Calling U.S. EPA a "raging bull" and the No. 1 threat to agriculture, Republican farm-state lawmakers yesterday urged Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to be a strong advocate for farmers against federal environmental regulations.

"Are you, as the head of the USDA, willing to go to bat on behalf of the United States farms with the EPA?" asked Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.).

EPA is considering a number of regulations dealing with agriculture, including controls on the amount of dust kicked up into the air on farms and tighter limits on pesticide and nutrient use. House Agriculture Committee members at a hearing yesterday said such regulations would be detrimental to farmers, especially small producers.

Agriculture Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) has promised to hold oversight hearings on EPA, but as the committee's jurisdiction does not extend to the federal agency, farm-state lawmakers did their best in asking Vilsack to be their advocate.

"Please, to the degree that you have any power at all, Wisconsin's farmers are pleading with you, as their representative in the administration, for help," Rep. Reid Ribble (R-Wis.) told Vilsack.

Much of lawmakers' criticism centered on EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson.

"I advocate very strongly that you, Mr. Secretary, as part of the administration, convey to Ms. Jackson, the administrator, that her actions as EPA director are causing literal havoc within the agriculture community," Rep. Timothy Johnson (R-Ill.) said, "and that we need to get that raging bull by the horns before it destroys American agriculture."

Vilsack testified before the House committee and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry on the state of the agricultural economy, which "continues to remain strong," he said. U.S. agricultural exports are at record levels, and farm income projected for this year and next will be the highest since 1976.

However, tight global supplies, especially in wheat, and recent sharp increases in prices for major crops are causing some instability in the market.

Vilsack said his top priorities are making sure farmers have access to capital and credit -- and that there is a next generation of farmers.

"The one thing I know that's certain about agriculture," Vilsack said, "is that there's a great deal of uncertainty."

USDA and EPA are working together to give farmers certainty on regulations, he said. The issue of EPA regulation came up only briefly at the Senate hearing, when Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said the agency needs "a little common sense."

By contrast, the House committee continuously grilled Vilsack about USDA's relationship with EPA and his role in the agency's environmental regulations. EPA has an agriculture liaison that works closely with USDA, and his department is constantly writing letters to the environmental agency and holding meetings, Vilsack said.

"One of the first things I did was to establish a good relationship with Administrator Jackson and encourage her to actually take time to visit farm country, which she has done," Vilsack said.

Lawmakers did not seem satisfied.

"The bottom line is the America citizen is scared to death and frightened of the EPA, whether they're in farming or any other industry," Scott said. "I would ask you to use a bigger bat."