Last week took the ICA staff and leadership from one end of the country to the other. Meetings took place in Houston, TX Tuesday thru Thursday with the affiliates of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. There were many topics of interest from trucking to markets- while not all affiliates agreed, in the end, it was noted that we must not fragment our industry. Additionally, the spring bull sale season kicked off Friday at Burgess -X Angus, while Saturday took us to Owyhee Cattlemen's annual meeting and also to the Bonner/Boundary Cattlemen's meeting in the far northern part of Idaho. From the top to bottom, of both the state and also the country, it is always a reminder that although we may have a few differences from place to place, the cattle industry is continuing to evolve and support the things that we can agree will benefit us all. This industry remains strong, and while there's work to do moving forward, the ICA leadership is poised to influence the direction as we see evolution in all aspects of the cattle industry. --Cameron Mulrony Executive Vice President Idaho Cattle Association |
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CAFO Improvement Fund H466 would make a fund available to support investments in environmental projects on CAFOs to improve livestock byproduct, waste, nutrient and water management, its land application, and storage systems. Currently, the Agricultural Best Management Practices (BMP) Fund, I.C. 39-3628A, supports investments in farm and ranch projects that improve water quality standards in impaired water bodies in Idaho. Confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are not eligible for these projects because CAFOs do not directly discharge to water bodies. This legislation would make CAFO’s eligible for funds to improve their nutrient management and establish a board that awards grants for the fund that currently is proposed by the governor to be $5 million. H466 passed the House Resources and Conservation Committee last week. However, legislators were concerned with a lack of sideboards on the criteria for the committee. The legislation establishes a committee to review and award grants. Efforts were made last week to re-draft the legislation, so it clearly outlines criteria for the committee to use while selecting recipients of the grants. The new draft is scheduled to be printed this week. ICA supports H466. Stopping, inspection, exception S1267 would clarify Idaho Transportation Department stopping and inspection authority at check stations (ports of entry, weigh stations, and temporary check stations) by exempting non-commercial vehicles under 26,000lbs. This law change would more accurately reflect current practice, however, ICA brought up concerns about the need to be able to stop all trailers in the event of animal disease outbreaks, ongoing theft investigations, and training or routine checks. Therefore, at the request of the livestock industry, language was added in this legislation to better enable a state-owned inspection station to require all trailers to stop at stations when requested to address our needs. S1267 will be heard in the Senate Transportation Committee this week. House Bill 436, the storied tax relief bill, is the first bill to clear the legislative process of 2022. In short, the bill lowers income tax rates, lowers the corporate income tax retroactively, and returns approximately 12% of 2020 Idaho personal income tax to each taxpayer. All majority caucuses and the governor are raising the banner of credit and victory on this rare piece of political unity in the legislative landscape. H436 was signed into law last week. State lands, exchange S1251 defines responsibilities of the Land Board when contemplating land exchanges with the federal government, and it provides for continuation of existing land uses subsequent to exchanges as approved by the Land Board. Upon land exchanges and transfer from federal to state ground, this legislation would ultimately require a permit be issued by the state instead of a lease so that it is consistent with the federal grazing preference. It would, therefore, take said land out of the state’s subsequent competitive bid process. ICA has not taken a position on this legislation, primarily due to the question of whether or not the language is constitutional. We are awaiting further legal analysis on this bill. Taylor Grazing Act S1252 attempts to define grazing preference rights to clarify that grazing preferences are compensable property rights. Additionally, require compensation for any lost preference as a taking of real property if there is a sale, exchange, or otherwise disposed of and conveyed to the state of state grazing lease/land. S1252 provides more of an opinion piece that may not be able to accomplish its intent. However, S1252 could strengthen a plaintiff’s claim of takings because the state can define what constitutes a state property right. ICA has not taken a position on this legislation primarily due to the question of legal requisite. Legislative committees continue to review rules and receive reports. The State Brand Board will present its rules to the House Agricultural Affairs Committee this week. Upstairs, the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee (JFAC) heard both the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and Office of Species Conservation budgets in another week of budget presentations. On Friday, a supplemental appropriation, which increased the spending authority of the State Board of Education to match Idaho Cattle Foundation funding recommendations, passed JFAC. |
