Cattlemen's Capitol Concerns
March 15, 2007

The Cattlemen’s Capitol Concerns (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). Please feel free to reprint.

Cattlemen Reinvigorated on Superfund Fight:  NCBA members across the country are working to make sure their elected representatives understand that livestock manure is not a Superfund material. 

Legislation introduced last week will clarify that Superfund laws – created in the 1980’s to provide for the cleanup of toxic waste and hazardous chemical spills – were never intended to apply to manure on farms and ranches. 

S. 807 and H.R. 1398 were introduced March 8 by Senators Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) and Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) in the Senate, and Representatives Collin Peterson (D-Minn) and Ralph Hall (R-Texas) in the House.  There are currently eight cosponsors of this bill in the Senate.  In the House, 62 Representatives have signed on in support to date. 

"Farmers and ranchers have always been responsible stewards of the land and make great strides to preserve a healthy environment for their food production as well as for their families and communities," said Senator Lincoln.  "There is a growing understanding in this country, however, that without the clarification provided by our legislation, requirements and liability under CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act) could be unfairly applied to America's farmers and ranchers both large and small."

NCBA is urging cattle producers to contact their members of Congress and ask them to sign on to these bills!

NCBA Comments on BSE Minimal Risk Region Rule:  NCBA submitted comments this week, March 12, to USDA on its proposal to amend the BSE minimal risk region rule.  The USDA proposal will effectively normalize trade of cattle and beef products from Canada into the United States, specifically providing for the importation of:

1. Live cattle over thirty months of age, born after the effective date of Canada’s feed ban (listed currently as March 1, 1999).
2. Beef from cattle of all ages.
3. Blood and blood products derived from cattle of any age (collected with specifications).
4. Small intestine excluding the distal ileum.
5. Casings, excluding those made from the distal ileum.

NCBA comments discussed some scientifically-based suggestions that should be considered to improve the risk assessment, and also identified several specific concerns that USDA needs to address as the rule proceeds:

·         USDA should fully assess the effective date of Canada’s feed ban and provide greater detail on the science behind the March 1999 proposed date —based on producer concern that 4 of the 10 BSE animals in Canada were born after this date. 

·         USDA should ensure cattle imported as a result of this rule were born after an effective feed ban date, and identified in a permanent and verifiable way through harvest.

·         USDA should put a plan into place to mitigate any negative trade impacts in the event that an animal imported from Canada tests positive for BSE.

·         Frozen product processed prior to the rule’s effective date should NOT be allowed, to prevent the rule from “retroactively” permitting beef from Canadian cattle of unknown age from entering the United States.  (Age is not important in fresh beef imports because, like the United States, Canada removes any materials that could carry BSE during processing.) 

·         USDA must develop and manage an orderly market transition plan that will mitigate economic harm to our U.S. producers as the rule is implemented.

NCBA’s Chief Veterinarian Elizabeth Parker says “NCBA is supportive of rules based on sound scientific foundation and recommends that USDA continue to consult the OIE guidelines for BSE as this rule-making proceeds.”

OIE Recommendation on BSE Risk Classification:  The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) Scientific Commission has endorsed the recommendation from an OIE expert panel that the United States be classified as “controlled risk” for BSE.  In a March 9 statement, Dr. Ron DeHaven, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Administrator, said “the controlled risk classification recognizes that OIE-recommended, science-based mitigation measures are in place to effectively manage any possible risk of BSE in the cattle population.  This recommendation provides strong support that U.S. regulatory controls are effective and that U.S cattle and products from cattle of all ages can be safely traded in accordance with international guidelines, due to our interlocking safeguards.”  A final classification decision will be made by the OIE in May.

NCBA Going to Korea: NCBA’s Chief Economist Gregg Doud is heading to South Korea this weekend to support U.S. trade negotiators on priority issues for U.S. cattle producers in next week's scheduled talks in Seoul, March 19-21. Negotiators from the United States and South Korea are expected to discuss details of the U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement as well as a science-based reopening of the Korean borders for U.S. beef. NCBA will be standing up for cattle producers in person during these controversial, complex trade talks.

"As a former Kansas farm kid who still owns cattle, I'm extremely proud to represent NCBA in Seoul on this important trade issue," says Doud. "We have the highest quality, safest beef in the world, and it’s about time Korea recognized international trade guidelines. We can only support a free trade agreement if Korea agrees to finally re-establish legitimate access for U.S. beef, at pre-December 2003 levels. The time for playing games and dragging feet is over." Top Korean officials are also expected to visit the United States in the coming days. An accord must be made by the end of March so President Bush can utilize his expiring Trade Promotion Authority granted by Congress.

ESAP Deadline THIS Week!:  Nomination forms for the 2007 Environmental Stewardship Awards Program (ESAP) are due on March 17, 2007. Any organization, group, or individual can submit a nomination on behalf of a U.S. cattle producer.  Sponsored by NCBA, Dow AgroSciences and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the annual ESAP awards honor cattle producers whose stewardship practices are inventive, cost-effective and contribute to environmental conservation.  On February 1, Wyoming-based Thaler Land & Livestock Company was named the 2006 ESAP National Winner.  Go to www.beefusa.org/esap for more information and to download an application, or contact NCBA’s Washington, D.C. office at 202-347-0228. 

