Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the U.S. Department of Transportation’s position that it had never contemplated the rules change that provoked concerns from some farmers and elected officials.

CARSON CITY – A federal agency that critics said was evaluating new rules that would have applied commercial motor vehicle regulations to farm vehicles on public roadways is not pursuing any changes, bringing a sigh of relief to Nevada farmers and ranchers.

The U.S. Department of Transportation said in a statement today that it has determined “that most states have already adopted common sense enforcement practices that allow farmers to safely move equipment to and from their fields.”

The agency did issue new guidance on the issue but said it never had contemplated making the changes that provoked concern from farmers and elected officials from around the country.

Critics concerned about a potential rules change by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said any such change would be burdensome and unnecessary, adding costs and more bureaucracy to family farmers and ranchers.

Stalk puller. / Courtesy of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture

Applying the code to tractors and other farm vehicles would have required drivers to obtain a commercial driver’s license. Registration of the vehicles would also have been required.

Currently farm vehicles are not regulated under the commercial code and are allowed to use public roadways in Nevada for brief trips as special mobile equipment, said Tom Jacobs, a spokesman for the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles.

Farm officials around the country expressed opposition to any such change, saying it was not needed to improve safety on public roadways by requiring commercial drivers’ licenses for those who operate farm machinery.

Doug Busselman, executive vice president of the Nevada Farm Bureau Federation, said the regulations would have added more costs and bureaucracy on family farmers and ranchers at a time when job creation should be the nation’s top priority.

The possible changes caught the attention of members of Congress as well.

Twenty-two U.S. senators sent a letter to the agency last week expressing their concerns: “While we agree road safety should be a top priority, we believe new regulations would amount to yet another government overreach and would have negative consequences on the food production industry.”

But an agency spokesman said today no rule-making was ever contemplated. There was a question raised in one Midwestern state about whether farmers using crop sharing arrangements might be required to obtain commercial drivers licenses. So the comment period was requested and guidance was issued saying they were exempted as were other farmers.

The agency today issued a statement clarifying its position: “No regulations will be proposed for any new safety requirements or changes to the rules governing the transport of agricultural products, farm machinery, or farm supplies to or from a farm.”

Secretary Ray LaHood said: “We have no intention of instituting onerous regulations on the hardworking farmers who feed our country and fuel our economy. Farmers deserve to know that reasonable, common sense exemptions will continue to be consistently available to agricultural operations across the country, and that’s why we released this guidance.”

This guidance – which does not impose any new rules on farmers – follows the Federal Register public notice which FMCSA issued on May 31, 2011, asking farmers, farm organizations and the public to give input on the agency’s longstanding safety rules.

“We want to make it absolutely clear that farmers will not be subjected to new and impractical safety regulations,” said U.S. Transportation Deputy Secretary John Porcari. “The farm community can be confident that states will continue to follow the regulatory exemptions for farmers that have always worked so well.”

“FMCSA is pleased with the input we’ve received from the agricultural community and members of Congress. We received about 1,700 comments and the vast majority called for us to preserve the guidance that leaves states to carry out the farm exceptions as they have for many years,” said FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro. “We want to make crystal clear that we are not imposing any new regulations.”