The Progressive Rancher - march 2021 by The Progressive Rancher

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Applications now being accepted for Nevada Youth Range Camp 2021! Come make new friends and learn new things about your state and environment while also enjoying a picturesque camping experience you’ll never forget!

Applications are now being accepted from high school students to attend the 58th Annual Nevada Youth Range Camp to be held June 17-23, 2021 at the Smith Creek Ranch in central Nevada. Applications must be submitted by Friday, April 30, 2021. Forms and information can be found on the website https://nevada.rangelands.org/youth-range-camp/ or by contacting Ethan Mower at ethanb.mower@gmail.com or (980) 565-6046.

IN THIS ISSUE 2 Nevada Youth Range Camp 3 President’s Perspective 4 NCA Roundup | Scholarships & Fallon Bull Sale Report 6 NBC Checkoff News 7 NBC Beef Recipe 8 Mind of a Millennial

10 Nevada Cattlewomen 11 Let’s Talk Ag (Editorial) 11 AAMP Announces Support of Local Processing Act 12 Eye on the Outside | Climate Change & Sustainability 14 NFB | Pretending What We’re Getting is Acceptable 15 NFB | KokuAloha Hemp 17 Beef Is Sustainable (Editorial) 18 SRM | The Need to Improve Mule Deer Populations Part 2

22 USDA | Nevada Water Supply Outlook Report 25 DCNR - Division of Water Resources | April 2 Hearing 26 NFB | Reviewing US Carbon Sequestration Land Use Data 30 NFB | 2021 AEWR 31 NFB | 2021 Policies Excerpt: Water/River Management 31 CNRWA Report 32 Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Cost Index 34 Churchill County Cowbelles Scholarships & Recipe 35 The Fence Post | Noble Research Institute Ag Focus 36 Orange Co Resister: Bulls Help Restore Environment 39 Public Lands Council Daily Roundup News

Owner/Editor/Publisher – Leana Litten Carey progressiverancher@gmail.com Graphic Design/Layout – www.AllegraReno.com

Cover Credit: Angus. Hutchins. Best of Angus And Range Bull. 2021 Published 8 times a year. View all issues at www.progressiverancher.com Readership reaches more than 30,000. The views and opinions expressed by writers of articles appearing in this publication are not necessarily those of the editor. Letters of opinion are welcome; submit via email.

Advertising rates available upon request. Advertising does not imply editorial endorsement. Liability for errors or omissions in advertisements shall not exceed the cost of the space occupied by the error or omission.

Leana Litten Carey, Owner/Editor

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2 MARCH 2021

The Progressive Rancher

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President's perspective Tom Barnes, President, Nevada Cattlemen's Association I would like to welcome Martin Paris as the new Executive Director for the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association. Martin comes from a long-time Nevada ranching family. He most recently worked for Rep. Amodei and is familiar with legislative issues. We are very fortunate and look forward to working with him. He brings a lot of knowledge and experience and has already hit the ground running. The first part of the year seems to be meeting season and your NCA leadership team has been meeting with different government agencies discussing a wide variety of topics with drought and grazing at the top of the list. It is more important now than ever that we work together to have flexibility in permits relating to time and timing and not being constrained to dates. We must be allowed to graze in a manner that benefits the resource the most.

We have a good story tell and have many successes in range management, but we must remember we have to be responsible grazers. We are constantly under the critical eye of those opposed to livestock grazing and they are waiting to document anything they see that can be construed as damaging to the range. Nevada doesn’t need a lot of moisture to thrive, just the right amount at the right time. Let’s all pray for moisture and a good calving season.

Tom Barnes Tom Barnes President, Nevada Cattlemen’s Association

Special Feeder Sales

Tues | March 9 Tues | April 13 Tues | May 11 For info about our Team Roping, please visit FallonLivestock.com www.progressiverancher.com

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MARCH 2021 3

by Martin Paris | NCA Executive Director | O: 775-738-9214 Hello! My name is Martin Paris, and I’m the new Executive Director of the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association. I grew up in Battle Mountain, Nevada where my family runs a cow/calf operation. I graduated from Battle Mountain High School and attended California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, CA receiving a degree in Political Science. After my last college final, I hopped on a plane for Washington D.C. to begin what was supposed to be a three-month internship for an agricultural lobbying firm. I ended up staying for close to a year before missing my rural roots and coming back to Nevada.

After my short-lived Washington D.C. career, I worked for a rangeland consulting company and most recently served as the Rural Representative for Congressman Mark Amodei in Elko.

I’m looking to forward to hitting the ground running as the Nevada Legislative Session is in full swing and the new Presidential Administration begins to take shape.

In 2018, I married my amazing wife Alexis. We recently welcomed our first child, Audrey Alice Paris, on November 14, 2020. Being a brand-new father has been the experience of a lifetime and time is flying by. Audrey seems to get a little bigger every time I pick her up.

As we are all aware, cattle prices are down, COVID-19 continues to impact our daily lives, and there seems to be a large cloud of uncertainty as we move into the future. However, I’m eager to navigate NCA through these uncertain times and make sure that Nevada’s beef industry is well represented along the way.

I still remain actively involved in my family’s cow/ calf operation and as a fifth generation Nevada rancher, I look forward to making sure that the great people of Nevada’s beef industry continue to be able to do what they love- raising high quality beef.

NCA Awarding Two Scholarship Opportunities The Nevada Cattlemen’s Association (NCA) is pleased to announce our 2021 scholarship opportunities. NCA will again be offering two scholarships.

Eligibility & application requirements for the NCA Scholarship include:

The NCA Scholarship will be awarded to a first-year college student beginning to pursue an education within the agricultural industry. This scholarship is open to all Nevada High School graduating seniors planning to attend a community college or four-year university and majoring in an agriculture related field. The amount of this scholarship for 2021 will be $1,500!

• Applicant must plan to attend a Community College or a 4-year College or University.

The NCA is also pleased to announce the continuation of the Marvel/Andrae Scholarship, which is available to agriculture students that have completed their first year of college and are returning to continue working towards their degree in agriculture. The 2021 Marvel/ Andrae Scholarship amount will be $2,500! The original seed money used to fund the Marvel/ Andrae Scholarship came from Agri Beef Company. This scholarship is to recognize the legacies of Tom & Rosita Marvel and Jim & Sharon Andrae and the many contributions these two Nevada ranching families have made to our ranching industry. 4 MARCH 2021

• Applicant must be a senior graduating from a Nevada High School. • Applicant must be seeking a degree in an agriculturally related field.

• Applicant must have a least a 2.5 GPA. A copy of the student’s official transcripts is required. • Applicant must submit a typewritten essay of 1,000 to 1,500 words on any current issue involving the beef industry, including references cited. • Three letters of reference.

Eligibility & application requirements for the Marvel/ Andrae Scholarship include: • Applicant must plan to attend or be currently attending a Community College or a 4-year College or University.

• Applicant must be from Nevada and pursuing a degree in an agricultural-related field. • Applicant must have at least a 2.8 GPA. A copy of the student’s transcripts is required. The Progressive Rancher

• Returning students that were previous recipients of the NCA Scholarship will be eligible to apply for the Marvel/Andrae Scholarship. • Applicant should submit a cover letter outlining their background, current studies, and College or University they are currently attending and educational goals. Students and Educators interested in these two great Scholarship opportunities are encouraged to contact the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association. Scholarship application forms can be downloaded from the Nevada Cattlemen’s website at www. nevadacattlemen.org, or applicants can call the NCA office at 775-738-9214 or send a request to nca@ nevadabeef.org for a copy. A completed application form and required information must be postmarked by April 9, 2021 and sent to: Attn: Research & Education Committee, c/o Nevada Cattlemen’s Association, P.O. Box 310, Elko, NV 89803; or submitted by email with the subject line, “2021 NCA Scholarship Applicant (Your Name)” to nca@nevadabeef.org.

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55th Annual Fallon All Breeds Bull Sale Report On February 20, 2021, the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association held their 55th Annual Fallon All Breeds Bull Sale (FBS). This year’s sale was dedicated in memory of Lilla Bell. Consignments arrived on Thursday the 18th. Sifting and grading of the bulls took place the morning of the 19th while the outdoor tradeshow vendors set up their displays and the stock dog trials got underway. This year’s sale featured bulls ranging from 16-24 months of age. Cattlemen from California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Utah attended the sale looking to buy their range-ready bulls for the year. Sixty-four bulls were sold this year for an average of $4,245. Breed Averages included: Angus for $5,009; Herefords for $2,494; and Red Angus for $3,500. Each year consignors bring high-quality bulls and this year was no different. Because of the quality of bulls and dedicated support, the sale continues to be a success and reach out to many of the western states. The Nevada Cattlemen’s Association and Fallon Bull Sale Committee thank you for your participation and congratulate this year’s award recipients. The Top Range Bull and the Angus Best of Breed were awarded to Hutchings Cattle Company for lot #68. This was also the top selling bull at the sale. The Hereford Best of Breed was awarded to Hutchens Herefords for lot #14. This year’s recipient of the volume buyer jacket is Steve Lucas of Lucas Livestock. A special thank you to this year’s volume buyer and all of the buyers. Whether you bought one bull or eight, your continued support of the Fallon Bull Sale is much appreciated. Along with the dedicated group of buyers and consignors who participate in the sale, there are several sponsors who help make the sale possible year after year. They include: Snyder’s Pinenut Livestock Supply (ear tags for the sale), Progressive Rancher and Nevada Rancher (advertisement for the sale), and Somewhere Out West (bags of coffee for award winners). Along with these dedicated sponsors a big thank you to Marie Sherman, Demar Dahl, Stix Cattle Company, Robert DePaoli, and Woodie Bell for contributing a donation calf. The NCA would also like to thank the Churchill County FFA, Churchill County Cowbelles, sale ringmen, Eric Duarte (auctioneer), Dr. Randy Wallstrum (sale veterinarian), Bea Lee (stock dog trial coordinator), the Grading and Sifting Committees, the Fallon Bull Sale Committee members, and Fallon Livestock LLC. for helping with the sale. Without their support and hard work this sale would not be possible!

