Duck hunters rally against Trump administration review of prairie wetland drainage rule

Duck hunters and conservation groups are urging the Trump administration to keep existing drain-tile setback protections for prairie wetlands after a 14-day public review was opened.

On July 24 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service launched a 14-day public review of a 2024 regulation governing how close farmers may place underground drainage tiles to protected prairie wetlands. While no amendment has been proposed, the Trump administration is evaluating whether the rule remains effective. Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl, and a broad coalition of waterfowl hunters have filed more than 10,000 comments, arguing that the Prairie Pothole Region—home to over 60 % of North America’s breeding waterfowl—could suffer if the setback requirement is loosened.

The rule, in place for about six decades, also shields farmers from liability if their tiles remain within the approved distance. Republican senators including John Boozman and Tom Cotton sent a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum urging preservation of the rule, citing concerns over potential USDA standard changes. Meanwhile, North Dakota farmer Cody Peterson is suing the agency, claiming the rule expands federal control beyond his original easement. Hunters stress that any reduction in protections would ripple through the national waterfowl-hunting economy, which supports roughly 30,000 jobs and nearly $1 billion annually.