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).

NCBA Reviews Unfeasible Ag Dust Regulations:  NCBA is currently reviewing the hundreds of pages outlining the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final rule on fugitive dust. The EPA released the final rule on September 21, after NCBA consistently urged that the proposed regulation of dust in the air on cattle operations lacks scientific validity and is based on flawed assumptions regarding coarse particulate matter (coarse PM) concentration levels.

NCBA submitted extensive comments on the issue, including technical evidence demonstrating that fugitive dust from agriculture operations presents no public health concerns. In addition, the limit is set at 150 micrograms per cubic meter during a 24-hour period, basically an impossible concept in naturally dusty and rural landscapes.

In reaction to the dust rule, Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) called for a hearing on the matter and has invited EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson to Iowa to discuss on-site how EPA expects farmers to contain dust on their farms. “This will give you the opportunity to see what America’s farmers are confronted with when harvesting. Iowa farmers should not have to worry about whether or not they have legal protection because of dust from their normal course of operations,” Grassley wrote in his letter to Johnson.

NCBA is reviewing the final rule and is considering a number of options to help producers deal with the impacts from this rule. The final rule is posted at http://www.epa.gov/air/particles/actions.html.

Cattlemen Continue to Stress the Importance of Superfund Legislation:   Cattlemen continue to urge support for a pair of bills in Congress which will clarify that manure should not be regulated under Superfund laws.  Congress is scheduled to adjourn at the end of the week, but cattlemen are encouraged to continue stressing the importance of this legislation with your Members of Congress back home or by contacting their offices.

In the Senate, S. 3681 currently has 34 co-sponsors with Senators Arlen Specter (R-Penn.), Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), and David Vitter (R-La.) signed on this week!  In the House, H.R. 4341 currently has 186 co-sponsors with Rep. Harold Ford (D-Tenn.) signed on this week! 

Visit http://capwiz.com/beefusa to see a full list of co-sponsors.  If your Senator or Representative has not yet signed on as a supporter, send a message to them asking them to sign on and communicate to them about the importance of this issue! 

Drought & Disaster Relief:  NCBA is monitoring a pair of bills in the House and Senate which establish a National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS).  Legislation in the House (H.R. 5136, introduced by Rep. Ralph Hall, R-Texas) and in the Senate (S. 2751, introduced by Senator Ben Nelson, D-Neb.) authorizes funding over six years to establish an integrated drought forecasting system.  Administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this early warning system will be able to better predict, monitor, and mitigate this devastating problem for our nation’s farmers and ranchers.

H.R. 5136 passed the House by voice vote September 26.  The Senate companion to this bill, S. 2751, was approved by the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee September 27.  “The lack of emergency relief for our farmers and ranchers this year underscores the need for this legislation,” said Nelson.  NCBA will continue to monitor its progress as the 109th Congress winds to a close.

Cattlemen, Industry Groups Call on Congress to Address Death Tax:  NCBA, along with 30 other industry groups sent a letter September 25 to key leaders in Congress urging action on Death Tax relief before the 109th Congress adjourns.  The letter to Senators Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Reps. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and Bill Thomas (R-Cal.) states “The Death Tax affects all Americans, especially small-business owners.  The tax discourages savings and investment, reduces wages and job creation, and is the leading cause of dissolution for many family run businesses.”  A copy of this letter is posted on NCBA’s website at www.beefusa.org.

Idaho Cattleman Testifies Before Senate on Grazing Issues:  Mike Webster, President of the Idaho Cattle Association testified before the U.S. Senate's Energy & Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests September 27.  Webster gave testimony regarding wilderness and conservation legislation, including cattle producers' position on the Owyhee Initiative (S. 3794) and Central Idaho Economic Development and Recreation Act (HR 3603).  Both bills initially proposed eliminating grazing permits in their targeted region of Idaho as part of larger resource compromises. 

“On one hand, due to the stringent standards and reductions that have been placed on their grazing permits, the locally-affected ranchers feel that without some sort of regulatory or legislative relief, their ability to remain in business is precarious, at best,” said Webster.  “On the other hand, we are concerned with any proposal that will, or is likely to remove grazing from the land.”