Top Range Bull & Angus Best of Breed Hutchings Cattle Company, Lot #68

Hereford Best of Breed Hutchens Herefords, Lot #14. www.progressiverancher.com

The Progressive Rancher

MARCH 2021 5

Save the Date: Stockmanship & Stewardship Coming in July After having to postpone the event in 2020 due to the ongoing pandemic, the Nevada Beef Council (NBC) is pleased to move forward with its Stockmanship & Stewardship program, a nation-wide educational tour that brings world-renowned clinicians to each location for a top-notch learning opportunity. The Nevada event is slated for July 16 through 18 at the Elko County Fairgrounds. Producers from Nevada and other western states will be able to enjoy a unique educational experience featuring low-stress cattle handling demonstrations, Beef Quality Assurance educational sessions, industry updates, and cutting-edge operation techniques specific to western producers. The event will also provide opportunities to network with fellow producers and partake in hands-on demonstrations from stockmanship experts Curt Pate and Ron Gill.

The Nevada Stockmanship & Stewardship event is also being held in conjunction with the American National CattleWomen’s WIRED (Women in Ranching Education and Development), allowing cattlemen and women from across the west to benefit from high-quality education on important topics that both events offer. The Stockmanship & Stewardship program is sponsored by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, Merck Animal Health, the Nevada Beef Council, and the Beef Checkoff-funded National Beef Quality Assurance program. Program details and registration will be launched this spring at stockmanshipandstewardship.org. In the meantime, you can contact jill@calbeef.org with questions about the event.

Photo A: S&S clinician Curt Pate presenting to producers at a 2018 Stockmanship & Stewardship event in Colorado. Photo B: S&S Clinician Dr. Ron Gill.

LAST REMINDER for Board Applications

As a final reminder, the NBC is currently accepting applications for three board seats – one representing the dairy sector, and the other two representing the cow-calf sector in both the Western and Eastern regions of Nevada. Beef producers representing these sectors who are interested in serving as a council member must submit an application by March 31.

Current board members whose terms are expiring are also qualified to apply. Applications are available at www.nevadabeef.org, or please call 877-554-BEEF (2333) to request an application be mailed or e-mailed to you. 6 MARCH 2021

The Progressive Rancher

Beef on the Menu at Daytona As Daytona International Speedway officially opened its NASCAR season in February, there was something familiar about the historic 40th seasonopening race held at the 2.5-mile venue. The opening race was dubbed the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. ® 300, and helped drive in the NASCAR Xfinity Series on February 13, the day before the 63rd annual DAYTONA 500. The Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. ® 300 was the continuation and expansion of a partnership between Daytona International Speedway and the Federation of State Beef Councils, which is housed at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and works on behalf of the Beef Checkoff as a consumer-focused, producer-directed organization representing the largest segment of the nation’s food and fiber industry. The Federation works to represent the interests of the nation’s cattle farmers and ranchers, to ensure consumers have continuous access to great tasting beef that Americans know and love, and rely on as part of a healthy, balanced diet. This year’s event was preceded by other partnerships between the two organizations. In 2020, the Daytona International Speedway produced “Race Day Recipes” on digital channels in which Speedway President Chip Wile demonstrated his beef grilling expertise to showcase the NASCAR experience - especially to campers and tailgaters who love to enjoy delicious beef recipes as part of their celebration of NASCAR events. At press time for this update, the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. ® 300 was still on the horizon, so stay tuned next month for more details on beef ’s front and center role in this popular event!

By Nevada Beef Council Staff www.progressiverancher.com

Irish-Inspired Beef Pot Roast and Vegetables By Nevada Beef Council Staff In March, Corned Beef and Cabbage seem to reign supreme. But if you’re looking for a different way to celebrate the luck of the Irish this month, try this twist on the classic pot roast. A Bottom Round Roast makes this meal relatively affordable, the packaged gravy makes it easy to prep, and all those hours in a slow cooker make it fall-apart tender.

Ingredients • 1 beef Bottom Round Roast (3 to 3-1/4 pounds) • 2 packages (24 ounces each) fresh pot roast vegetables (potatoes, onions, carrots, celery) • 2 packages (.75 to .88 ounces each) mushroom or brown gravy mix • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1/2 teaspoon pepper • 1 cup beer • Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Preparation

Courtesy of Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.

www.nevadabeef.org www.mybeefcheckoff.org

• Prepare pot roast vegetables: cut potatoes in half (or into quarters if large), onions into 1/2-inch wedges, and carrots and celery into 2-inch pieces; set aside.

Cook’s Tip: Packaged pot roast vegetables may also be referred to as stew or soup vegetables. One and one quarter pounds carrots, 1 pound small red potatoes, 2 small onions and 4 small ribs celery may be substituted for packaged pot roast vegetables. Prepare as directed above.

• Combine gravy mixes, flour, salt and pepper in large bowl. Add vegetables to bowl; toss to coat well. Remove vegetables from flour mixture; set aside. Place vegetables in 5 to 6-quart slow cooker. Add beef Bottom Round Roast to bowl, turning to coat evenly with flour mixture. Remove pot roast and place in slow cooker in center of vegetables. • Whisk beer into remaining flour mixture until smooth; add to slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH 6 to 7 hours or LOW 9 to 10 hours or until beef and vegetables are fork-tender. (No stirring is necessary during cooking.)

• Remove pot roast and vegetables. Skim fat from gravy. Carve roast into thin slices. Serve with vegetables and gravy. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired. www.progressiverancher.com

The Progressive Rancher

MARCH 2021 7

In the Mind of a Millennial Sharing the Story of Cattle Care By Jill Scofield, Director of Producer Relations California & Nevada Beef Council Earlier this year, I shared some findings from a report released in late 2020 regarding consumer perceptions and behavior during the pandemic. This report, entitled “State of the Consumer: Fall 2020” (available on https://www.beefresearch.org/) showed that perceptions about beef and beef production actually improved during the course of the pandemic, with overall positive perceptions reaching 70 percent for the first time and positive perceptions specifically regarding how cattle are raised increased 18 percent compared to 2019. This was encouraging news after a challenging year. But as we continue working toward a return to more “normal” times, we as a beef industry have to continue sharing the important work beef and cattle producers do, day in and day out, to care for their cattle. As I type this, producers in many parts of the country are working around the clock to ensure their cows and calves stay safe and healthy in the midst of an abysmal period of winter storms and frigid weather. Showcasing this type of care in difficult circumstances is one way to share the lengths to which farmers and ranchers go to ensure the well-being and livelihood of their livestock. But showcasing the everyday quality care that happens on a regular basis is also key. Recently, the Beef Checkoff funded a series of videos pairing popular chefs with ranchers from throughout the country for a unique look at how beef is raised. The videos were developed through a partnership between the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor the Beef 8 MARCH 2021

Checkoff, and Chef ’s Roll, Inc., a global network of chefs and hospitality professionals that promotes its work through programs and original content like these videos. Specifically, the videos highlight the importance of the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program for the ranchers who raise the cattle, and the chefs who serve high-quality beef to their customers. As some of you probably already know, the BQA program provides information about how common-sense husbandry techniques, like low stress animal handling, can be coupled with accepted scientific knowledge to raise cattle under the best management and environmental conditions. Sharing information about the BQA program and the quality care standards it includes provides the industry as a whole a prime example of the type of care producers give their animals, day in and day out. Along those lines, this new video series takes chefs across the beef lifecycle to get a first-hand look at the care that goes into creating high-quality beef. Each video follows a chef as they visit a local cattle operation to learn about how BQA practices are used to sustainably and responsibly raise highquality beef. The rancher then visits the chef ’s kitchen to gain an understand of how beef is prepared and featured on the chef ’s menu, and the experience is rounded out with a shared beef meal.

with Executive Chef Ryan Clark of Casino Del Sol. Idaho rancher Kim Brackett is also included in one of the videos, sharing how prioritizing animal care is the best way to ensure quality beef with Executive Chef Shawn Smith of Coynes Restaurant. And California rancher Jamie Mickelson speaks about the importance of cattle quality of life with Napa Valley Chef Bob Simontacchi of Gravenstein Grill. Producers and chefs from Oklahoma and Georgia are also featured in the video series. After an initial launch of just a portion of the series late last year, the videos had already amassed 1.3 million views, with that number expected to continue to climb as the videos continue to be rolled out through the Chef ’s Roll network and through digital and social media platforms. If you’d like to get a glimpse of them yourself, you can visit BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com and click on the “Newsroom” tab. These types of projects wouldn’t be possible without the men and women who work so hard to produce beef. Without our producers’ willingness to share their philosophy and the

importance of quality care publicly in campaigns such as this is one way that we can further humanize the beef industry and show our consumers the people behind the steak they purchase. For producers who are not yet BQA certified – or need to get recertified – doing so is easy. Information on the program is available at BQA.org, and you can also get certified through online training modules available on the site. Online training is free. If you’d like to participate in an in-person training, join us for the Stockmanship & Stewardship event slated for July 17 and 18 at the Elko County Fairgrounds. The event will include animal handling demonstrations with renowned clinicians Ron Gill and Curt Pate, and will also include training sessions to earn BQA certification. More information and event registration will be live at StockmanshipandStewardship.org later this spring.

