Cattlemen's Capitol Concerns
May 10, 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 in full or in part. If you’d like to include NCBA’s logo in your reprint, contact our office at 202-347-0228.
Animal Welfare is Our Livelihood: This week, Texas cattle producer and NCBA member Paxton Ramsey testified on behalf of U.S. cattlemen before the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry on the importance of animal welfare to the cattle industry. With anti-beef activists spinning lies about treatment of animals on-farm, Ramsey told the public that the care and well-being of livestock is our industry's top priority.
"Ranchers are the original proponents of animal care and welfare because we understand the moral obligation that comes with being a steward of our animals," said Ramsey. "We spend every day living off the land, working with our livestock - and it is our passion.
“This long-standing commitment to the health and welfare of our animals is probably not something we talk about enough in public, because it is not something that we have to make a conscious decision to pursue. Good care of our animals is second nature to us. It is not something we do because it is popular or newsworthy. We do it because these animals depend on us and we cannot fail them.
“NCBA has long taken its role in animal welfare seriously. As the trade association for America’s cattlemen, we have a role to help educate and train our members in the proper care and handling of livestock. These discussions begin at the grassroots level and involve the expertise of all entities associated with our business. Producer-led initiatives include NCBA’s Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Program and the cattle industry’s ‘Guidelines for the Care and Handling of Cattle.’
“Years of practical experience have shaped the practices that my family, and ranching families across the country, use to provide humane care of our livestock. It is not just something we talk about, it is something we do every day.”
Mice Tests Can’t Confirm BSE in Young Cattle in Japan: In media reports this week, a Japanese Health Ministry official has said mice tests conducted in Japan can not confirm that two Japanese cattle aged 21 and 23 months had a transmissible form of BSE.
The two animals were processed in the fall of 2003 and were believed by Japanese safety officials to exhibit symptoms of BSE, despite the fact that BSE presents itself only in older animals. Tests conducted in Japan in 2003 allegedly confirmed that both animals had BSE, although the tests showed the cattle had only between 1/500 and 1/1000 of the amount of prion protein found in other BSE-infected cows.
Since then, a Japanese research group has worked to infect laboratory mice with the brain matter from the cattle, but the mice, even after extended periods of time, failed to contract the disease. The test results confirm that transmissible BSE likely does not exist in younger animals. This information could prompt Japan to consider expanding the trade of U.S. beef to include beef from animals older than 20 months of age.
U.S. beef producers are still working to regain sufficient market share in Japan. U.S. beef exports to Japan totaled $1.4 billion in 2003 making Japan our largest beef export market that year. Since resuming limited beef trade with Japan in July of 2006, exports to Japan have totaled just over $104 million ($66 million in 2006 and $38.6 million in January-March 2007).
“We are encouraged by this development and we hope this will pave the way for future progress with Japan,” says NCBA Chief Economist Gregg Doud. “We are eager for Japan to begin their auditing tours of U.S. beef processing plants, which will lead to discontinuing their requirement of 100 percent inspection and allow the United States to ship a larger volume of beef. In addition, later this month, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) is expected to establish the BSE risk status for the United States as ‘controlled risk,’ which recognizes the science-based measures we have in place to manage any risk of BSE in our country. It’s taken us a long time to reach this point, but we’re starting to see real progress toward growing this market once again.”
New Bill Provides Disaster Assistance: NCBA is urging support for a new bill to provide funding for disaster relief and wildland firefighting. H.R. 2207, the Agricultural Disaster Assistance and Western States Emergency Unfinished Business Appropriations Act, was introduced May 8th by Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.).
The language was previously part of the Emergency Supplemental Bill that was recently vetoed by President Bush and called for over $3.5 billion in agricultural disaster assistance including funding for the Livestock Compensation Program (LCP) and Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP). NCBA reports that the bill could be voted on by the House of Representatives this week, and urges NCBA members to contact their members of Congress and voice their support for H.R. 2207!
Congress Debates Renewable Energy Development: In response to two Congressional hearings dealing with alternative energy production, NCBA submitted comments and testimony this week for the Congressional record. NCBA is supportive of the continued development of renewable fuels, but NCBA policy calls for a market-based approach for the production and usage of ethanol produced from feedgrains.
NCBA comments state, “Congressional actions taken to stimulate growth in the renewable fuels sector have certainly achieved their objective. As of April 30th the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) states that the United States has 116 operational ethanol plants with the capacity to produce 5.9 billion gallons of ethanol per year. Additionally, RFA reports 81 new plants under construction, bringing total expected ethanol production capacity to nearly 12.5 billion gallons of ethanol per year.
