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Cody Peterson, a North Dakota farmer, sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Department of the Interior on Tuesday, challenging their interpretation of a 1963 wetlands easement on his property. Peterson claims the agencies are now restricting 40% of his farmable land by incorrectly including wetlands that didn’t exist when the original $630 easement was purchased. Represented by Pacific Legal Foundation, he seeks to confirm the easement only covers wetlands that existed in 1963 and to invalidate the government’s expanded 2020 map and 2024 rule. This case reflects broader concerns among farmers in the Prairie Pothole region regarding changing interpretations of perpetual wetland easements.
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