Beef producers from western states made up the bulk of those featured in the video series, including Arizona ranch manager Dean Fish, who discusses environmental stewardship and proper cattle handling techniques The Progressive Rancher

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MARCH 2021 9

By Melinda Sarman, President We have a date and a location! Mark your calendars for July 16-18, 2021. The W.I.R.E.D. (Women In Ranch Education and Development) along with Stockmanship and Stewardship will be held together for the first time. This event will be held at the Elko County Fairgrounds in Elko, Nevada. National Cattlemen Association and American National CattleWomen along with Nevada and California Beef Councils and the Beef Checkoff are working together to have a three day event for cattle producers from around the west. The groups are still meeting and fine tuning the agenda. Once this is solidified, information will be available. The ANCW held the annual meeting on February 5, 2021 via zoom. During the meeting normal activities happened such as approval of the minutes and financials. The Nominating Committee submitted the names of: President- Evelyn Green, President Elect- Reba Mazak, and Vice PresidentPam Griffin. These fine ladies have been asked to serve another year in their current position. Because of the pandemic shutting everything down, they were not able to travel and they truly missed out on all their office had in store for them. So, they all

graciously chose to serve another year. It was also brought up during the meeting that membership numbers are down a bit this year. So, I strongly encourage you, if your not a ANCW member, please join this great organization, the basic membership is $60.00 per year. The web site for American National Cattlewomen is https://ancw.org/jointoday/join-online/ . The American National CattleWomen are doing so much to support American agriculture. The roots of this organization are imbedded in helping women succeed on and off the ranch. “ANCW is a voice for women who share a passion for the beef community with a focus on Beef Promotion, Education and Legislation”. Also, during the meeting the Collegiate Beef Advocacy Program announced the new team for 2021. Carli Eubank from Pocasset, Oklahoma and Kathryn Slavick from Mandan, North Dakota. I wish these fine young ladies the best of luck and I can’t wait to see the amazing things they do! Plans are underway to have the 2021 Cattle Industry Summer business meeting and Annual Convention to be held August 8-12 in Nashville, TN. The convention headquarters will be Gaylord

Opryland Resort and Convention Center in the heart of Nashville. This event is for anyone in cattle or agriculture business. The 2021 event will be one of the largest on record. This convention will have Cattlewomen and Cattlemen from across the country. Event organizers expect to have over 9,000 people attend this convention. The trade show will be truly unbelievable with over seven acres of agriculture booths for livestock production and business management. The businesses at this convention will help make every animal and acre on a ranch more profitable. These meetings are educational and the hands-on workshop are from industry leaders. More information can be found at ANCW.ORG or NCBA.ORG. If you have any questions, please give me a call or email at the information below:

Melinda Sarman, President, NCA 775-385-3619 melindasarman@gmail.com

UPDATE on the Nevada CattleWomen Fundraiser for 2021 Thanks to our friends at Smith Valley Garage, we are raffling off a Kubota Four Wheel Drive Gasoline Utility Vehicle! A maximum of 200 tickets will be sold at $100 per ticket for the Kubota Four Wheel Drive Gasoline Utility Vehicle RTV-XG850 Sidekick. The drawing will be held August 1, 2021. Need not be present to win. Must be 21 years of age to purchase a ticket. Get your tickets now before they are sold out – only 200 tickets will be sold. Contact your NVCW Executive Board members for tickets: Maddie Bowers (775) 388-3259; Ana Dagenhart (775) 790-5892; Staci Emm (775) 312-0424; Keri Pommerening (775) 721-4888; Erin Costa (775) 7203760 or myself, Melinda Sarman (775) 385-3619. Any one of us will be happy to sell you a ticket or two! 10 MARCH 2021

The Progressive Rancher

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Let’s Talk Ag By Staci Emm | Editorial

Nevada Agriculture and Nevada Agriculture Products There needs to be continued discussion on what role Nevada Agriculture plays in rebuilding the state’s economy, and support for producers paving (or paying) the way on their own. As we move in a change in federal administration and begin to rebuild the economies of Nevada, I have been a part of several conversations lately discussing the agricultural sectors in Nevada. The numbers, to be honest, are sketchy right now for what exactly is out there. Traditionally, the cash receipts of Nevada ag products were livestock and hay followed by vegetable production. In 2008, there was incentive by the federal government to bring about growing your own food or the small farm movement. The federal government implemented programs to assist those on small acreages beginning to grow and process local food. The “Cottage Food” movement was reinforced and farmers markets began to pop up. We are in this phase of, “Present COVID,” as I would like to call it. We know what our agriculture was before COVID, and we are trying to understand what it is like in “Present COVID.” COVID has impacted Nevada agriculture through supply chain disruptions that will be discussed throughout time. Have we learned from it? What opportunities are there? Where are we going? What is Nevada Agriculture? I want to use two different agricultural sectors as an example in my discussion. We can grow these products in Nevada, and we have producers working hard to develop their businesses. The two examples are USDA Inspected Meat and Hemp Production. These two agricultural industries are federally regulated, there are Nevada Department of Agriculture proposed state regulations looming, and a lack of infrastructure to get the product from the producer to the consumer. Nevada lacks the appropriate infrastructure, so the question then becomes, should it have the infrastructure? Working on the local meat issues for over 10 years now, it is amazing and unique that we have our own Nevada producers moving forward to put the slaughter and processing infrastructure in place to add value to their ranches. This does not mean that they are feeding out every steer they raise and www.progressiverancher.com

running it through their connected slaughter plant. This means that they are adding value by finishing off steers and heifers that don’t make the grade for their larger markets. They are diversifying their business by adding different products and accessing different markets within and outside our Nevada markets. I say outside Nevada, because as USDA inspection infrastructure becomes available in Nevada to more producers, the boxed beef programs will have the opportunity to expand. We had a report in our January Agriculture Outlook about the Hemp production in Las Vegas and how southern Hemp production was impacting Nevada’s ag sales and jobs. Of course, this included the Hemp production that is over the THC limit of 3.6%. The February Agriculture Outlook discussed Hemp Production under the THC limit of 3.6%, which included Hemp varietals for CBD and industrial purposes. CBD Hemp production is very risky now as the markets have tanked with an oversupply, but for the industrial hemp, there may be opportunities for success. The issue now is the infrastructure. The producers have to be able to process their industrial Hemp into a fiber product that companies will buy. While these two examples have very apparent differences, they also have some commonalities. We need to know what Nevada Agriculture looks likes. Is the data that our economists are using accurate? How can we provide more accurate data for them to tell the story? I am very hesitant to have Nevada agriculture be compared with the Marijuana industry, when we have a state so robust in what we produce, and Nevada consumers don’t even know it. The two examples that were discussed are producers knowing they can grow a product, and working on Nevada infrastructure so they can sell a value-added product. There will always be risk, but there are also opportunities in creating and building Nevada’s agricultural infrastructure and economy. Overall, I hope the two examples that I used see the successes they deserve. The producers working on the infrastructure are putting countless time and money into their endeavors. They believe in Nevada Agriculture and Nevada Agriculture Products! The Progressive Rancher

AAMP ANNOUNCES SUPPORT OF STRENGTHENING LOCAL PROCESSING ACT Finds legislation would help small processors improve and grow their businesses The American Association of Meat Processors announced its support for H.R. 8431 and S.5066, Strengthening Local Processing Act (https://bit. ly/2NpLYKR) which is legislation that provides many of the critical items to help small processors improve and grow their businesses. The Strengthening Local Processing Act provides small plants with the funds needed to grow and expand and supports a scale-appropriate approach to small scale slaughter and processing.

“This Act will be a game-changer for small processors,” said Executive Director Chris Young. “The events of 2020 and the response of small processors have highlighted the need to increase capacity in our industry and to provide help to processors who are vital to their local communities.” The Act includes:

• FSIS to develop a searchable database of model HACCP plans and supporting documentation to be used by small processors. • Expanding funds are given to support state meat inspection programs.

• Expanding FSIS outreach to states to expand the Cooperative Interstate Shipping Program.

• Small processor GRANT Program – making up to $25 million a year available to small processors for expansion and improvement of their businesses. Processors would be able to receive between $100,000 – $500,000. This would be available for all processors, federally inspected, state inspected, and exempt plants. • Training, education, and technical assistance – $10 million a year available for training.

The association has called upon its members and industry affiliates to contact their local U.S. representatives and senators and ask them to support the bill. “I don’t know of a time when we have had legislation that was so favorable for small processors,” Young added. “We ask that all small processors help get the word out on the bill and let Congress know how much this is needed.”

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MARCH 2021 11

Most of the readers of this and other similar publications are aware of the great contributions made by livestock grazing that is responsible, managed, and sustainable on lands such as those in the Great Basin which are otherwise unsuitable for use by humans for food. As a general thought, use of agriculture to help protect resources is not something most people think about, or if they do, it is just the opposite; agriculture does not protect but harms resources. It is clear the climate of the world is changing. The arguments for how and why this is happening do very little to solve the problem of what to do about it. In fact, these opinions get in the way of figuring out ways to help humans deal with climate change and the increasing human population which will be faced with steadily growing pressures to provide for the basic needs of people all over the world. Access to food, shelter, education, health care, and fresh, clean water will all be more important in the context of also dealing with a changing climate. These challenges are all interrelated. Thus, for example providing adequate food and water for human needs are not separate issues because you cannot raise a food supply with shortages of water and water quality is impacted by raising food.

administration has made addressing the challenges of climate change one of the hallmarks of its agenda. What will be the ramifications of this political agenda for western rangeland agriculture? According to the Resource Director of the National Cattlemen’s Association, Katlynn Glover working at the NCBA office in Washington, D.C., for the next four years, climate will be at the center of every policy consideration. Lands, public and private, used by ranchers in the west for grazing are integral for carbon storage, and critical habitat for wildlife including endangered species. Cattle and sheep are the first line of defense against fuel loading that contributes to catastrophic wildfire. They are also the best first responders when lands destroyed by wildfires risk being overtaken by invasive annual plants. U.S. rangelands and pasture are also very important for capturing and making use of rainfall even in high desert areas like Nevada which would otherwise be runoff in urban areas. The livestock industry uses about 90% of this green water in the production of its animals which otherwise is unavailable for humans without significant intervention.

The total agricultural land in the world is a bit less than 40% of the land mass. Around 26.3% is rangeland used for livestock production. Only about 11% of the total land in the world is arable and used for crop production with another 3.1% in vineyards and orchards. In contrast, about 3% of the earth’s land is given over to urban areas.

Livestock production is also very important for improving soil health and potential carbon sequestration is a critical component to buffer against the effects of climate change. In fact, according to the U.S. Global Climate Change Research Program in Washington D.C., U.S. grazing lands utilized by the beef industry alone are responsible for storing 7.4Pg carbon annually which is the equivalent of taking 5.76 billion cars off the road.

