USDA cuts funding to solar power projects (Agri-Pulse): USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced Monday that the department will stop subsidizing solar projects on farmland, arguing they drive up land costs for farmers.
Speaking in Tennessee, Rollins offered no details, and USDA has not released formal guidance. However, a USDA-Rural Development memo obtained by Agri-Pulse shows the agency plans to bar solar and wind projects from the Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan program. It also says the Rural Energy for America Program will limit guaranteed loans and grants to only small-scale projects.
Court reverses Endangered Species Act protections for Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Morning Ag Clips): A federal judge in Texas has overturned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to list the lesser prairie-chicken as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
The bird, native to parts of Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Kansas, has faced shrinking habitats and population declines since the 1960s. Its status has long been debated, drawing concern from landowners, farmers, and the oil and gas industry.
With the court’s ruling, the bird is no longer protected under the Act, meaning there is currently no liability for harming it. However, the issue isn’t settled. The Fish and Wildlife Service will reexamine the 2016 petition to list the species, reviewing population segments and required factors under the law. The agency told the court it expects to finish this process by November 2026.
USDA announces major investments in rural Tennessee (USDA Press Release): Yesterday, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced nearly $89 million in Congressionally directed investments for 13 rural development projects in communities across the State of Tennessee. These projects, coordinated by USDA Rural Development (RD), will promote strong partnerships and invest in critical infrastructure as well as educational opportunities for rural Tennesseans.
“We are working every day at USDA to ensure our family farmers have the tools and markets to keep farming for generations to come. Rural Tennessee helps feed and fuel America and the world, and President Trump is committed to investing in these communities so they continue to be productive and fulfilling places to live for generations to come. If our farmers and ranchers do not have the resources to continue to farm, then we cannot feed ourselves. President Trump understands how important it is to have a safe, secure, and resilient farm economy,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins.