The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), Public Lands Council (PLC), American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), and Society for Range Management (SRM) have announced support for a proposal to reduce wild horse and burro populations on western rangelands.
The proposal, titled “The Path Forward for Management of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Wild Horses and Burros,” is the result of several months of discussions among representatives from diverse stakeholder groups, including humane advocates, livestock producers, local governments, and rangeland management professionals. The proposal focuses on the congressional appropriations process and does not recommend any amendments to the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act (WFRHBA).
The proposal, if fully implemented, would increase BLM’s capacity to gather horses and burros in overpopulated areas; administer population-growth-suppressant to healthy animals at gather; and increase use of long-term, pasture-based holding for older horses.The American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Program has launched a Women in Ag online survey that aims to gauge the goals, aspirations, achievements and needs of women who hold various roles in the American agriculture industry.
All women who are farmers, ranchers, farm/ranch employees, employed in agricultural businesses, pursuing ag-related higher education or supportive of agriculture in other ways are invited to participate in the survey at fb.org/women. Respondents must reside in the United States and Farm Bureau membership is not required to participate.
Data collected from respondents will be used to gauge trends related to the achievements of women in agriculture, including leadership positions, business successes and election to public office. Results from the survey are slated for release in the fall and will add to findings gleaned from a similar survey conducted in 2014.
The AFB Women’s Leadership Committee is sponsoring the survey and is working with other farm and agriculture organizations to encourage participation. Participants will be entered to receive one of five $100 “thank you” gift cards after the survey closes on June 21.
The ongoing U.S./European Union (EU) trade dispute escalated this week putting exports of lentils and chickpeas into a major market at risk.
This week the EU Director General of Trade issued a draft list of “countermeasures” in response to the U.S.-EU Airbus/Boeing dispute covering approximately $11 billion in U.S. imports to the EU. The draft list includes U.S. chickpeas and lentils.
It is important to note that the current announcement is not a new tariff – yet. It is a draft list of agricultural commodities that the EU will assess a tariff, if the two cases currently under review by the WTO regarding the Boeing/Airbus dispute are not arbitrated to the EU’s satisfaction.
Since this issue first arose in March of 2018, the USADPLC has closely monitored its progress. The dry bean sector was the first to be affected in July of 2018 with a 25% tariff.
A prestigious award that celebrates voluntary conservation by farmers, ranchers and other landowners is coming to Montana.
Montana is the latest state where Sand County Foundation presents the Leopold Conservation Award®.
Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes landowners who inspire others with their dedication to land, water and wildlife habitat management on private, working land. In his influential 1949 book, “A Sand County Almanac,” Leopold called for an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage.
In Montana, Governor Steve Bullock’s Office, Montana Department of Agriculture, and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation’s Rangeland Resources Committee will join the Sand County Foundation in presenting the $10,000 award to the first recipient from Montana later this year.
Applications for the first Montana Leopold Conservation Award are now being accepted. The application may be submitted on behalf of a landowner, or landowners may apply themselves.
Applications must be postmarked by July 1, 2019 and mailed to:
Leopold Conservation Award
c/o Stacey Barta, Montana DNRC
1539 11th Avenue
P.O. Box 201601
Helena, MT 59620
The application is found at: https://sandcountyfoundation.org/uploads/Montana-2019-CFN-Web.pdf.
-Reported by Russell Nemetz/MTN News
