WF Policy & Law Exam 2

Ayers Fall 2026

Caucus

group of people with similar political views that are advocating for common goals or objectives

NGO

tax except (501C3), non-governmental organization

3Rs

recruitment, retention, reactivation; usually for hunters/anglers

Omnibus Bill

law that includes various programs and policies

Eutrophication

nutrient rich system that usually causes algae growth, death, and/or hypoxia

Point Source Pollution

traceable unwanted substance entering another system from a specific location, “end of a pipe”

Non-point Source Pollution

untraceable unwanted substance from several unspecified locations, “run off”

Mitigation

reducing or compensating for damage by replacing lost functions elsewhere

Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation

NGO based in Washington D.C. with a 25 person staff nationwide

Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation: Three Main Objectives

1. Advocate for science based policy

2. Sportsmen at the political table

3. Protect access & opportunity for hunting & fishing

CSF: No Net Loss

Protecting public lands for public access

Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation: Funding

Privately funded through donations

CSF: Roadless Rule

protection of wild areas vs. access & management of land

CSF: Oregon bill to…

ban all industries that harm animals → voted down

CSF: Mississippi bill to…

require a bear hunt spring 2026 → voted down

CSF: How many states have passed constitutional rights to hunt and fish?

24

Farm Bill: Percent of private land in the U.S.

60%

Farm Bill: Percent of land in the U.S. managed as cropland, rangeland, pastureland, or forestland

75%

Farm Bill: Percent of cropland, rangeland, and pastureland that is private

77%

Farm Bill: Percent of forestland in the U.S. that is private

63%

Farm Bill: Originally passed in ____ as _________.

1933, The Agricultural Adjustment Act

Farm Bill: In response to food prices from the ______.

Great Depression

Farm Bill: In response also to soil damage from the ______.

Dust Bowl

Farm Bill: Administered by the …

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service & Farm Service Agency

Farm Bill: Established ________ for management at local level.

soil & water conservation districts

Farm Bill: NRCS administers the ______ the monitor changes in private land, soil, and water.

Natural Resources Inventory

Farm Bill: Year

1985

Farm Bill: Established Title II, including the ___ for soil and wetland loss.

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)

Farm Bill: The ____ Farm Bill established several programs to incentivize conservation on private lands.

1990

Farm Bill: Conservation requirements for new and active farm land

Sod Buster Provision

Farm Bill: Conservation requirements to reduce wetland loss

Swamp Buster Provision

Farm Bill: rental and cost-sharing to keep sensitive land out of production

Conservation Reserve Program

Farm Bill: Repair, preserve, and improve wetlands

Wetland Reserve Program (WRP)

Farm Bill: Encourage Forest Stewardship

Stewardship Incentive Program

Farm Bill: Repair and improve habitat for fish & wildlife

Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)

Farm Bill: addresses several issues, including at-risk species

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

Farm Bill: restore and protect grasslands

Grassland Reserve Program (GRP)

Farm Bill: increased funding for conservation on active farm land

Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)

Farm Bill: part of Title VIII, funds forest ecosystem conservation

Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP)

Farm Bill: ____ merged WHIP into EQIP, and moved WRP and GRP into the new …

2014 FB, agricultural conservation easement program (ACEP)

Farm Bill: ____ was the last fully negotiated FB to pass and includes CRP, EQIP, CSP, and ACEP

2018 FB

Farm Bill: The ____ renewal approved …

2025, $73 billion for Title II over the next 10 years

Farm Bill: Renewed in 2026?

No

MDWFP: Most of the MS CLE laws are in _______ of the state code, mostly in chapter ___.

Title 49, 7

MDWFP: An administrative rule is passed by the MDWFP Commission by the authority of the MS legislature

• Public Comment period for 30 days

• rules & regulations of agency

MDWFP: Regulations should be science-based and stakeholder opinion matters, but …

politics does normally come into play

MDWFP: Four classes of violations

0 - fine amount not stated, wide range of possibilities, usually felony

1 - $2-5,000 fine, jail time, loss of hunting/fishing license, serious misdemeanor

2 - $100-500 fine, season violations

3 - $25-100 fine, no WMA permit, no fall arrest system, safety violations

MDWFP: Laws are made by MS Legislature by passing …

both houses of state congress

MDWFP: MS CLE officers are dually sworn to enforce federal laws …

such as MBTA hunting/harvesting

MDWFP: Evidence is Key …

• do not disturb

• take photos

• collect & document

• use appropriate chain of custody

MDWFP: MS CLE jurisdiction is …

state-wide & includes all MS laws

MDWFP: High fence facilities with native species are …

MDWFP jurisdiction

Clean Water Act Year

1972

CWA: ___ million acres of wetlands in the U.S. in 1600, nearly …

220, 50% have been lost

CWA: What act banned dumping of solid waste (excluding sewage and runoff) and building structures into navigable waterways without a permit from the USACE?

Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act of 1899

CWA: The first federal regulation of water pollution was the …

Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948

CWA: The _____ in the Gulf caused by nutrient run-off causing phytoplankton blooms that die, using O2

Hypoxic Dead Zone

CWA: Environmental activism grew in the ____

1960s

CWA: _____ by Rachel Carson grew awareness of pollution

Silent Spring (1962)

CWA: The first Earth Day was …

April 22, 1970

CWA: The CWA of 1972 was amended in ____ and ____

1977, 1987

CWA: The act basically required that all contaminated water be treated before discharge into surface waters to …

maintain the chemical, physical, & biological integrity of the nation’s waters

CWA: Aimed to make water …

swimmable, drinkable, fishable

CWA: The CWA is now overseen by the ___, but some permitting goes through _____

EPA, USACE

CWA: A 1987 amendment said that any discharge without permit is prohibited in “navigable waters” defined as _____, including isolated wetlands

waters of the United States

CWA: Requires discharge permits. Discharge includes …

Pollutants, Dredge, & Fill

CWA: Controls ___ levels

bacteria

CWA: Identify impaired waters and limit the load of pollution to protect human health

Section 303

CWA: Established state water primacy; state agency regulates water quality

Section 401

CWA: What is the state water primacy agency in MS?

MS Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ)

CWA: National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) to regulate point-source

Section 402

CWA: Permitting for wetland fill and mitigation

Section 404

CWA: _____ implements fill permits and mitigation

USACE

CWA: The EPA also gives regulatory authority to …

USFWS, NMFS, NRCS, MDEQ, MDMR

CWA: No net loss is the goal in what Section?

404

CWA: Mitigation Banks

paying for wetland restoration to use wetlands somewhere else

• Avoid, reduce, replace wetland loss (avoidance, minimization, compensation)

CWA: U.S. v. Riverside Bayview

1985; Housing developer filled in a wetland, ACE sued, developer won

CWA: Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. USACE

2001; SWANC used an old gravel mine pit as a landfill, ACE sued bc of a 1986 rule that isolated wetlands supporting migratory birds were protected, SCOTUS determined that the definition of “navigable water” was too broad

CWA: Carabell & Rapanos v. U.S.

2006; Two developers filling wetlands were denied permits by USACE, SCOTUS failed to decide saying that USACE had to apply a “significant nexus test” on each water body to prove its effects

CWA: County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund

2020; SCOTUS decided discharges of waste into groundwater can change significantly before reaching a navigable waterway and therefore are not all covered by CWA

CWA: Sackett v. EPA

2023; SCOTUS eliminated the significant nexus test and said that CWA waters must have a continuous surface connection to a permanent navigable waterway

CWA: San Francisco v. EPA

2025; SCOTUS determined that EPA must give specific steps to ensure water quality standards rather than the vague requirement for municipalities to maintain water quality

Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA)

1972; Supports states to balance protection and development, Administered by NOAA

MS Coastal Program - Coastal Wetlands Protection Act

1973; protects coastal wetlands and regulates certain activities, state law

MDMR regulates …

mean high tide to water

USACE regulates …

all waters of the U.S.

National Wildlife Refuge Administration Act

1966; USFWS National Refuge System serves as a network of lands and waters for conservation and recreation in the U.S.

NWRAA: The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of …

1997 requires a Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and updates every 15 years

NWRAA: Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) requirements

• habitat management plan

• inventory & monitoring plan

• visitor service plan

• organization chart (who does what/chain of command)

NWRAA: Biological integrity, diversity & environmental health (BIDEH)

2001, must be maintained in NWRs

NWRAA: ESA (1973) list ______ for activities that allow take of threatened and endangered species or essential habitat

4(d) exemptions

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Year

1969

NEPA: Three Levels -

• if action has already been established, can happen because of categorical exclusion

• new actions require environmental assessment hopefully with ‘finding of no significant impact’ (FONSI)

• with definite impact, plan to limit it and form an Environmental Impact Statement

Endangered Species Act (ESA) Year

1973

ESA: Section ___ of ESA requires federal agencies to cooperate and plan to prevent any harm to Threatened & Endangered species

7, recovery of a species allows more flexibility in actions as opposed to jeapordy

Sikes Act Year

1960

Sikes: The federal government owns …

640 million acres, ~20% U.S. land

Sikes: Mostly administered by …

NRS, USFWS, BLM, USFS

Sikes: Four agencies (NRS, USFWS, BLM, USFS) account for about ______ of those acres, mostly in ______ and western states.

606 million, Alaska

Sikes: The Department of Defense has …

8.4 million acres in U.S.