New Mexico agriculture secretary tapped to help inform federal environmental policy

New Mexico agriculture secretary tapped to help inform federal environmental policy Witte to be among state voices advising Environmental Protection Administration (LAS CRUCES, N.M.) – The state’s top agricultural official has been tapped by the U.S. Environmental Protection Administration to help advise the federal agency in the regulations it oversees. New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture Jeff Witte was invited in June by EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy to serve on the Local Government Advisory Committee, specifically the Small Community Advisory Subcommittee. He was nominated for the post by the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), of which he and his counterparts across the country are members. In her letter inviting Witte to serve on the committee, the EPA’s McCarthy wrote that Witte’s “experience and perspective would be particularly valuable to the EPA as we explore the ways in which national policy might affect state and local governments.” The EPA committee Witte will serve on is comprised of 30 officials from local, state, and tribal governments. Their job, collectively, is to: • advise EPA in its development of environmental regulations that impact small communities; • inform EPA of the potential costs of such regulation to small communities; and • inform EPA of the potential need for technical assistance in administering such regulation in small communities. In his years at New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA), Witte has interacted with EPA on various topics. NMDA’s Pesticide Compliance Section enforces pesticide law enacted at both the federal and state levels. Earlier this year prior to its finalization, Witte testified before Congress on the EPA’s Waters of the U.S. rule and its potential impacts on American farmers and ranchers. Witte’s two-year term on the EPA’s Local Government Advisory Committee expires June 30, 2017. The position is unpaid; Witte’s travel expenses will be covered by EPA.