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Submit Comments on BLM Sage Grouse Proposal by Tuesday, February 8 In November '21, the BLM announced their intent to once again undertake the process to amend their sage grouse management plan. The announcement opened a scoping process to solicit public comments which will close on Tuesday, February 8. ICA has engaged in this process at every opportunity and has prepared detailed comments. We encourage all BLM permittees to provide comments by tomorrow’s deadline. It is important that the BLM acknowledges the benefits that a stable grazing program provides to sage grouse habitat and that grazing restrictions are not only unwarranted but would be detrimental to the species. To assist in your comment preparation, email Karen Williams at karen@idahocattle.org for talking points or a copy of ICA’s comments. Comments can be submitted here: BLM NEPA Register - Public Comment on Sage Grouse Habitat Management To review the BLM proposal, click here. |
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USDA Forest Service Announces 2022 Grazing Fees on National Forests and Grasslands in Western States The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest Service is announcing that western states federal grazing fees will be $1.35 per head month for 2022. The 2022 fee remains unchanged from 2021. A head month is a unit the Forest Service uses to define a month’s use of the range by a cow/calf pair, by five goats or sheep, or by a single bull, steer, heifer, horse, burro, or mule. The grazing fee is calculated by considering the average annual change in beef cattle prices, leasing rates for grazing on private land in the western states, and the costs of livestock production. The western states fee applies to approximately 6,000 permits administered by the Forest Service in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and the national grasslands in Texas. Permit holders and should contact their local Forest Service office for more information. Story continues here, by EIN News |
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HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2022 NCBA CATTLE INDUSTRY CONVENTION |
NCBA Releases 2022 Policy Priotities During the 2022 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show, the executive committee of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) approved the organization’s 2022 policy priorities with an emphasis on strengthening the economic, environmental and social sustainability of the cattle industry. NCBA’s policy priorities include: - Improving market leverage and opportunities through increased access to market data and risk management tools for producers.
- Securing the future of the beef industry by protecting crucial tax provisions, limiting regulatory burdens on farms and ranches, and leveling the playing field for producers.
- Boosting the resiliency of the beef supply chain by addressing labor shortages, improving processing capacity, expanding technology, and strengthening transportation.
- Achieving key cattle industry priorities in the 2023 Farm Bill.
Story continued here, from NCBA |
NCBA Member Testifies on Cattle Industry Sustainability NCBA member and rancher Kim Brackett testified before the U.S. House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture on the cattle industry’s leadership in sustainability and conservation practices. “Cattle producers are America’s original conservationists, and we work hard every day to ensure that we can pass our operations on to the next generation,” Brackett said. “Our family, along with cattlemen and women from across the country, are committed to remaining environmentally, economically and socially sustainable for generations to come.” Read more here, from NCBA |
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Teaching Foodservice Professionals About Beef Reaches Consumers in New Ways One way to reach consumers and increase their confidence in beef is by educating those who have the greatest influence on them. This past Fall, the Idaho Beef Council (IBC) launched a new educational program called Explore Beef which focused on chefs and industry operators shedding light on the entire process from pasture to plate. Beef industry experts participated as educators in this pilot program, delivered in November, at the University of Idaho in Moscow and gave sixteen foodservice professionals from around the state, a deep dive into key elements of the beef industry. This type of training prepares frontline foodservice professionals to speak knowledgeably about beef and to confidently explore a wider variety of beef cuts. Your Beef Checkoff dollars deliver powerful education and resources to keep beef top of mind and prominently featured on menus across the state. |
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| Explore Beef participants enjoying firsthand demonstrations as they learn about marbling. |
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Read the full story in this month’s Line Rider magazine and watch for updates throughout 2022 as additional sessions are delivered! Visit https://www.idbeef.org/cattlemens-corner and subscribe to IBC news and updates to see other ways your checkoff dollars are helping to increase consumer demand for beef. |
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| Fed Cattle $2 to $4 firmer Boxed Beef Choice $7.65 lower Select
$2.63 decrease Cows $1 to $3 higher Calves steady to $4 firmer Corn $0.17 lower on March futures |
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Quinton Wemhoff Todd & Shirley Wilson Guerry Inc. Whitnah Ranches Scott & LuAnn Wood 7 Box Ranch Jake Zollinger Corteva Agri Science James Moreno Kenny & Teresa Kershner Justin & Jodie Mink Robert Johnson Livestock Jeff Daniels Thank you to all of our new & renewed members! |
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Easy Sunday (or Monday) Supper : Joanna Gaines' Beef Tips Throw all of the ingredients in the slow cooker and then forget about it until you're ready to eat! Low on maintenance, high on hearty. View the recipe here, from Taste of Home |
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