USDA---how much can they be trusted. Years ago when I was walking my pond area I noticed there were no honey bees on any of the dandelions. I think I was the first person to notice this in my county. I went to the USDA office to report this and they didn't have a clue. I told them to check their one acre front yard that was full of dandelions and you won't find one honey bee. It is thought now that a pesticide is killing them. Originally they thought it might me a mite.

USDA again---I randomly planted 5 1/2 acres around my newly built pond with a couple of thousand trees. I planted Bison Grass to choke out weeds and for a couple of years I mowed around the whole area and mulched each tree. I quit mowing thinking my tree area was in good shape but a farmer reported I had some thistles growing among the small trees.
This automatically sets in motion by the county that the 5 1/2 acres will be mowed by the county killing all my trees now about three years old. The only way it can be stopped is for the complainer to withdraw his complaint. The USDA said it was the law and couldn't be stopped. USDA said why didn't I plant the trees in rows so it could be mowed easily. I said I didn't want my pond area trees to look like corn rows. About this time an agent from the county next to mine came to fill in for my agent on vacation and I told him my problem. He told me there was a law that small trees couldn't be cut and must have a chance to grow. Then I went to the courthouse to get the complainants name and they wasn't going to give it to me. I said how can I sue if I don't have his name. I then confronted the complainant and told him I was going to sue under the new law I had uncovered and he dropped the complaint.

So what I am suggesting is the USDA may have conflicting laws if you run into problems that may help you.