“Once operational, these 197 ethanol facilities will require 4.5 billion bushels of corn…roughly 35 percent of the domestic corn supply in 2007 - compared to the 13 percent of the domestic corn supply that was devoted to fuel ethanol production in 2005….As Congress contemplates further incentives for feed grain-based ethanol, NCBA asks that market forces be given the opportunity to function, and that you carefully consider the negative implications that can be brought upon cattle producers as a result of continued government interference in the marketplace.”
NCBA is working to halt movement of S. 1321, the Energy Savings Act of 2007, which includes language increasing the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) to 36 billion gallons by 2022 and establishing a mandate of 15 billion gallons of renewable fuels from feed grain products by 2015.
NCBA Addresses Farm Bill Conservation with Senate: This Wednesday, May 9th the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry held a hearing titled “Farm Bill Policy Proposals Relating to Farm and Rural Energy Issues and Rural Development.”
NCBA, along with other agricultural producer groups, sent a letter to the Committee regarding jointly held views and positions with respect to the conservation title of the Farm Bill. “We encourage you to sustain that commitment to working agricultural lands in the 2007 Farm Bill’s conservation title, and recommend that the farm safety net be enhanced with conservation programs, but not replaced by them. We cannot support the use of resources from the Title I programs’ baseline for use in other titles of the bill.”
Regarding specific programs, such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the groups urged: “The demand for the program remains strong with more applications than can be funded. We do not support diversion of funds from the EQIP baseline to pay the costs of other programs or initiatives in the bill.” The groups agree that the existing Conservation Security Program (CSP) should be modified to make it national in scope, available to all producers, and made simpler.
Producers need quality technical assistance to maximize the effectiveness of the conservation financial assistance they receive through Title II of the Farm Bill. The groups told the Senate, “We support the continuation of voluntary, locally-led programs which recognize the uniqueness of the agricultural community.”
EPA Proposes Extension of Compliance Dates for the CAFO Rule: EPA is proposing a second extension to the dates that newly defined Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) must seek NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit coverage and for permitted CAFOs to develop and implement nutrient management plans (NMPs) as required by EPA’s 2003 CAFO rule. NCBA requested the extension in its comments submitted August 2006.
EPA is now proposing February 27, 2009 as the latest date for newly defined CAFOs to seek permit coverage and for permitted CAFOs to develop and implement an NMP. EPA says the proposed February 27, 2009 deadline would provide additional time after the Final Rule is promulgated to allow States, the regulated community, and other stakeholders the opportunity to adjust to the new regulatory requirements.
In a letter sent last week to EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson, Reps. Adrian Smith (R-Neb.), Robin Hayes (R-N.C.), Mike Conaway (R-Texas), Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.), Randy Neugebauer (R-Texas) and William Thornberry (R-Texas) write, “The final rule is not expected until May or June of this year. State rulemakings to implement a federal rule can be expected to take from one to two years after promulgation of the final rule…We urge you to remain mindful of the time it will take states to develop their programs in response to the final rule and the amount of time it may take for our livestock producers to fully evaluate and comply with the regulations.”
NCBA’s Director of Environmental Issues Tamara Thies applauds the extension but says EPA must now focus on publishing the final rule. “The EPA must publish a final rule expeditiously for livestock producers to have time to absorb the rule and submit their NPDES permit applications before the compliance deadline.”
Superfund Bills Update: Cattlemen across the country are continuing to urge support for a pair of bills that will clarify that livestock manure is not considered a Superfund material under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act (EPCRA).
There are now 108 co-sponsors in the House for H.R. 1398, with four new cosponsors signing on last week. They are Reps. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Thomas Reynolds (R-N.Y.), Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) and Devin Nunes (R-Calif.). There are 18 co-sponsors for S. 807 in the Senate.
This is a priority issue for America’s ranchers! Continue contacting your Senators and Representatives at their offices by phone, fax or email, and urge them to sign-on! Download our full-color fact sheet on this issue at www.beefusa.org.
Death Tax Bill Update: NCBA cattle producer-members are still looking for ways to ease the onerous burden of the Death Tax. NCBA has worked tirelessly on this issue for decades because of the hardship it places on America’s farming and ranching families who wish to pass on their operations to the next generation.
NCBA is urging support for H.R. 1586, legislation introduced on March 20th by Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas). If passed, this bill would result in full and permanent repeal of the Death Tax. The bill currently has 71 co-sponsors with Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) signing on this week!
NCBA urges its cattle producer-members to contact their congressional representatives at their offices by phone, fax or email, and urge them to support legislation to repeal the Death Tax on America’s farmers and ranchers! Download our full-color fact sheet on this issue at www.beefusa.org.
