%20(1)_edited.png)
Illinois Land Improvement Contractors Association, Inc.
News
Labor Department Proposes New Independent Contractor Rules
On February 26, 2026, the United States Department of Labor (“DOL”) unveiled a highly anticipated proposed rule that could alter how businesses determine whether workers should be classified as employees or independent contractors. The DOL’s proposed rule would rescind and replace the current test (promulgated under the Biden administration) with a slightly modified version of the first Trump administration’s 2021 rule.
Farm Bill Reported from Committee – Conservation Programs Included
The House Agriculture Committee on March 5 approved a new five-year reauthorization of the farm bill that would extend many of the major U.S. Department of Agriculture programs through 2031. The Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026 (HR 7567) passed by a margin of 34 to 17, with all Republicans and seven Democrats voting in favor of the bill.
USDA Launches ‘One Farmer, One File’ Initiative to Better Support Farmers
Today at the Commodity Classic Convention in San Antonio, Texas, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the “One Farmer, One File” modernization, another action putting Farmers First with sweeping technological improvements at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Through “One Farmer, One File,” USDA’s mission is to create a single, streamlined record that follows the farmer — no matter where they go in the USDA system.
Ag Group Heads to Minnesota Capitol to Defend Farm Drainage Systems
Most crops grown in Minnesota don’t do well under excessively wet conditions. That’s especially true with heavy clay soils that don’t drain well.
Many farmers install underground drainage pipes, also called tile, to drain excess water. It allows for earlier planting and can improve plant health.
Study Shows 20 Year Decline in Nitrate Pollution Across Portions of the Mississippi River Basin
A new accounting of nitrogen pollution in the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River Basin (MARB) reveals a significant decline in recent decades, suggesting positive momentum for water quality goals in local watersheds and the Gulf. Surprisingly, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign-led study doesn’t credit the change to reduced fertilizer application, but instead to cleaner air and more efficient nitrogen uptake by modern corn hybrids.
Illinois Scientists Separate Human & Hydrological Drivers of Nitrogen Pollution in the Upper Mississippi River Basin
The advancement, published in Environmental Science and Technology, could lead to more targeted policy and management approaches for nitrate and nitrite—nutrients that degrade drinking water quality and contribute to the oxygen-depleted “dead zones” that form each year in the Gulf of Mexico.
New Water-Treatment System Removes Nitrogen, Phosphorus from Farm Tile Drainage
Scientists have developed a new edge-of-field water-treatment system that reduces the load of excess nutrients washing into waterways from farm drainage systems. Their method combines a woodchip bioreactor with a two-step biochar water-treatment module.
Illinois LICA's 2025 Award Recipients
Every year, Illinois LICA honors the members and partners who go above and beyond for our Association and the land improvement industry. At this year’s ILICA Convention in January, we proudly presented awards to individuals whose leadership, service, and commitment continue to strengthen our industry. Join us in recognizing this year’s outstanding award recipients!
Remembering a Hall of Famer
Dr. Dan Jaynes of passed away on February 19, 2026. Dr. Jaynes made many contributions to the conservation drainage world through his research and development of practical practices like the saturated buffer throughout his career as a Research Soil Scientist at the National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment in Ames, IA.
Provide Your Crew With Meaningful Performance Data to Influence Project Outcomes
No, this is not another shameless reflection on a certain National Championship basketball team. However, if you are a fan, feel free to insert those superstars in this scenario. Consider two major teams in basketball are playing a back-and-forth game. Scoring in this game will quickly escalate to triple digits for both teams.
Fleet Solutions Offer Real-Time Asset Visibility & More
Managing construction and heavy fleet assets is a time-consuming job. While many fleets are still tracking data with pen and paper or on spreadsheets, more and more are turning to digital solutions to help control costs and improve operational efficiencies.
UD DOT Issues Final Rules on CDLs for Foreign Drivers
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) this week issued a final rule on nondomiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) and commercial learner’s permits (CLPs), limiting the ways that states can issue and renew these driving credentials for noncitizens.
Suicide/Drug Overdose Deaths in Construction Decline
The death rates from drug overdose and suicide among the construction workforce have dropped according to recent data released by North America’s Building Trades Unions and CPWR — The Center for Construction Research and Training.
Deadline for E15 Deal Missed - Negotiations Continue
The deadline for a congressional council to come up with a plan for E15 legislation has passed with no apparent breakthrough in ending a stalemate between large and mid-sized oil refiners.
Biofuel and corn producers are caught in the middle as their goal of making higher ethanol fuel blends, known as E15, at gas pumps year-round remains out of reach.
House Republicans Release New Farm Bill Text
House Agriculture Chair Glenn Thompson on Friday proposed a five-year farm bill to tweak conservation programs, boost logging and wildfire prevention on national forests, and limit states’ ability to put their own health warnings on pesticides. The Pennsylvania Republican included many Democratic-backed provisions on conservation and agricultural research in an effort to draw bipartisan support.
Soil Health Tour 2025: Two-Stage Ditch Focus
Take the soil health tour with a two-stage ditch focus from the Ohio State University Extension.
Scroll through information on the screen or use the navigation buttons at the top to jump to different sections of the StoryMap. Some of the content is interactive, so go ahead and play around!
Is Controlled Drainage Worth the Extra Bucks, Time & Effort in Soybean Fields?
The Midwest United States is one of the world’s leading soybean-producing regions. According to a 2017 Food and Agriculture Organization report, the region accounts for more than 34% of global soybean production. Over the years, soybean yields have increased steadily thanks to improved genetics and better management practices. While growers can influence genetics and management, weather remains largely out of our control.
New: OSHA Safety Champions Program
The Safety Champions Program is a new program for employers to develop and implement an effective safety and health program. The main goal of safety and health programs is to prevent workplace injuries, illnesses, and deaths. The Program incorporates the seven core elements of Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs.
Be Mindful of These 2026 OSHA Safety Deadlines
OSHA is signaling one thing clearly heading into 2026: Contractors should prepare for higher expectations around planning, documentation and proactive hazard control.
Saturated Buffer Performance Under Alternative Weir Settings
Saturated buffers are important edge-of-field conservation practices to reduce nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) loading from subsurface (tile) drainage systems to downstream waters. The impact of seasonal management of weir elevations in the water control structure on NO3-N removal has not been well studied.