Dec. 16, 2018 — On Tuesday, December 11, 2018, Congress passed the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (H.R.2), which is now pending President Trump’s signature to make the bill law. The bill is a revision of the Pet and Women’s Safety Act (PAWS Act), which protects pets, service animals, emotional support animals and horses of victims of stalking and domestic violence.
Read MoreIf you are hauling horses, you may be subject to licensing and vehicle registration regulations beyond those required for operating a passenger car. If your horse enterprise involves any exchange of money, or if your vehicle or combination is over a certain size, you may be required to obtain a United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) number, a Motor Carrier (MC) number, and/or a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL).
Read MoreSEPTEMBER 14, 2015—EPIC testimony and your many emails and testimony were largely ignored by the Montgomery County Planning Board when, during its public hearing on September 3, 2015, the Board discarded its 2010 requirement that the developer of the Greentree Farm subdivision establish a trail easement and grant EPIC the right to maintain it.
Read MoreMarch 3, 2015—Sunday hunting is continuing to spread across the state, on a county-by-county basis. Even if you already have some Sundays in your county when hunting is allowed, you may see efforts to add more Sundays. The Maryland General Assembly is now considering several bills that would allow for hunting on private and, in some cases, designated public land in numerous counties.
Read MoreDuring their final workday of the year last Tuesday, the Senate adopted legislation (H.R. 5771) that restores for only the 2014 tax year the full package of expired tax provisions that includes the IRA charitable rollover and the enhanced deductions for donations of land conservation easements. Despite a number of last-minute attempts to reach a longer-term agreement, the provisions unfortunately will expire again on January 1, 2015.
Read MoreJanuary 23, 2013 — PLEASE HELP PRESERVE TRAIL RIDING!! We need everyone’s help to prevent the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission from implementing a regulation precedent that could impair riding at any venue. Please come to testify at WSSC’s hearing this Thursday, January 24, 2013, 7–10 p.m., at the WSSC Auditorium, 14501 Sweitzer Lane, Laurel, MD 20707.
Read MoreJune 26, 2011—The agriculture appropriations bill just passed by the House of Representatives dramatically slashes funding for conservation, including major cuts in the Farm and Ranchland Protection Program and the Grasslands Reserve Program. These cuts are a double whammy in that cuts now affect the budget baseline available for conservation programs in the next farm bill.
Read MoreANNAPOLIS, MD (March 2, 2010) The Maryland Horse Industry Board (MHIB) has commissioned the United States Department of Agriculture to conduct a census of the Maryland equine population starting in May 2010. The 2010 Equine Census will be the second count in Maryland of all breeds (horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys) regardless of ownership or use.
Read MoreThe U.S. Senate remained in session until December 24, and they did manage to pass a health-care bill, extend the nation’s debt limit (for two months or so), and pass the Defense Appropriations bill. But they didn’t extend the enhanced easement incentive or resolve (even temporarily) the estate tax issue.
Read MoreSince 1997, Maryland’s Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) has helped thousands of Maryland landowners plant streamside buffers, establish wetlands, protect highly erodible land, and create wildlife habitat while providing them with a steady, dependable land rental income.
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