We Need TPA Renewal: In less than two months, Congress must renew Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), which, unless reauthorized, is set to expire on June 30th. This "fast-track" authority is extremely important when, after years of negotiations, final trade agreements are ready for passage. TPA assures that after trade agreements are finalized, Congress cannot make last-minute special interest concessions or amendments. Such activity destroys long-negotiated, collective and intricate agreements between nations as well as our negotiators’ ability to negotiate in good faith.
Between 1994 and 2002, when the President did not have TPA, America’s foreign competitors took advantage of opportunities to expand their presence in the international marketplace. The rest of the world was moving forward, signing trade deals that excluded the United States. NCBA members were leaders in the fight for Congressional passage of TPA in 2001-2002. We will continue to urge Congress for renewal of this important international trade legislation before the looming deadline! Call your Senators and Representatives TODAY and urge them to RENEW TPA!
Ranchers Support Wolf Proposal: NCBA and the Public Lands Council (PLC) submitted comments this week to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) on removing the Northern Rocky Mountain Distinct Population Segment of the gray wolf from the Federal Endangered Species List.
The FWS proposal would remove federal protection of gray wolves in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and parts of Utah, Washington and Oregon, pending FWS approval of each state’s wolf management plan. PLC and NCBA support the delisting of endangered species from federal control to allow for more local control of species management. The comments submitted to FWS demonstrate support for the proposal, as well as support for the Wyoming state management plan. But the comments express concerns over the regulation of wolves’ historical range, the boundary for delisting in Oregon, and the maintenance of a wild prey base for wolves.
Ranchers Submit Comments on FWS Travel Management Rule: NCBA and the Public Lands Council (PLC) sent comments on May 8th to the U.S. Forest Service on the Proposed Forest Service Directives for Travel Management. The directives outline the decision-making process a manager must undertake in order to make designations for motorized use.
The priority issue for cattlemen is that permitted grazing on public land should be allowed precedence over any new designation of trails or roads for recreation or other motorized use. PLC and NCBA request that land managers review authorized uses of Forest Service lands, and make travel management decisions compatible with those existing uses.
PLC and NCBA comments urged, “This step is of utmost importance to public lands ranchers. It should begin with notice to grazing permittees that a travel plan is being considered and a meeting with the permittee to explain how the plan will affect his or her livestock operation. Thorough review of authorized use in cooperation with permittees can allow managers to anticipate and minimize multiple use conflicts. PLC requests that the Forest Service Manual language be made explicitly clear that recreation routes, whenever possible, should be planned to avoid overlap with grazing use. If a trail can be planned on a route that does not interfere with livestock, that route should be favored by Forest Service managers. Grazing on public lands is a business operation and ranch families depend on there being no loss of grazing due to recreation except in the most extenuating circumstances.”
New Recruits Needed for Exchange Program: The national exchange program, "Walk A Mile in My Boots" (WAMB), is recruiting cattle producers and agency employees to participate in an educational exchange to help build understanding and partnerships between producers and agencies. Now its fourth year, WAMB is looking to expand on its previous years’ successes. Since the program's conception, NCBA has had several members already partake in exchanges.
It's a great opportunity for cattlemen. Just ask Wyoming rancher Jack Turnell, who swapped jobs with Jay Slack, deputy regional director for the Mountain-Prairie Region (Region 6) of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). “Volunteering for the Walk a Mile in My Boots program is about getting folks to talk about what we do on the ranch and why we do it,” says Turnell. “After swapping jobs with Jay, we both learned that we can come to a mutual understanding about things since we are both working toward a common goal: preserving our environment for future generations.”
The award-winning WAMB program was originally launched by NCBA and FWS in the summer of 2003, and now includes partnerships with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD). Any cattle producer, NACD member, FWS employee, or NRCS employee can apply for the exchange program. The length of an actual exchange runs anywhere from two to ten days. For more information on how to sign up, go to www.walkamileinmyboots.org or call NCBA’s DC office at 202-347-0228.
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 a feature interview with our nation’s Chief Agricultural Negotiator Richard T. Crowder. Ambassador Crowder is responsible for directing all U.S. agricultural trade negotiations around the world. Also, we highlight some outstanding ranches who find unusual ways to contribute to both the beef industry and the environment. Plus, we’ll have a first hand account of the U.S. Meat Export Federation’s travels to Taiwan.
On next week’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen episode, beginning Tuesday May 15th, we will talk to the Director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Stephen Sundlof about cloning cattle. Plus – early summer is a great time to manage the health of your herd – we’ll have tips from Fort Dodge Animal Health. We will also check in at Colorado State University to get the latest on what’s happening in beef research, working to finding more value in the beef carcass.
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 A. 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.