Oman FTA Means Duty-Free Access: This week, President Bush signed the U.S. - Oman Free Trade Agreement into law. This is great news for cattle producers, marking another opportunity to export our top-quality beef across the globe. The agreement provides for immediate duty free access for U.S. beef and 87 percent of U.S. agricultural tariff lines.

"The $1 billion, two-way trade relationship between the United States and Oman is now set to grow,” says U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab. “On the first day this agreement goes into effect, 100 percent of consumer and industrial products will flow without tariffs.”  This is considered good news for U.S. attempts to promote economic opportunity in the Middle East.  President Bush wants to create a Middle East Free Trade Area (MEFTA) by 2013. The agreement will now need to go through its domestic process to ratify the agreement.

In 2003, the United States exported more than $61,000 worth of beef and beef products to Oman, the second country in the Middle East region to re-open its market to U.S. beef.

U.S. Beef Sales in Japan: Officials from the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) are reporting on their visit to Japan last week. USMEF President and CEO Phil Seng and Chairman John Bellinger traveled to Japan to participate in the reintroduction of U.S. beef into the market, and helped kick off efforts related to the USMEF “We Care” campaign. USMEF officials say they are encouraged by the positive reception in Japan to U.S. beef.

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Thomas Schieffer joined in the USMEF effort early in the week, including a special reception for those who help determine public sentiment about U.S. beef. A media conference and a series of seminars were also conducted in Tokyo. USMEF says there are still challenges for U.S. beef in Japan, but U.S. cattle producers should be optimistic about this growing market.

In related news, Shinzo Abe has been elected as the new Prime Minister of Japan, replacing Junichiro Koizumi.  Prime Minister Abe selected Toshikatsu Matsuoka, 61, a former senior vice farm minister for the post of agriculture, forestry and fisheries. Agriculture Minister Shoichi Nakagawa, who has presided over U.S. beef import ban issues, will now assume a key leadership position as head of the policy council. These positions are of key importance during continued trade discussions between U.S. and Japanese officials.

USDA Selects 2007 CSP Watersheds: This week, Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns announced that 51 watersheds will be eligible for the 2007 Conservation Security Program (CSP). These watersheds cover nearly 24 million acres of cropland and grazing land.

"This is the fourth year the Conservation Security Program has recognized farmers and ranchers for their ongoing stewardship on working agricultural lands," Johanns said. "Our investment in this voluntary program has already proved beneficial by creating many successful cooperative public-private partnerships across the nation."

USDA says there are currently 280 watersheds in CSP nationwide, covering nearly 224 million acres. Based upon President Bush's requested funding level for the program for fiscal year 2007, 51 additional watersheds would be eligible for enrollment. Producers are encouraged to gather resource information on their operations in preparation for a prospective sign-up. A list of the eligible watersheds can be viewed at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp/2007_CSP_WS.html.

National Public Lands Day: One out of every three acres of America's land - 600 million acres - is public land, and public lands provide about one third of the total livestock grazing acreage in the United States. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service invites the public to celebrate National Public Lands Day September 30.

Ranchers who graze cattle and other livestock on our nation’s public lands contribute to the well-being of these areas everyday.  They help with wild-fire prevention, weed control, restoring and enhancing wildlife habitat and preventing land fragmentation and over-development in the West.  We salute our public lands ranchers for all they do to preserve our lands and support our rural communities.  For more information about National Public Lands Day events in your area, visit www.publiclandsday.org.

Cooperative Conservation Listening Sessions Ongoing: Listening sessions on cooperative conservation and environmental partnerships hosted by the Secretaries of Interior, Commerce and Agriculture, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality continue this month.  Discussion will focus on how the government can better work with local communities and landowners to protect the environment and promote conservation.  In a joint statement, the agencies said they want to better respect the interests of people with ownership in land, water, and other natural resources. 
For more information on each location, go to: http://cooperativeconservation.gov/sessions.
Future sessions are scheduled as follows: 

• Northampton, Massachusetts, 1 p.m., Sept. 29
• Boise, Idaho, Time TBD, Oct. 9, 2006

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