The third time is not the charm for the Hammonds, as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) rescinded the family’s grazing permit for the third time shortly after reauthorizing grazing rights a month ago.
The 10th Circuit recently ruled against Colorado for halting implementation of the Trump administration’s regulation defining protected waters under the Clean Water Act.
After suffering the largest wildfire season in recent history with over 4.2 million acres burned, California legislators are introducing several bills to tackle fuel loads and assist agriculture producers.
Cash cattle were unable to find much support, with the brunt of the week’s sales struggling to bring $114. Packers continue to reap high margins, with the Sterling Profit Tracker recording packers receiving $429.52 per head for the week ending Feb. 26.
USDA’s National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS), along with the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), is conducting a national study focusing on cattle health and management on feedlots containing at least 50 head. Read more
Montana lawmakers proposed several bills designed to shape bison management in the state. The bills include hot-button issues such as the movement of bison throughout the state without a state health certificate, requiring county approval to relocate bison, and the clarification of wild versus domestic bison. Read more
Call it a capital gains tax or an “excise tax,” either way, opponents of two bills proposed by Washington state lawmakers say the IRS qualifies capital gains tax as an income tax. Read more
The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has extended the commenting period deadline over its proposed Rangeland Management Directives. The directives govern grazing permits and allotment administration, and have not been revised for 30 years. Read more
While much of the country has been experiencing unprecedented low temperatures and snowfall, much of the Far West continues to hope for rain. Most states are behind in terms of normal precipitation and are still experiencing high levels of drought. Read more
Currently, in Washington, meat sold to consumers must be butchered and processed in a USDA facility. Senate Bill 5045 would create a state-run meat and poultry inspection program with requirements equal to those imposed through USDA. Read more
After reading the story “Enviros blame domestic sheep for disease” (WLJ Nov. 6, 2020), Joe Iriart reached out to WLJ to share his struggles with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and his desire to run sheep on his allotment. Read more
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) recently released a new environmental analysis that changes the agency’s approach at the Klamath Project in order to comply with the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Read more
Drought continues to persist over much of the West, and hay and pasture competition between cattle and sheep continues to increase. The upward trajectory of the price of corn is also influencing the cost of feeding out lambs for market. Read more
Despite President Joe Biden signing an executive order to “consider suspending, revising, or rescinding the agency actions” made during the Trump administration, environmentalists continue their efforts to halt projects. Read more
Markets were mixed today, although more positive than yesterday. Live cattle futures were higher, and if cash trade had waited until today to develop, perhaps the week’s cash prices could have been higher with encouragement from the futures. Read more
USDA needs to ensure its coronavirus aid to farmers is equitable as the Biden administration is using the department in several ways to focus on President Joe Biden’s goal to contain the coronavirus, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said recently. Read more
Consumers overwhelmingly chose ground beef over plant-based beef alternatives in a multifaceted study now being reported by Kansas State (K-State) University researchers. Read more
Farms across the country will be paying on average 4.5 percent higher wages to H-2A agricultural guest workers in 2021 after a recent injunction against a Trump administration rule to freeze those wages. Read more
Farmers continue to report strong current economic conditions on their farms, according to the February Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer. Read more
Winter Storm Uri, which blasted through the entire state of Texas, caused at least $600 million in agricultural losses, according to preliminary data from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agricultural economists. Read more
Texas cattle producers should expect far better market conditions in 2021 despite recent disruptions and losses, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. Read more
Despite shipping record-breaking volumes of U.S. beef to China from July to December 2020, the U.S. supplied only 1.3 percent of China’s total imports of beef. Read more
U.S. agricultural exports generate economic benefits beyond the agricultural sector as well as provide support for farm prices and farm income. Read more
Texas’ winter/spring wildfire season is about to begin. Fire experts predict it could be a particularly active season because of La Niña this year. Read more
It doesn’t appear that folks have much patience to see how NCBA’s 75% Plan will work. We haven’t even reached the end of the first quarter of information to evaluate.
The Department of Interior (DOI) is an important agency to all Western public land resource users. President Joe Biden’s nomination for the DOI cabinet post, Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM), is causing quite a controversy.
The Biden administration has gotten off to a quick start with all the presidential orders President Joe Biden has produced in the first 30 days. This outfit worries me when it comes to the public lands.
