Cattlemen's Capitol Concerns: June 24, 2004

Cattlemen's Capitol Concerns
June 24, 2004
The CCC is a weekly report from Washington D.C. giving an up-to-date summary of top policy initiatives concerning the cattle industry; direct from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).

Drought Leads USDA to Allow CRP Grazing:  In a move to aid livestock producers hurt by drought, USDA announced today that Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres can be used for emergency grazing.   Earlier this month, NCBA wrote a letter to USDA Secretary Ann Veneman asking her to ensure USDA’s Drought Coordinating Council is engaged in issues affecting America’s cattlemen.  NCBA specifically requested that state Farm Service Agencies immediately be granted the authority to allow grazing on certain CRP lands.   

Producers, particularly in the western half of the country, continue to be impacted by severe drought.  This move will allow them to access CRP lands for additional feed or forage.  In addition, managed haying on CRP acres is allowed under certain conditions.  USDA offers additional programs to help farmers and ranchers recover from drought and other natural disasters.  More information on these programs is available at local FSA offices and online at: http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.  USDA also has a web site for producers to list information concerning the need for hay or the availability of hay for sale.  The address for USDA’s Hay Net Web site is: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/haynet/

Senate Testimony on Grazing Issues:  P. Andrew "Andy" Groseta, a third-generation Arizona rancher, and Bob Skinner, a fifth-generation Oregon rancher, testified Wednesday before the Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The two members of the Public Lands Council (PLC) and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) told Congress of the top issues concerning livestock producers who graze cattle on public lands. With increasing government regulations (ESA, CWA, NEPA, etc.) and estate tax issues, it is more difficult for family ranches to remain profitable and stay in business.

Groseta and Skinner told the Senate panel about specific issues that today’s ranchers face when working with public lands. They noted that cattle producers support increased funding for the BLM’s monitoring budget through the range program.  Many areas of concern need immediate attention from the government, including: the increasing number of vacant allotments, a better balance between grazing and river protection, science-based endangered species listings, the Wild Horses and Burros program, and grazing permitting issues. NCBA and PLC members support multiple-use and sustained-yield of the resources and services from public lands, which bring the greatest benefit to the largest number of Americans.  Cattlemen strive to create a stable regulatory environment in which to thrive.

California Cattleman Receives National Honor:  USDA’s 2004 Excellence in Conservation Award will go to California Cattleman and NCBA producer-member Mike Byrne.  Byrne’s efficacy in raising awareness and resolving water and endangered species issues in the Klamath Basin of California has long made him a leader in the cattle industry’s fight for sound science-based conservation.  Byrne gained prominence through his early involvement in the Klamath Basin irrigation water shut-off crisis of 2001. Byrne fought to raise awareness of the drought conditions caused by this policy, and find an acceptable compromise between endangered species protection and the needs of area agriculture. Since that time, Byrne has continued as a major voice for conservation-minded farmers and ranchers who maintain that profitable agriculture can be maintained without detriment to the environment.  The Natural Resources Conservation Service of the USDA awards this honor annually to recognize the valuable contributions made by those outside the federal government to the conservation of natural resources on private land.

Child Nutrition Act:  The House passed by unanimous consent today S. 2507, the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004.  The Senate version of the bill, S. 2507, passed the full Senate last night.  Passage by the House enables the bill to bypass conference, and the bill is now on its way to the President’s desk for signature.  NCBA is supportive of the Child Nutrition Act which will help to promote healthy eating habits for school age children. 

Trade Meetings:  Former NCBA President and Iowa cattle producer Wythe Willey is in Washington D.C. this week for meetings with the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations (ACTPN). This is a great opportunity for U.S. cattle producers. President Bush announced the appointment of Wythe to serve on the Committee last winter. Willey, along with the 31 other selected individuals, is serving a two-year term. ACTPN, the principal trade advisory committee of the U.S., was established by Congress under the trade Act of 1974, and advises U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick on U.S. trade policy decisions.

USDA Listening Sessions on Animal ID:  The next USDA listening session on Animal ID will be held in Prineville, Oregon on July 1, 5pm to 7:30 pm at the Crook County High School Auditorium, 1100 SE Lynn Blvd. (for directions, call 541-447-5664.)  The following session will be July 10 in Stockton, Calif. USDA is hosting the 14 public forums to discuss the development, structure and implementation of a national animal ID program for all livestock and poultry animals. Sessions are being held at additional sites across the country throughout the summer.  Producers are encouraged to attend.  Details about each session, including the site and time of meeting, will be posted at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/issues/nais/nais_listeningsessions.html  

USDA is stepping up efforts to develop a national animal identification system to enhance animal health and disease surveillance, but NCBA maintains that producer confidentiality must be a priority under any ID program.

USDA Surveillance for BSE: USDA’s enhanced BSE surveillance program began on June 1. APHIS posts the test results on their website at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov.  As of June 23, 2004: 5,668 tests have been conducted -- no positive or inconclusive results have been reported. 

WTO Update: This week, U.S. negotiators are in Geneva, Switzerland for WTO meetings regarding the Doha Round negotiations.  They are currently working on developing a framework for the agreement, especially for agriculture, by this July.  During the week the U.S. is also meeting with fellow members of a group of countries who are looking to move the talks forward, which includes Australia, Brazil, the European Union, India as well as the U.S. - the so called ‘non-group of five.’  Negotiators indicated that these discussions are moving in a positive direction, following the group's most recent meeting in Sao Paulo, Brazil.  Negotiations continue on the three pillars of export credits, domestic supports and market access.  Market access is the area of the negotiations which matters most to U.S. cattlemen, and which seems to be the least clear at this point in the process.

NCBA to Host Feedlot Tour:  Several issues of critical importance to the continued viability of cattle operations throughout the country are currently being considered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  NCBA is working to educate top officials on these issues, and is organizing an educational feedlot tour. Officials are invited to tour several feedlots around the country on July 14-19. NCBA has chosen four sites that will illustrate the variety of site characteristics present at open-air feedlots, selections which are responsive to EPA’s requests. The issues of most critical importance to producers are: (1) whether or not the Clean Air Act’s major source permitting programs (Title V, PSD & NSR) apply to "cattle operations," as defined in our application for ruling (they do not include barns, lagoons, or major stationary sources); (2) whether or not CERCLA and EPCRA release reporting requirements apply to "cattle operations"; and (3) the need and basis for coarse particulate matter NAAQS or PSD increments.

The feedlot tour hopes to facilitate sound and informed decision making at the EPA. The tour group will visit a "wet" Kansas feedlot tour, Texas Panhandle Feedlots, and the largest feedlot in the United States in Idaho. As lawsuits against non-cattle animal feeding operations have multiplied, so has widespread concern and uncertainty among our members nationally.  NCBA hopes these tours will provide all of the remaining information necessary for the EPA to make decisions on the applicability of air permit and CERCLA/EPCRA emergency release reporting requirements, and will help with consideration of additional regulation of coarse PM.  NCBA respectfully requests that the EPA expedite decisions on cattle producer's requested rulings after the tours.

Conservation Security Program: The USDA has released a self-assessment workbook for potential participants in the new Conservation Security Program (CSP). This voluntary program provides financial and technical assistance for conservation and improvement of soil, water, air, energy, plant and animal life on private working lands, such as grasslands. Earlier this month, USDA announced that sign-up for CSP will be available to eligible farmers and ranchers in 18 watersheds across the nation July 6 to July 30, 2004. Selected watersheds for the 2004 CSP sign-up are: Raystown (Pennsylvania); Saluda (South Carolina); Little (Georgia); St. Joseph (Michigan / Indiana / Ohio); Auglaize (Indiana / Ohio);  Blue Earth (Minnesota / Iowa); Lower Chippewa (Wisconsin); Kishwaukee (Illinois / Wisconsin); Little River Ditches (Missouri / Arkansas); Lower Yellowstone (Montana / North Dakota); East Nishnabotna (Iowa); Lower Little Blue (Nebraska / Kansas); Lower Salt Fork Arkansas (Oklahoma / Kansas); Punta de Agua (New Mexico / Texas); Hondo (Texas); Moses Coulee (Washington); Lemhi (Idaho); Umatilla (Oregon). To apply for the program, cattle producers will complete a self-assessment to determine if their operations qualify. A self-assessment workbook is available in hardcopy or CD from local NRCS offices within the 18 selected watersheds, and is also available online at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp This workbook will give producers a good idea about whether they are eligible for CSP at this time.

Conservation and CAFOs:  NCBA's Director of Environmental Issues, Tamara McCann Thies, attended a briefing today on conservation needs and challenges for livestock operations. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) hosted the briefing to examine this and other questions, titled "On-the-Ground View of Conservation Needs and Challenges Facing Animal Feeding Operations and Livestock Agriculture: A Private Sector Perspective." Many livestock operations are facing significant environmental regulatory requirements.

NCBA in Iowa:  NCBA’s Chief Economist Gregg Doud is on his way to the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association summer meeting in Ames.  Gregg will give a presentation BSE surveillance, give a cattle market update, discuss importance of trade and offer a status report on beef export markets.

USDA Announces Contract for GIPSA Study:  The USDA announced June 18 that Research Triangle Institute (RTI) has been awarded the contract to conduct an exhaustive study on livestock and meat marketing.  Initially requested by NCBA, the study was funded by Congress in the FY 2003 Omnibus Appropriations Bill.  USDA awarded a single contract to RTI for $4,319,373 to study the cattle, hog and lamb industries to identify business models that will be successful in the future and areas of concern/ potential weaknesses in our current marketing structure. NCBA will be thoroughly engaged throughout all phases of the study to ensure that all areas of the livestock and meat marketing complex are covered.

Food Safety Mobile: USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) brought its Food Safety Mobile to Capitol Hill this week to give Congress an inside look at how they are delivering information about safe food handling. Since 2003, the Food Safety Mobile has been traveling around the nation, visiting fairs, schools and other venues, bringing the message of food safety directly to consumers. Since its launch in March 2003, the Mobile has traveled approximately 33,000 miles, appeared in over 130 events, and educated an estimated 1.3 million people in approximately 100 cities across the country. The Food Safety Mobile will also make appearances at Washington, D.C.’s National Capital Barbecue Battle June 26-27, the Washington, D.C. farmers’ market July 1, and the National Mall July 3-4 for events surrounding the July 4th holiday. You can follow the travels of the Mobile, request a visit from the Mobile, and find useful food safety information at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/foodsafetymobile.

Media Contact:
Tanya Augustson or Karen Batra at 202-347-0228 taugustson@beef.org or kbatra@beef.org

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