I am pleased the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has responded in such a timely manner to the request I sent them just a few weeks ago on extending the comment period for producers to weigh-in on critical transportation issues tied to transporting agricultural commodities.
Just recently, the FMCSA announced the original 30-day comment period would be extended to 60 days. The response comes after several of my colleagues and I, including Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), sent a letter to FMSCA Administrator Anne Ferro, following the FMSCA’s release of a 30-day request for public comment on various transportation issues related to production agriculture and commodities.
In the letter, my colleagues and I had asked for the comment period to be extended to accommodate busy farmers, ranchers, and producers, who have significant planting and harvesting responsibilities this time of year.
It’s a busy time of year for our farmers and ranchers, and this extension allows them an adequate amount of time to more thoroughly review the impact these changes would have on their businesses and better provide this critical industry a voice on issues of vital importance to the way it operates.
FMSCA opened the comment period to clarify several of their positions on agricultural transportation, including clarifying the factors distinguishing between inter and intra-state commerce, Crop Share Farm Lease Agreements, and implements of construction and farming equipment husbandry and whether new regulations should be in order to provide uniformity and consistency.
You can click here for more information on the comment period.