Reuters reports the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. John Clifford says the number of avian influenza cases in the U.S. has begun to decline. Though Clifford believes the worst is in the past - he says that doesn’t mean there won’t be additional cases. He says the warmer summer weather is helping - as sunlight and heat reduces the virus present in the environment - and he expects the epidemic to be over within a couple of months. So far - the outbreak has led to the death or culling of 40-million birds on commercial farms and backyard flocks in the U.S. and Canada.

The Obama Administration announced Wednesday that after extensive input from the American public - the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is finalizing the Clean Water Rule to restore protection for the streams and wetlands that form the foundation of U.S. water resources without getting in the way of farming, ranching or forestry. President Obama says the rule will provide clarity and certainty businesses and industry need about which waters are protected by the Clean Water Act.

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