Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced April 6 that the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) will dedicate $40.6 million for 27 land acquisition projects in 15 states designed to safeguard clean water, provide recreational access, preserve wildlife habitat, enhance scenic vistas, and protect historic and wilderness areas.

A recent Supreme Court ruling relating to Clean Water Act (CWA) violations was a huge victory for an Idaho couple, but it is also a potential bonus for all private landowners.

ABC World News ran a story in early March focused on the claims of two disgruntled scientists formerly with USDA. Along with other misguided claims, these men dubbed the Lean Finely Textured Beef (LFTB) as nothing but “pink slime.” However, there’s nothing that is scientific or factual about their claims.

U.S. beef and pork producers opposing the COOL requirement are disappointed that the USTR has decided to appeal last November’s ruling. NCBA Vice President Bob McCann issued a statement saying the appeal “jeopardizes our strong trade relationship with Canada and Mexico, the two largest importers of U.

A recently signed agreement between the state of Montana and Fort Peck Indian Reservation prompted landowners to try and stop the movement, to no avail. District Court Judge John McKeon disregarded their request for a temporary restraining order to stop the move.

Sens. Chuck Grassley, R- IA and Tim Johnson, D-SD, introduced legislation that would place a hard cap on the farm payments an individual farmer could receive in a year and would close what they consider, longabused and well-documented loopholes in the farm payment program.

With no authorization from Congress, Salazar said that he won’t be able to make this month’s deadline for deciding whether to remove four dams on the Klamath River in Oregon and California that some believe will help salmon recovery and provide a better water balance between fish and farms.

Approximately 24,000 acres of half grass/crop fields on private lands were burned, along with cattle. Three firefighters were injured and two homes were completely destroyed, along with fences, barns and outbuildings. And it all happened in a matter of hours with the help of 45 mile per hour winds and parched top soils.

The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) is defending the agency’s decision to close some roads in national forests, despite the growing conflicts and concerns. Intermountain Regional Forester Harv Forsgren told guests at a congressional hearing in Elko, NV, last week that the travel management plans are part of an on-going process across the West.

Last week’s media blitz was buzzing with pink slime bites after ABC News’ March 7 investigative report on the use of the beef filler. According to their report, the lowgrade beef product, dubbed pink slime, is present in 70 percent of ground beef sold at supermarkets.