Trade Comments:  NCBA submitted comments this week, March 12, to the U.S. Trade Representative Trade Policy Staff Committee on “The 2005 WTO Ministerial Decision on Duty-Free Quota-Free Market Access for the Least Developed Countries.”

In its comments, NCBA says “NCBA will support movement toward reduced tariffs and expanded TRQs for least-developed countries, but only as part of a comprehensive package that provides for real and additional market access for U.S. beef exports, eliminates export subsidies and substantially reduces production subsidies.”    

The United States is one of the world’s largest exporters and importers of beef.  NCBA says, as such, we must consider the balance and fairness of proposed trade initiatives to assure that agreements provide as much or more access for U.S. beef as we give for imported beef.

Tax Incentives for Conservation Easements:  NCBA is supporting legislation that will make permanent tax incentives for conservation easement donations.  The tax incentives were enacted last year as part of the pensions bill.  The bill, S. 469, is supported by over 40 conservation, agriculture, and sporting organizations. 

Introduced by Senator Max Baucus (D-Mont.) on January 31^st and endorsed by President Bush in his fiscal year 2008 budget, S.469 currently has 4 cosponsors:  Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Ken Salazar (D-Colo.), John Warner (R-Va.) and Thomas Carper (D-Del.).

“Cattle producers are grateful to these members of Congress who are stepping up and working to help keep agricultural lands in productive use,” says NCBA’s Manager of Legislative Affairs Jason Jordan.  “In addition, these efforts help our ranchers to protect important wildlife habitats, and conserve our heritage across America.”  Companion legislation is expected to be introduced in the House soon. 

Hearing on Brucellosis in Yellowstone National Park:  Jim Hagenbarth, a rancher from Dillon, Montana, and Errol Rice, executive vice president of the Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) will be traveling to Washington, D.C., next week for a hearing on “Yellowstone National Park Bison” before the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands of the Natural Resources Committee. Hagenbarth is scheduled to testify on behalf of MSGA at the hearing scheduled for Tuesday, March 20.

The elk and bison herds of the Greater Yellowstone Area contain the last reservoir of Brucella abortus (Brucellosis) in the United States.  The control of this disease has cost U.S. taxpayers and ranchers millions of dollars throughout the years. MSGA will be testifying to support the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by the USDA and the Department of Interior that directs USDA’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to be the lead agency in the development and implementation of a Brucellosis elimination plan for the Greater Yellowstone Area. Cattlemen believe this is a necessary next step in the elimination of this devastating disease.

Ag Day Celebration Kicks Off This Week:  National Agriculture Day and Ag Week honor agriculture for providing safe, abundant and affordable products, a strong economy, a source of renewable energy, and a world of job opportunities.  Ag Day is officially observed on March 21^st, the first day of Spring, but the celebration was kicked off today at the Annual National Ag Day Luncheon at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.  NCBA is a sponsor of National Ag Day, and NCBA’s Washington staff participated in the luncheon and discussions by House Ag Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) and Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns.  Both speakers focused on the nation’s growing demand for renewable energy and agriculture’s role in meeting that demand through corn-based ethanol production as well as other evolving bio-based technologies.  The luncheon was moderated by veteran farm broadcaster Orion Samuelson.  For more information about National Ag Day, visit www.agday.org.

Nebraska Cattlemen in Washington:  Members of the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Association are in Washington this week for visits with their congressional delegation.  Michael Kelsey, Nebraska Cattlemen executive vice president is among the group that made a number of visits including meetings with corn growers and other commodity leaders to discuss renewable fuels development other issues currently facing the agriculture industry.     

Don’t Miss NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen: Tune into NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen on RFD-TV at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern time) this Saturday for an interview with Dr. Eric Hentges, the executive director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP). Dr. Hentges discusses beef and its role within the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Food Guidance System. The broadcast also features a look at the Lightsey family from Florida, whose Lightsey Cattle Company has won national attention for stewardship on their operation - including NCBA's Environmental Stewardship Award.

Next week’s episode, beginning Tuesday March 20, will feature an in-depth look at the new Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) "Livestock and Meat Marketing Study," a report done by RTI International on the use and impacts of marketing arrangements in the livestock and meat industries. We will talk to the head of GIPSA, former cattleman Jim Link, and will discuss alternative marketing agreements.

NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen on RFD-TV provides weekly news and features for cattle producers across the country. The show airs Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. and is rebroadcast Wednesdays at 4:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and Saturdays at 10 a.m. All times are Eastern. Make sure YOU tune into NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen on channel RFD-TV. For more information, visit www.cattlementocattlemen.org.

Media Contact:

Tanya Augustson Camarra or Karen Batra at 202-347-0228, tacamarra@beef.org or kbatra@beef.org.

This publication is funded by cattle producers and other industry supporters through their voluntary membership contributions to NCBA. To join the tens of thousands of cattle producers from across the U.S. in working to preserve our legacy, contact NCBA Member Services at 1-866-BEEF-USA or Membership@beef.org.