters argue that local officials are more sensitive to Utahs problems, and closer to them, than federal officials in Denver. Opponents say that if controlling water pollution turns out to be a tough problem, state control wouldnt make it any easier. Another concern in w'ater cleanliness is the salt content of water flowing dow'n the Colorado River and other rivers to users downstream. An agreement between the United States and Mexico sets a maximum salt level in irrigation water flowing south of the border. Expensive desalination plants will be built to control water cleanliness. Controlling salt (mineral) content in w'ater is in direct conflict with requests for more efficient w'ater methods as drip irrigation use. Such build up salt content in the soil, and the ground must be flushed out periodically, causing salt content in the runoff water to increase sharply. Should Farm Bureau policy support state administration of water pollution control rather than federal control? Should small livestock and poultry enterprises continue to be exempt from securing permits? What policy should guide Farm Bureaus efforts in working on the question of water use efficiency and salinity control? high-efficien- cy Schedule of County Annual Meetings . The following counties had scheduled their county Farm Bureau annual business meetings by press date. Official county policy and state and national recommendations will be adopted at these meetings. Farm Bureau members should contact their county FB officers for place and time. (See list of county Farm Bureau presidents elsewhere in this special section.) Inheritance and Gift Taxes How Farm Bureau Makes Policy Members, using the majority vote principle, make policy for Farm Bureau. It works like this: November to March - As part of its tax reform legislation. Congress is taking a look at changes in estate taxes. More than 75 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have sponsored H.R. 1793, a bill that would increase the federal estate tax exemption from the present $60,000 to $200,000, in line with vast inflation in property values since the present exemption level was set. The bill would also increase the marital deduction .and allow the valuation of a farm, for estate tax calculations, at its value for farming use rather than the current market values for development. An identical bill has been introduced in the Senate. These bills are in complete accord with both Utah and American Farm Bureau policy. A bill was introduced in the 1975 Utah legislature to accomplish the same changes in state taxes, including gift taxes. It was tabled, though, for further study and consideration along with other tax measures. Utah Farm Bureau policy reads: The exemptions from state and federal estate and gift taxes should be increased substantially in recognition of the economic changes which have occurred since the present exemptions were provided. Are the increases called for in the federal bill (Burleson bill) sufficient to allow for both past inflation and future inflation possible before the level of estate tax deductions is increased again? Should estate taxes be eliminated entirely, as some legislators have County board of directors approves county policy devcommittee. elopment vice County president as serves chairman. usually March to April - State policy research committee is appointed to study issues. July - Leaders and members at tending Midyear conference list additional issues needing study by staff and committee. August to October - October to Nov. 10 State policy research committee sends study findings including pros and cons of issues to county policy development committees. County committee begins studying local issues as well as discussing state committee report. - County Farm Bureaus hold annual business meetings where proposed policies are discussed, amended and voted on by all voting members in the county Farm Bureau. Any Farm Bureau member is allowed to speak on issues at these meetings. November 10 - Policy Research Commit tee compiles county recommendations by category for review by official resolutions committee. Official resolutions committee studies issues and makes recommendations to the official voting delegates representing all county Farm Bureaus in Utah. These delegates debate and finally adopt the resolutions in two separate sessions at the annual convention. Early December - The stale recommen dations for national policy are forwarded to the American Farm Bureau Federation where the process is largely repeated. This process assures Farm Bureau of continued policies which are morally correct and economically sound. |