As 2017 comes to a close, what better way to reflect on the year than to look back at some of the key developments in agricultural law? From water to pesticides, manure to undercover videos, there have been many legal developments impacting agricultural producers.

For years now, cattle producers have been closely following the drama surrounding the definition of “Waters of the United States,” commonly referred to as WOTUS.

For the second time, a federal court judge has held a state “ag gag” statute unconstitutional. Previously, an Idaho statute was deemed unconstitutional, and this decision remains on appeal at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The laws surrounding hiring and firing farm employees are complex, which leads to a great deal of misunderstanding among employers about what they can and should do when in these situations. What type of investigation should an employer conduct into a potential hire?

For many cattle producers, the increased use of unmanned aerial systems (commonly known as drones) has created a concern related to property and privacy rights. If a drone is flying over the property or livestock of another, what legal rights does the landowner have? What can he or she do in that situation to protect his or her property?

In April, a major decision came out of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in the Waterkeeper Alliance v. Environmental Protection Agency case that could have major impact on agricultural operations around the country.

Prescribed burning (also called controlled burning) is a popular grassland management tool across the country. These burns, when conducted carefully, can serve to maintain and restore native grasslands, control weeds, improve forage quality and even prevent wildfires.

Eric dated his co-worker, Kay, from 2007 to 2009 and designated her as the beneficiary to his life insurance policy when he filled out paperwork during their relationship.

It appears that 2017 could be an important year for a number of agricultural law issues. From the Clean Water Act, to “ag gag” legislation, to the Endangered Species Act, there are a number of pending cases that could have major impacts on the agricultural industry in the coming year.

The Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund (R-CALF) and the United Stockgrowers of America have likely survived a motion to dismiss their case against USDA challenging the beef checkoff and obtained an injunction against the Montana Beef Council (MBC) to prevent it from spending money received from the federal beef checkoff board on promotion.