Specifically, what will be the impacts of climate change on the Great Basin and the traditional operations of this vast geographic region in the intermountain west? Furthermore, the new

An emerging market for carbon storage is being seriously explored. Companies needing carbon credits are looking at rangeland and pasture storage as possibilities for their needs. In the

12 MARCH 2021

west The Ecosystem Services Market Consortium and Western Sustainability Exchange have pilot programs with select producers to explore market possibilities. It is possible such an idea would not work for Great Basin ranches because of limitations of acreage, bureaucratic restrictions, and geography. However, the very fact such discussions are occurring regarding ranch land sequestration is a recognition the livestock industry has a part to play in creating solutions and is not the problem. Agriculture in the Great Basin has historically been centered on livestock grazing. Except in a few well-irrigated valleys, crop production has been primarily hay growing and harvesting to provide winter feeding for sheep and cattle which graze on ranges and pastures for most of the year. Row crop production is mostly limited to Carson Valley, Mason Valley, and the Lahonton Valley in Western Nevada. If climate change means a warming earth with a temperate climate shifting north in the northern hemisphere, will there be less range forage and fewer irrigation water sources throughout the Great Basin? Already, in the Siberian region of Russia, row crops such as corn and soybeans are being cultivated where such agriculture would never have been possible, let alone successful, a decade or more ago. A market for these commodities exists in China which has population centers relatively close to these newly emerging agricultural regions. My guess is the agricultural techniques being used in Russia and the rest of the world were developed in North America. The challenges to agriculture will also most successfully be addressed on our continent too. This includes dealing with the impacts of climate change to producing forages in pastures and on ranges.

The Progressive Rancher

Thus, with the above in mind, we can say confidently, one important consideration for the benefit of the future of mankind is the protection and proper management of the world’s limited agricultural resources. It is also incumbent on those who are using resources in a proper way agriculturally and sustainably to provide a model for those who are not doing things which will ultimately benefit the people and resources of the earth. Livestock, particularly range cattle and sheep, are what has recently been termed “up cyclers”. This is a situation where livestock growers utilize plants of little or no value as food for human consumption-grassby providing these plants as forage for their animals through the stored energy from the sun and photosynthesis which then ultimately creates food for humans as the best protein on earth. Sustainability is another buzzword being used and heard more recently. American beef production is among the most sustainable agricultural systems in the world and is a model for how the rest of the world could use limited resources to increase production and put less of a strain on the climate. For instance, the U.S. is now producing 18% of the world’s beef with just 6% of the world’s cattle. Another way to look at this is we are producing the same number of pounds of beef today as we did in 1977 with about a third less cattle. Many of the ranches in Nevada are still producing after over 150 years of existence. If this is not a sustainable model nothing is. Care for the earth’s limited resources is what livestock ranchers do while providing significant food for an increasing world population needing high quality protein. The improvements in livestock production through genetic science, range science, nutritional and animal health advances, www.progressiverancher.com

and conservation initiatives has resulted in a progressive industry leading the way for the world to follow. Indeed, new ways to be better and more sustainable in livestock production are being discovered and implemented all the time. In 2006, the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations issued a report entitled “Livestock’s Long Shadow”. This report claimed livestock was responsible for more greenhouse gasses than transportation. This report was subsequently debunked and ridiculed by the scientific community for its misrepresentations, inaccuracies, untruths and faulty science in books, journals, and news reports over and over. And yet, the allegations against livestock persist and are used by any number of organizations who oppose animal agriculture. You all have heard about farting cows letting huge quantities of methane enter the atmosphere when we all know a ruminant is incapable of that bodily function. Instead, it is a fact methane does escape a belching cow chewing her cud. But what the anti-animal ag folks do not say is methane is a quickly dissolving gas only lasting about ten years in the atmosphere, and it is recycled. In other words, all the methane there is, is all there ever has been. An example to support this assertion is the number of bison, about 80 million, in North America at the time of European settlement and the number of beef cattle, about 90 million now, which replaced the bison. According to Dr. Frank Mitloehner of the University of California, Davis: “The amount of methane that came from those bison back in 1850 is not dissimilar to the amount of methane produced by our cattle today”. Mitloehner is a worldrenowned authority on greenhouse gasses. In contrast, carbon dioxide www.progressiverancher.com

UPCOMING SALES April 14

emitted by petroleum- based engines lasts over a thousand years and this compound is created every time a gallon of petroleum is produced. Ashley McDonald, the Senior Director of Sustainability at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), recently said:” by continuously improving grazing lands to stimulate plant and root growth (pulling down more CO2 from the atmosphere), then climate positive beef is possible…If the world wants to address global warming (along with many other related issues like catastrophic wildfires), cattle are not only a part of the equation, but are the best solution”. Many Nevada ranches are operations which act responsibly, in a progressive agricultural manner with advances in animal and crop science in mind and under an ethic of sustainability for land water, and animal resources that are at the cutting edge of agricultural science.

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The world needs examples of sustainability that protect scarce resources while still utilizing those resources for the benefit of mankind. Ranches in the Great Basin can provide many examples of how the world can look when competition for resources is replaced with cooperative use and a recognition that these operations are necessary for the future of the planet.

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The Progressive Rancher

MARCH 2021 13

Nevada Farm Bureau

Pretending What We’re Getting Is Acceptable By Doug Busselman | Nevada Farm Bureau | Executive Vice President On February 16 the Legislative Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections held a hearing on AB 110. This proposal is directed at changing Nevada’s lobbyist law to make it possible to require lobbyists to register under the circumstances of the Legislative Building not being locked down for public entry. The law before this proposed change qualifies someone as being a lobbyist by “appearing in person in the Legislative Building…” The bill itself isn’t really a change that is going to mean life or death, but it does serve as representation that those in charge are working to paper-over fundamental details of how normal citizen engagement shouldn’t actually be working this way. As the hearing unfolded and responses were made to questions about the details of the change it seemed very similar to the scene in the Wizard of Oz, when the little dog pulls the curtain back on the “Wizard” who is operating behind the curtain… “Don’t pay attention to the man behind the curtain,” the “Wizard” says. As Nevada citizens we are also evidently supposed to follow those instructions. Legislators, legislative staff and selected media representatives are granted the ability to be in the Legislative Building under the current operations in “the People’s House.” Everyone else is locked out of legislative building and for that matter even to engage beyond the narrow parameters offered through virtual connections. Under the proposed changes to AB 110, “lobbyists” will mean “a person who communicates directly with a member of the Legislative Branch on behalf of someone other than himself or herself…” Based on the views of the 14 MARCH 2021

sponsors for AB 110, Assemblyman Jason Frierson and Assemblywoman Brittney Miller, this isn’t a big change. Supposedly, changing the definition isn’t going to strap a new group of participants with the requirements for lobbyist going forward and we’re supposed to believe that some of those currently participating by virtual connections will continue to do so forever.

frustrated by the virtual limitations. A legitimate system recognizes that interaction with citizens is vital and it consults with those knowledgeable on the subjects related to the proposed legislation and those who know how legislative proposals will impact people. Not having a legitimate system – even if we’re pretending that we are doing the best we can – is not good enough.

Based on current conditions and reality, we understand that those in charge of the Legislature really appreciate having the public kept out of the Legislative Building far more than those who are on the outside locked out of the building and the process. If they didn’t think this way was acceptable, then those in charge would be doing things differently.

Most of the committee chairpersons open their meetings with enthusiastic cheerleading about all the ways that the public can engage. This requires properly registering the day before you give your two-minute statement when the agenda item takes place. You can also email your more extensive input through the proper committee management system, or use the link on the Legislature’s Website to share your opinions on whatever legislation you’d like to address. Beyond these “many” avenues for input…there is also places on the agenda for “public comment” catch-alls for two-minutes of statements at the end of the committee’s business for the day.

Although the 2021 Legislative Session is an improvement over the two special sessions that took place during the summer of 2020, the “regular” session has been anything but normal and is less than the open and interactive process that Nevada citizens deserve. This made more frustrating as we enviously watch the openness and transparency of other state legislatures, who have managed to keep their doors open and include the public. Legislators, who serve on Legislative Committees work through these virtual channels hearing bills and receiving “public input” on proposed legislation, are also restricted in their participation. They are limited to Zoom video conference meetings. Their only “inperson” interactions come during floor sessions, and some members remotely participate in those as well. Legislators who take the process of legislative activities as something more than “sausage-making” are also

There is no actual opportunity for questions, clarification, interchange for most participants, although government agencies making their case for the legislation that they are pushing for do seem to have a more of an advantage than those who will be impacted by the legislation. At this point, scheduling appointments with Legislators to talk by phone or video conference has been an option. These contacts are much more limited and structured than the normal bumping into each other in the hallways or stopping by the office, but for the most part these back-and-forth conversations are the only route open.

The Progressive Rancher

It has been almost a year since Governor Sisolak issued his first executive order to close down Nevada ( at least those determined unessential). Over the course of the past year there have been news conferences by the Governor sharing the occasional next steps/phase and providing minimal increases in personal freedom. These announcements also came with a lecture on how we better improve our behavior and follow his orders more closely. Whether we can expect the Nevada Legislature to open the doors to “the People’s House”, even on a limited basis, is unclear. COVID vaccination and protocols requiring negative test are likely to be fundamental when the restricted opening begins, but at this point there is nothing on the horizon to even speculate about. Playing cards very close to the vest seems to be the rule for those who get to decide how the Legislature operates. Transparency like so many other things has become virtual. It’s rather ironic that the present Legislative process would have us reminiscing about “the good old days” of Legislative sessions. Although those sessions had their own frustrations and problems, being able to engage and interact at least made the process workable. Elections have consequences, as we’ve learned and experienced. Changing back to an open and interactive Nevada legislative process should be a base-line expectation voters will press for when they next have their next opportunity to have a say at the ballot box. In the meantime, we’re supposed to believe that the current process is “good enough.”

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Nevada Farm Bureau

KokuAloha Hemp By Kyle Reber The beginnings of KokuAloha hemp began the night of May 28th 2015 when one of its founders Mark Higbee was critically injured in a near head-on collision with a semitruck south of the Lincoln County Line on U.S. 93. The accident very easily could have killed him or left him paralyzed. Today though the only evidence of the accident is a slight limp and he is still able to ride and ranch with his family. While Mark was recovering, he began using hemp as a natural pain and inflammation reliever. The hemp worked wonders for him and for that reason he began promoting the industry and sharing his results to help other people. This culminated in the formation Aloha Advanced Agricultural with Mark’s partners Jeff Gormley and Harlin Higa, and there first crop planted in Spring of 2019. One reason KokuAloha believes its successful is the location. Pahranagat itself is an old Paiute Indian word that means “land of many waters.” Compared to the surrounding area this is certainly true, the valley contains four lakes, Crystal, Hiko and Ash Springs as well as several other smaller springs. All this water results in a literal desert paradise, with the most fertile part of the valley being one mile in width and stretching over forty miles. KokuAloha is located in this narrow ribbon. Its also spring watered, with a holding pond and subsurface irrigation techniques. The mission of the company is, “to organically grow focused and controlled hemp products that are free of harsh chemicals and pesticides.” Being organic is one of the things that differentiates KokuAloha from other hemp cultivators in the

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state. While growing organically is greatly rewarded in todays market it presents some challenges. It’s difficult to do outside, because you can’t use any chemical pesticides or herbicides. In addition, they have to deal with deer and gophers. The plants also don’t seem to do as well outside as they do inside a more climate-controlled hoop house. For this reason, the plants grown outside are used for extracting, and making products like drops, oils, ointments and balms. The plants in the hoop-house are dedicated to the more niche smokable hemp flower market. This year the company plans on building a facility and processing and making some of their own processed products. Co-founder Harlin Higa believes this is important, because with so many other types of hemp products people don’t really know what they are getting. “Typically, what happens” he says, is growers broker their product to labs, where they extract it and you don’t really know what’s going on. For that reason, they plan to build their own lab and processing facility, so they can have more control over the process and the quality. This also gives them more of an opportunity, to experiment and create some of their own unique blends and products. Higa grew up in Hawaii, and was originally in the marijuana business. He started into the hemp business because he realized there was more opportunity than just the THC market. One of the things he says is extremely important is knowing where to plant, what strains and what time of the year to plant.

Because hemp takes a while to mature, you have to try to avoid the frosts in April and the winter weather that sometimes happens in October. Another challenge he faced was going from indoor growing to outdoor. He says that’s a reason a lot of novice hemp farmers fail is because they don’t realize how much harder it is to grow hemp outside as opposed to marijuana inside. Some of the other challenges they’ve had to learn, is how to market, as well as deal with some of the agencies that are over hemp. He notes that as the hemp industry has become bigger in Nevada the Department of Ag has gotten more staff and is better able to assist hemp farmers. KokuAloha Hemp, hopes that their products, do as much good for other people as CBD helped in Mark’s recovery. They also want to better educate the public, so people understand there are natural alternatives to some painkillers. If you have any questions for KokuAloha, they can be reached at info@kokualohahemp.com, or on their website: kokualohahemp.com under the contact tab.

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MARCH 2021 15

Nevada Water Solutions LLC

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Bassett Lake Farm near McGill, NV

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The Progressive Rancher

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Beef Is, and Always Will Be Sustainable The following opinion/editorial is from Jerry Bohn, President | National Cattlemen’s Beef Association There is an ongoing conversation in consumer spaces about beef’s contribution to climate change. In many circles, beef is being painted as a villain that can be minimized and/or eliminated to help solve global climate issues. On the ground, as cattle producers, we know this isn’t accurate. In fact, we know it’s an outrageous lie that’s being used to sell consumers a fake meat product they don’t want or need and one that won’t do anything to solve climate problems. The reality is that we know cattle can be a part of the solution. We know that pasture and rangeland, through proper management, can actually reduce the amount of carbon and more than offset the short-lived methane emissions of our cattle. Climate and environmental stewardship matter to farmers and ranchers, we feel the impacts of our stewardship decisions every day and we are the first, and most affected portion of the population, when it rains too much or too little. We are the first to be impacted when the weather is too hot or too cold and we’ve seen time and again the consequences of a changing environment. Because of this, most of the farmers and ranchers I speak with are committed to protecting the resources we manage and doing our part to make improvements. However, to make real change, Americans and decision-makers around the world must recognize that cattle farmers and ranchers are part of the solution. Every food has an impact so simply swapping out beef for alternative proteins or lab-manipulated fake meat will never be an effective solution. The reality is that consumers in the United States and elsewhere are going to continue to consume meat and there is no nation better at raising cattle and beef in an efficient and environmentally friendly manner than we do right here at home. U.S. cattle producers don’t clear forests for pastures, we don’t plow up land that shouldn’t be farmed and we ensure that our animals are cared for through every phase of their life. On our feedlot in Kansas, we make certain that animals have fresh feed and clean water every day. We take pride in management practices that both care for our cattle and produce the best quality beef possible. By ensuring the beef we produce meets consumer demand we’re also helping to reduce food waste when our products reach the consumer. On our farms and ranches, cattlemen and women are controlling invasive weeds and maintaining the pastures that feed our animals. Our farms and ranches provide open spaces that create habitat for wild animals that would otherwise be pushed out by housing developments and urbanization. We do these things because it makes our operations better but also because it is the right, sustainable thing to do. Our families depend on our lands year-after-year, generationafter-generation. If consumers choose alternative proteins rather than beef, they should know the facts about those products and not just the sensationalized www.progressiverancher.com

The Progressive Rancher

marketing that some activists are using to sell a product that has historically been ignored by consumers. In the past, consumers have largely rejected these products as a highly processed, expensive and inferior alternative to real beef. There are people who have invested in fake meat companies seeking to profit from legitimate consumer concerns about climate change and the environment. The science disputes the claims of alternative protein companies. The fact is, even the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that U.S. beef production has a minimal footprint when it comes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Beef production is responsible for only 2 percent of U.S. GHG emissions. Even when the production of animal feed, fuel and electricity necessary for beef production is factored into the equation, it is still responsible for just 3.7 percent of GHG in the United States, according to EPA. In contrast, emissions from electricity generation account for 28 percent of U.S. emissions and transportation accounts for 29 percent of U.S. emissions. It’s likely that you’ve heard individuals like Bill Gates claim that U.S. livestock’s contribution to climate change is immense. However, these claims are flat out wrong. Some activists and others like Gates often cited old claims made in the United Nation’s debunked report titled Livestock’s Long Shadow. They also use global numbers about U.S. cattle production to back their marketing claims and sell their products. It’s critical that Americans understand that global GHG emissions are skewed higher because they include emissions from nations whose cattle and beef management systems are far less efficient than the those in the United States. Global numbers also include countries like India, which have large bovine populations but where harvest is very low or non-existent because of cultural or religious practices. In global terms, U.S. beef cattle production counts for just .5 percent of global GHG emissions, so even if every American stopped eating beef in favor of fake meat substitutes, there would be virtually no discernible impact on our changing climate. The U.S. beef production system is among the most productive and efficient in the world and it continues to improve over time. Between 1975 and 2017, beef cattle emissions declined 30 percent. Today, the U.S. produces 18 percent of the world’s beef with just 6 percent of the world’s cattle numbers. This is possible through commitments to animal welfare, better animal nutrition and advancements in genetics. Those statistics are often overlooked or ignored by individuals like Bill Gates, the writers at OZY and others who are working to advance an agenda that drives people away from eating meat using scare tactics and unsound science to advance their cause and line their pockets with grocery money from well-meaning, concerned consumers who have been sold something they don’t want and never needed in the first place. MARCH 2021 17

The Need to Improve Mule Deer Populations: HABITAT CONVERSION PART 2 OF 3

By Charlie D. Clements This is the second part of a three-part series focusing on the need to improve mule deer populations. The first series pointed out the historical mule deer populations from very low numbers to record numbers and eventually a continued decline. Mule deer are the only declining big game species in North America, hopefully engaging in this topic will bring about added ideas and approaches to improving mule deer populations not just in Nevada, but throughout the West. In big sagebrush communities, wildfires are the primary stand renewal process. Excessive grazing reduced grasses and brought about the reduction in fine fuels to carry wildfires. The shrubs then became larger, more vigorous, and

established in higher densities. This vegetation change was beneficial to mule deer herds throughout the West. In more than a century, big sagebrush plant communities in the Great Basin have gone through periods of; 1) pristine wildfire frequency with aboriginal burning, 2) promiscuous burning, 3) attempted complete suppression of wildfires, and 4) attempts at prescribed burning and let-burn policies for wildfires. Historically, wildfires in the northern Great Basin experienced wildfire intervals of every 60-110 years and mostly occurred in the late summer after the perennial grasses had flowered and dried out. The accidental introduction of cheatgrass and its’ subsequent invasion onto millions of acres of Great Basin rangelands has

increased this wildfire interval to a reported 5-10 years. Aldo Leopold, in 1949 recognized this problem and how impossible it is going to be to protect wildlife habitat from cheatgrass fueled wildfires. The accidental introduction and subsequent invasion of cheatgrass indeed contributed significantly to the transformation of millions of acres of wildlife habitats throughout the West, especially browsers such as mule deer. Cheatgrass outcompetes native plant seedlings for limited moisture and nutrients resulting in less perennial species recruitment and more cheatgrass that provides a fine-textured early maturing fuel that increases the chance, rate, spread and season of wildfire. With each passing wildfire season more and more critical

Figure 1. Former mule deer winter habitat converted to cheatgrass dominance following re-occurring wildfires.

shrub communities are burned and converted to cheatgrass dominance (Figure 1). When cheatgrass moves in, wildfires that destroy shrubs follow. This scenario has played out all across the Intermountain West, which now is experiencing larger and more frequent wildfires at alarming rates. You can pick numerous large wildfire complexes in the Great Basin that have been significantly destructive to mule deer, such as those wildfires in northeastern Nevada that burned 300,000 acres in 1964, another 778,000 acres (1,171 square miles) between 1999 and 2001 from Battle Mountain to Elko, the Holloway Fire in 2012 that consumed 462,000 acres and the Fire Martin Fire 439,230 acres in 2018 just to name a few. Shrub species simply do not have enough time to recover from large and frequent wildfires which has led to the conversion of millions of acres of big sagebrush/bunchgrass communities to cheatgrass dominance. Ken Gray, retired Nevada Department of Wildlife biologist, and Tom Warren, retired Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation Operations Manager, both out of Elko, Nevada recognized the threat of wildfires to wildlife habitats in the early 1990s and started aggressive rehabilitation projects in northeastern Nevada. Wildfires were significantly impacting wildlife habitats, specifically mule deer transitional and winter ranges in which the mule deer populations in that region had significantly declined. Taking advantage of mining mitigation funds, contributions from sportsmen groups and consulting with experienced researchers, rehabilitation projects aimed at preventing wildfires while at the same time providing forage hit the ground running. Most rehabilitation seedings at that time included numerous diverse plant species of grasses, shrubs and forbs which resulted in 8-12 species in a single seed mix. The publication, “Restoring Big Game Range in Utah” authored by

18 MARCH 2021

The Progressive Rancher

www.progressiverancher.com

Figure 2. Seed mix consisting of crested wheatgrass, Wyoming big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, ‘Immigrant’ forage kochia and ‘Ladak’ alfalfa. Using the native and introduced seed mix formula was very successful. Figure 3. ‘Immigrant’ forage kochia seeding following 1999 wildfire continues to provide critical forage to wintering mule deer herds as well as pronghorn antelope.

pioneer researcher Perry Plummer in 1968 became very popular among resource managers and was heavily relied on for guidance in restoring and rehabilitating rangelands throughout the Intermountain West. Perry recommended that managers seed 4 grasses, 4 shrubs and 4 forbs in their seeding efforts to add diversity and much needed nutrition. One of the problems with this prescription is that most of the research behind this recommendation occurred in southwest Utah where summer precipitation is very favorable. In the northern Great Basin and much of Nevada, the precipitation is quite different and categorized as the Cold Desert where the vast majority of precipitation occurs during the winter months. Although there was discussion to follow such a recommendation, Ken Gray and Tom Warren reduced the number of species to be seeded and focused on plant materials that could germinate, emerge and establish in the face of cheatgrass competition following weed control practices while at the same time providing perennial forage. The use of introduced plant species crested wheatgrass and forage kochia were the two main species used in these efforts and resulted with increased success. Due to pressure from environmental groups, there was lapse in herbicide research from the 1980s to the late 1990s, so their method was to disk the site in the spring before cheatgrass flowered, fallow the site through the summer and then seed the site in the fall. Deep-rooted perennial grasses, such as bluebunch wheatgrass and crested wheatgrass, are the best-known method at suppressing cheatgrass densities and associated fuels. Crested wheatgrass was initially brought over to plant in Halogeton infested habitats and was quickly learned to be successful in arid environments that included cheatgrass. ‘Immigrant’ forage kochia was initially brought over to the United States from Russia in the early 1960s and later approved as a rehabilitation species in 1986. The use of crested wheatgrass was aimed at competing with and ultimately suppressing cheatgrass densities and associated fuels, while the use of ‘Immigrant’ forage kochia was used to provide a much needed and excellent nutritional value as well as taking advantage of this plants ability to establish in arid environments on a variety of soil types, stay green through the summer months (decreasing chance of ignition), and resprout following wildfire. Ken Gray and Mark Warren, in conversation with researchers and other practitioners, relied heavily on these two species in their seed mix prescriptions which also included native bunchgrasses, big sagebrush and forbs (Figure 2). In less than a decade their hard work started to pay off as the successful seedings became food plots to not just mule deer, but pronghorn antelope and elk as well. The initial establishment of these seedings reduced cheatgrass densities and associated wildfire threats and proved to provide significant forage for mule deer (Figure 3) that resulted in a decrease in winter mortality of mule deer and an increase in the mule deer population. Another habitat conversion that has occurred includes the encroachment of pinyon-juniper woodlands into many habitats that have significantly reduced herbaceous and browse species and the recruitment of these species.

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MARCH 2021 19

...continued from previous page... Pinyon and juniper encroachment have been particularly difficult for resource managers in the central and eastern portions of Nevada. This encroachment not only has crowded out herbaceous and browse species, it has also negatively impacted natural springs and meadows. An estimated 18 million acres of rangelands in various successional stages have been invaded, three times that amount that was present at the time European contact. When these pinyon-juniper habitats burn or are manually cleared they usually return to perennial grass dominance and productive shrub communities. The improvement of habitats throughout the rangeland will benefit not only mule deer, but wildlife in general. The more vigorous and nutritional habitats that are available the less impact that drought, wildfire, winter and predation will have on the health of Nevada mule deer herds. Starker Leopold recommended more than a half century ago that to maintain high carrying capacities of mule deer deliberate manipulation of plant succession must be implemented. When habitats are successfully treated and establishment of vigorous and nutritional plants occur it is not only important to practice proper grazing management, it is also important to protect from wildfires where appropriate but also conduct aggressive predator management as to allow these species to rebound without high levels of predation. In more recent times there has been an aggressive push through the National Seed Strategy for Rehabilitation and Restoration to seed genetically appropriate native seed species to build ecological resilience. The growing popularity in this strategy has resulted in increased frustration by resource managers that differ in their experience when attempting rehabilitation and restoration practices following wildfires and other disturbances. They do not object to using native species, but would like to hedge their bet in the seed mix by still including proven species that may be native but perhaps not native to that site, or introduced species such as crested or Siberian wheatgrass and forage kochia. The lack of genetically acceptable native seed source for large wildfires is also quite limiting and of concern. The lessons learned by individuals like Ken Gray and Tom Warren would be erased from on the ground realities to achieve this strategy. Introduced weeds such as cheatgrass, medusahead and Russian thistle to name a few evolved in environments much like the Great Basin, using genetically appropriate seed to compete with and suppress these aggressive and successful weeds may not lead to the success that is promised. This approach must be experimented with both at the plot level (Figure 4) as well as larger demonstration plots (Figure 5) to gain knowledge on what works and what does not work in these harsh arid environments. In 1826, at the present location of Malheur Lake in east-central Oregon, Peter Skene Ogden wrote, “I may say without exaggeration, man in this country is deprived of every comfort that can tend to make existence desirable. If I escape this year I trust I shall not be doomed to endure another.” Resource managers attempting to restore Great Basin rangelands often focus their efforts on establishing plant species that are native, beneficial to wildlife, and represent pristine conditions. As the journals of early explorers note, pristine habitats and mule deer were apparently not compatible in the Great Basin. 20 MARCH 2021

Figure 4. The importance of testing plant material allows resource managers to fine tune their seed mixes and increase seeding success, reduce wildfire threats and improve rangeland nutritional values. Figure 5. Plant material testing scaled up to larger seedings can give resource managers a better idea of what works and doesn’t work on arid environments of the Great Basin.

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MARCH 2021 21

Natural Resources Conservation Service

NEVADA WATER SUPPLY OUTLOOK REPORT February 1, 2021 Read FULL 40-Page Report with Charts & Graphs HERE: www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/nv/snow/

UPCOMING EVENTS Northern Nevada Streamflow, Reservoir, and Weather Forecast Meeting for Water Planning Thursday, Feb. 11 from 2 pm – 4 pm on Lifesize (virtual format). The public is invited to presentations by the NRCS, NWS, USBR, USGS regarding the 2021 snowpack, streamflow, precipitation and reservoir conditions for the Truckee, Carson, Walker, and Humboldt rivers. Join the meeting online: https://call.lifesizecloud.com/7185156 Call in by phone (audio only) +1 (877) 4228614 Meeting extension: 7185156# Western Snow Conference, April 12-15, 2021, Virtual Meeting Topic: Bridging the Gap between Research and Operations westernsnowconference.org/meeting/2021

SUMMARY The La Nina storm track, which had been focused to our north, finally took aim at California and Nevada the last week of January. This strong atmospheric river storm produced February 1 snowpack percentages ranging from 74-87% of median in the Truckee, Tahoe, Carson, Walker, and Lower Humboldt basins, as well as Eastern Nevada and the Northern Great Basin. It will take another two or three storms of similar size to produce a normal April 1 snowpack in the Sierra basins. Unfortunately, the end of January storm bypassed northeastern Nevada where February 1 snow percentages are 54-60% of median. Statistically, there is a 10% chance for snowpacks in northeast Nevada to reach normal April 1 amounts. Water year precipitation is 59-84% of average across the state’s main basins. With both snow and precipitation totals below normal, streamflow forecasts are following suit. Most Feb 1 streamflow forecasts range from 31-81% for the April-July period. The US Drought Monitor published Feb 2nd ranks 93% of Nevada in severe 22 MARCH 2021

to exceptional drought. This is due to below normal snowpacks, significant precipitation deficits that stretch back to last winter, low soil moisture and reservoir storage that is less than last year. More storms are needed to reverse these drought conditions and improve Nevada’s water supply outlook for the rest of 2021.

SNOWPACK Despite recent storms, February 1 snowpacks continue to be below normal across the region. Snowpack percentages are 75-82% of median in the Truckee, Tahoe, Carson and Walker basins. Percentages are similar at 7487% for the Northern Great Basin, Lower Humboldt Basin and Eastern Nevada. Percentages are lowest for the Upper Humboldt, Owyhee, Snake and Clover Valley and Franklin River basins at just 54-60%. The first three weeks of January brought little new snow causing percentages to fall off from those reported last month. On January 25th basin snowpack percentages were just 36-76% of median across the state. An intense atmospheric river storm the last week of January provided a dramatic boost to snowpacks in the Sierra, Eastern Nevada and Spring Mountains. The Walker Basin benefited the most, seeing its snowpack double from 36% before the storm to 75% of median on February 1. The water content of the snowpack increased by between 3 and 10 inches at SNOTEL sites in the eastern Sierra the last week of January. Nine SNOTEL sites recorded an increase in snow water which was the highest ever recorded during the last week of January. The storm overlapped with the end of month manual snow surveys that the NRCS and other agencies accomplish. Some surveys were done prior to the storm and some afterwards. Due to the large differences pre- and post-storm, those data collected before the storm have been omitted from basin calculations and were not used in streamflow forecasts in this report.

In northeastern Nevada, the storm mostly bypassed the Upper Humboldt, Owyhee, Snake, and Clover Valley basins. February 1 snow amounts rank in the lowest 10 years on record across much of northeast Nevada. Statistically there is only a 10% chance snowpacks in northeast Nevada, including the Upper Humboldt, will recover to normal April 1 peak amounts.

PRECIPITATION So far this water year, precipitation from October 1 through February 1 stands at 59-84% of average. January monthly precipitation was near to above average in the Northern Great Basin, as well as the Walker, Carson, and Lower Humboldt basins. Monthly precipitation amounts in other basins were below average, adding to the precipitation deficits discussed in last month’s report. These precipitation deficits represent a significant contributing factor to Nevada’s drought status, which as of February 2nd classified 93% of the state in severe to exceptional drought.

SOIL MOISTURE Precipitation deficits and the lack of fall rain before snow started accumulating has left soil moisture well below average in all basins. Record soil dryness exists in the Upper Humboldt Basin, Eastern Nevada, Clover Valley and Franklin River Basin, the Spring Mountains, as well as in the Upper Colorado and Virgin River basins. Dry soils could produce reduced runoff efficiency this spring due to the need to fill the soil profile. Soil moisture graphs found later in this report average data from sensors located at soil depths of 2, 8 and 20 inches for all the SNOTEL sites in a basin. SNOTEL soil moisture data has a short period of record. Soil moisture graphs in this report are based on data since October 2005.

RESERVOIRS Reservoir storage is significantly lower than a year ago. See individual basin information later in the report for storage volumes. Reservoir space means there is room to mitigate flood concerns, but it also emphasizes the importance of accumulating additional precipitation to fill reservoirs for next summer.

STREAMFLOW FORECASTS Most February 1 streamflow forecasts range from 31-81% for the April-July period. Forecasts generally increased

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since last month. The biggest increases are for streams coming out of the Sierra. Forecasts for the main stem of the Humboldt River saw modest increases of a few percent thanks to better precipitation for tributaries to the north. Streams originating in the Ruby Mountains, such as Lamoille Creek and the Southfork Humboldt, had forecasts decrease since last month.

Key forecasts include: Lake Tahoe Rise 69%, Truckee River at Farad 67%, Carson River near Fort Churchill 54%, East Walker River near Bridgeport 79%, West Walker River near Coleville 80%, Humboldt River near Elko 53%, Humboldt River near Imlay 31% and Colorado River Lake Powell Inflow 42%. All of these forecast percentages are based on the 50% exceedance level. Keep in mind every forecast has five exceedance levels. The 50% exceedance is the middle of the road forecast, and it assumes average precipitation in the future.

There is, however, a 50% chance of more streamflow occurring if future conditions are wetter than average, and conversely, a 50% chance of less streamflow occurring if the future weather is drier than average. If drier than normal conditions persist in 2021, the actual volumes could be closer to the drier forecasts (70% and 90% exceedances) which are provided in the basin summaries.

RANGELAND CONDITIONS The NRCS mission is to provide resources to farmers and ranchers to aid them with conservation. Most NRCS SNOTEL stations are located in the mountains above 6,500 feet. There are a lot of rangeland acres below the SNOTEL network. This section takes a closer look at data from lower elevation rangeland and valley locations which may be more meaningful to the rangeland communities.

Snow Cover Seasonal snow cover replenishes soil moisture, providing plant growth water. A useful tool to track the lower elevation snowpack is NOAA’s Modeled Snow Water Equivalent Map. The 1.1.2021 map shows modeled snow water equivalent across Nevada one month ago. Comparing to 2.1.2021 some low elevation snow accumulated. Snowpacks at slightly higher elevations have increased across northeastern Nevada as compared to January 1. www.progressiverancher.com

Plant Growth Warmer than normal temperatures in January have initiated plant growth across the state at low to mid-elevations ~5500 feet. (Maps available online.) Germination is behind on several annual non-native plants, including cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), Arabian schismus (Schismus arabicus), bur buttercup (Ceratocephala testiculata), red-stem filaree (Erodium cicutarium) and annual mustards due to dry conditions. Long-term forecasts developed by the USA Phenology Network predicted that spring leaf out would arrive earlier than normal (www.usanpn.org/home). Spring leaf out has already occurred in southern Nevada and wildflowers and shrubs are beginning to bloom in the deserts of southern California and Arizona. Spring is days-to-weeks early in parts of California, Nevada, and Arizona, with some areas east of Santa Barbara being 49 days early.

Drought Status The US drought monitor map from February 2, 2021 indicates that 93% of the state is currently in severe to exceptional drought. The area highlighted in yellow on the righthand map received a one drought class degradation compared to the map issued January 5, 2021.

Valley Temperature and Precipitation View the Summary pdf online and look at Table 1 which provides a summary of temperature and precipitation data from selected valley climate stations across the state for the month of January. January was a very warm and average to dry month, with all stations recording above normal temperatures and half recording below normal precipitation. On January 31, the maximum temperature for the month at Reno was 63°F, the same high as in 2020. Elko had a January high of 58°F which is 8°F higher than last year. The highest temperature in January was 71°F at the Las Vegas airport climate station compared to the record high of 77°F in 1975.

State of Nevada & Eastern Sierra The snowpack across Northern Nevada and the Eastern Sierra (Truckee, Tahoe, Carson and Walker basins) is below normal at 74% of median, compared to 91% last year. Precipitation in January www.progressiverancher.com

was below average, which brings the seasonal accumulation (Oct-Jan) to 66% of average. Soil moisture is at 24% saturation, compared to 37% last year. Reservoir storage ranges from 25% of capacity in the Walker Basin to 68% of capacity in the Owyhee Basin.

Lake Tahoe Basin Snowpack in the Lake Tahoe Basin is below normal at 77% of median, compared to 76% last year. Precipitation in January was below average, which brings the seasonal accumulation (OctJan) to 63% of average. Soil moisture is at 39% saturation, compared to 50% last year. Lake Tahoe’s water elevation is 6225.65 ft, which is 2.65 ft above the lake’s natural rim and equals a storage of 322.2 thousand acre-feet. Last year its elevation was 6227.44 ft which equaled a storage of 540.7 thousand acre-feet. Lake Tahoe is forecast to rise 1.3 feet from March 1 to its highest elevation, which means it is unlikely to completely fill this year.

Truckee River Basin Snowpack in the Truckee River Basin is below normal at 81% of median, compared to 78% last year. Precipitation in January was below average, which brings the seasonal accumulation (OctJan) to 62% of average. Soil moisture is at 25% saturation, compared to 42% last year. Combined reservoir storage is 40% of capacity, compared to 74% last year. Forecast streamflow volumes range from 58% to 70% of average for the March-July period.

Carson River Basin Snowpack in the Carson River Basin is below normal at 82% of median, the same as last year at this time. Precipitation in January was near average, which brings the seasonal accumulation (Oct-Jan) to 69% of average. Soil moisture is at 25% saturation, compared to 42% last year. Storage in Lahontan Reservoir is 28% of capacity , compared to 55% last year. Forecast streamflow volumes range from 55% to 85% of average for the March-July period.

Walker River Basin Snowpack in the Walker River Basin is below normal at 75% of median, compared to 62% last year. Precipitation in January was above average, which brings the seasonal accumulation (OctJan) to 73% of average. Soil moisture is at 16% saturation, compared to 20%

last year. Combined reservoir storage is 25% of capacity , compared to 58% last year. Forecast streamflow volumes range from 81% to 82% of average for the period starting in March through either July or August.

Northern Great Basin Snowpack in the Northern Great Basin is below normal at 84% of median, compared to 129% last year. Precipitation in January was near average, which brings the seasonal accumulation (OctJan) to 79% of average. Soil moisture is at 30% saturation, compared to 47% last year. The forecast streamflow volumes for McDerrmitt Creek is 10% of average for the March-June period. Streamflow forecasts for Davis Creek, Bidwell Creek and Eagle Creek have been permanantly discontinued until stream gaging can be re-established.

Humbold River Basin Snowpack in the Upper Humboldt River Basin is much below normal at 56% of median, compared to 103% last year. Precipitation in January was much below average, which brings the seasonal accumulation (Oct-Jan) to 61% of average. Soil moisture is at 24% saturation, compared to 39% last year. Forecast streamflow volumes range from 49% to 65% of average for the March-July period

Lower Humboldt River Basin Snowpack in the Lower Humboldt River Basin is below normal at 87% of median, compared to 117% last year. Precipitation in January was near average, which brings the seasonal accumulation (Oct-Jan) to 84% of average. Soil moisture is at 31% saturation, compared to 37% last year. Storage in Rye Patch Reservoir is 33% of capacity , compared to 92% last year. Forecast streamflow volumes range from 40% to 85% of average for the March-July period.

Clover Valley & Franklin River Basin Snowpack in the Clover Valley & Franklin River Basin is much below normal at 54% of median. Precipitation in January was much below average, which brings the seasonal accumulation (Oct-Jan) to 60% of average. Soil moisture is at 21% saturation, compared to 38% saturation last year. The Franklin River streamflow forecast has been

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permanently discontinued until stream gaging can be re-established.

Snake River Basin Snowpack in the Snake River Basin is much below normal at 60% of median, compared to 121% last year. Precipitation in January was below average, which brings the seasonal accumulation (Oct-Jan) to 67% of average. Soil moisture is at 28% saturation, compared to 41% last year. The forecast streamflow volume for Salmon Falls Creek is 44% of average for the March-July period.

Owyhee River Basin Snowpack in the Owyhee River Basin is much below normal at 54% of median, compared to 139% last year. Precipitation in January was much below average, which brings the seasonal accumulation (Oct-Jan) to 59% of average. Soil moisture is at 34% saturation, compared to 43% last year. Storage in Wildhorse Reservoir is 68% of capacity , compared to 83% last year. The forecast streamflow volume for the Owyhee River near Gold Creek is 19% of average for the March-July period.

Eastern Nevada Snowpack in the Eastern Nevada is below normal at 74% of median, compared to 90% last year. Precipitation in January was below average, which brings the seasonal accumulation (OctJan) to 68% of average. Soil moisture is at 13% saturation, compared to 21% last year. Forecast streamflow volumes range from 38% to 58% of average for the April-July period.

Spring Mountains & Southern Nevada The average snow water content at SNOTEL sites in the Spring Mountains is 3.1 inch. Precipitation in January averaged 3.1 inches, which brings the average seasonal accumulation (OctJan) to 6.5 inches. Soil moisture is at 8% saturation, compared to 25% last year. Storage in Lake Mead is 40% of capacity, compared to 43% last year. Lake Mohave storage is 93% of capacity, compared to 91% last year. The forecast streamflow volume for Lake Powell Inflow is 42% of average for the April-July period. View full report here:

www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/ nrcs/main/nv/snow/ MARCH 2021 23

STEADFAST SUPPORT Our job is to serve and support you through the ever-changing challenges of a life in agriculture. From unpredictable weather to market shifts to global crisis, we are committed to supporting your financial needs. We remain dedicated to facing today’s challenges with you, while working toward a better tomorrow.

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24 MARCH 2021

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STEVE SISOLAK Governor

BRADLEY CROWELL, Director ADAM SULLIVAN, P.E. Acting State Engineer

STATE OF NEVADA

DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES 901 South Stewart Street, Suite 2002 | Carson City, Nevada 89701-5250 (775) 684-2800 • Fax (775) 684-2811 | http://water.nv.gov NOTICE OF HEARING ON PROPOSED INTERIM ORDER WITHIN THE HUMBOLDT RIVER REGION The Nevada Division of Water Resources will hold a public hearing on a proposed interim order within the Humboldt River Region. The hearing is open to the public and will convene at 9:30 a.m., Friday, April 2, 2021. Due to restrictions on the operation of the State of Nevada office buildings and limitations on public gatherings established under the state of emergency declared by Governor Sisolak on March 12, 2020, the Nevada Division of Water Resources will conduct the hearing through a video conference link. WHO:

Nevada Division of Water Resources

WHAT:

Hearing on Proposed Interim Order

WHERE:

Videoconference link, https://call.lifesizecloud.com/7315362 and via telephone at (877) 422-8614, meeting code 7315362.

Pursuant to Governor Steve Sisolak’s Emergency Directive 006 and as extended by Emergency Directive 21, section 37, there will be no physical location for this hearing. The hearing can be viewed or listened to live over the Internet or through the telephone. Any person planning to participate in the hearing must participate either by using the videoconference link or teleconference number.

WHEN:

9:30 a.m., Friday, April 2, 2021

WHY:

The public hearing will be held to provide notice and to take public comment on the proposed interim order to establish procedures for the review of applications to appropriate groundwater in the Humboldt River Region with regard to the potential for capture of and conflict with decreed rights to the waters of the Humboldt River and tributaries, in Marys River Area (042), Starr Valley Area (043), North Fork Area (044), Lamoille Valley (045), South Fork Area (046), Huntington Valley (047), Dixie Creek-Tenmile Creek Area (048), Elko Segment (049), Susie Creek Area (050), Maggie Creek Area (051), Marys Creek Area (052), Pine Valley (053), Crescent Valley (054), Carico Lake Valley (055), Upper Reese River Valley (056), Antelope Valley (057), Middle Reese River Valley (058), Lower Reese River Valley (059), Whirlwind Valley (060), Boulder Flat (061), Rock Creek Valley (062), Willow Creek Valley (063), Clovers Area (064), Pumpernickel Valley (065), Kelly Creek Area (066), Little Humboldt Valley (067), Hardscrabble Area (068), Paradise Valley (069), Winnemucca Segment (070), Grass Valley (071), Imlay Area (072), Lovelock Valley (073), Lovelock Valley-Oreana Subarea (073A), and White Plains (074), located in Elko, White Pine, Eureka, Lander, Nye, Humboldt, Pershing, and Churchill counties.

COMMENT: Oral public comment will be accepted during the hearing; a sign-in sheet will be posted the week before the hearing and you can indicate whether you would like to make public comment. Written public comments will be accepted until Friday, April 9, 2021, and may be mailed to the Nevada Division of Water Resources at the above address. The Nevada Division of Water Resources is pleased to make reasonable accommodations for members of the public who are disabled and wish to participate in the hearing. If special arrangements for the hearing are necessary, please call (775) 684-2800. Notice of this hearing was provided via electronic means as follows: To all persons on the NDWR e-mail list for the Humboldt River Division of Water Resources website: http://water.nv.gov And via publication in Lahontan Valley News (Churchill County), Battle Mountain Bugle (Lander County), Humboldt Sun (Humboldt County), Lovelock Review Miner (Pershing County), Elko Daily Free Press (Elko County), Ely Times/Eureka Sentinel (Eureka and White Pine Counties), and Tonopah Times- Bonanza & Goldfield News (Nye County). And via e-mail to participants in Pershing County Water District v. State Engineer, Eleventh Judicial District, CV15-12019.

READ FULL 11 PAGE DOCUMENT AT http://water.nv.gov under “Recent News/Notice of Hearing...” www.progressiverancher.com

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MARCH 2021 25

Contact: John Newton, Ph.D., Chief Economist (202) 406-3729 | jnewton@fb.org twitter.com/@New10_AgEcon

Nevada Farm Bureau Reviewing U.S. Carbon Sequestration Land Use Data Underscores the Importance of Agricultural Research in Reducing Emissions The most recent data from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory Data Explorer (https://cfpub.epa.gov/ghgdata/ inventoryexplorer/#iallsectors/allgas/inventsect/all) reveals U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2018 totaled 6.7 billion metric tons in CO2 equivalents, up 2%, or 188 million metric tons, from the prior year (Agriculture’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: https://www.fb.org/market-intel/ghg). Compared to 1990, U.S. GHG emissions have increased by 4%, or 240 million metric tons.

EPA data reveals that during 2018 carbon sequestration efforts resulted in an increase in CO2 stocks, i.e., carbon removed from the atmosphere, of 764 million metric tons. CO2 removals in 2018 represented 12% of the total GHG emissions and resulted in reducing net GHG emissions to 5.7 billion metric tons. Since 1990, the ability to reduce carbon stocks through land and forestry management practices has decreased by approximately 9%, or 80 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent. Today’s article reviews trends in carbon offsets achieved through forestry, grassland, cropland and wetland management.

Land Use Categories in the U.S. There are five primary land use categories for measuring both carbon emissions and carbon sinks related to land use, land-use changes and forestry. Grassland is the largest land use category and is composed principally of grasses, sedges, rushes, forbs or shrubs suitable for grazing and browsing, woody plants, drained wetlands, pasture, rangeland and land with three or fewer years of continuous hay production. Savannas, deserts and tundra are also considered grassland. Grassland vegetation practices that may result in CO2 emissions include clearing, burning, chaining or chemical application. Grassland in the U.S. during 2018 totaled 898 million acres, or 39% of total U.S. area, and has increased by 2.7 million acres, or 0.3%, since 1990. The second-largest land use category is forestland. Forestland represents land area that is at least 1 acre in size with at least 10% cover by live trees and

Source: EPA & Farm Bureau Calculations

To offset GHG emissions and reduce atmospheric CO2, carbon can be trapped in soils through various carbon sink activities such as the growth of trees, forestry management that reduces forest fires and forest degradation, increasing below-ground plant matter and sequestering carbon in soils through cropland, wetland or grassland management.

A variety of carbon-capturing practices are used on agricultural lands, including but not limited to conservation cover crops, no-till or reduced tillage, anaerobic digesters and nutrient management, e.g., GHG and Carbon Sequestration Ranking Tool: www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/ national/air/quality/?cid=stelprdb1044982

26 MARCH 2021

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includes land that has tree cover that will be naturally or artificially regenerated. Land in transition zones, i.e., areas between forestland and non-forestland, such as urban zones, that have at least 10% tree cover are also categorized as forestland. In addition, forestland includes unimproved roads, trails, streams and clearings in forest areas, as long as they meet certain size criteria. Forestland does not include land that is predominantly used for farming or land that is completely surrounded by urban or developed areas. Forestland in the U.S. during 2018 totaled 716 million acres, representing 31% of U.S. land area; it has declined by 2.7 million acres, or 0.4%, since 1990. Following forestland, the third-largest land use category in the U.S. is cropland which includes land area used to produce traditional row, perennial and horticultural crops, pastureland or hay land, fallow land and Conservation Reserve Program lands. Cropland in the U.S. during 2018 totaled 400 million acres and represented 17% of U.S. land area. Since 1990, total cropland has declined by 31 million acres, or 7%. The remaining 13% of U.S. land area is found in settlements, wetlands and other land uses. Settlements include residential, industrial, commercial and institutional land; commercial sites such as construction sites, airports, golf courses or public administrative sites; parks in urban areas; and highways, roads and other transportation facilities. Settlements also include tracts that meet the definition of forestland, but are surrounded by urban or developed areas, as well as land tracts that

may meet the definition of cropland, grassland or other land but are surrounded by urban or built-up land. Settlements also include rural corridors such as highways and railroads within other land uses, i.e., forestland, cropland and grassland. During 2018, there were 111 million acres of settlements, up 28 million acres, or nearly 34%, from 1990.

Land Use, Land-Use Changes and Forestry Fluxes

Finally, “other” land includes bare soil, rock, ice and all other land areas that do not fall into any of the other five land-use categories. Stock changes and emissions are not measured for this land use category. In 2018 there were 81 million acres of other land in the U.S., 1.2 million acres, or 1.5%, higher than in 1990.

The net of carbon emissions and carbon sinks is described as the carbon flux. Fluxes are measured for each land use category. The largest carbon flux in 2018 was forestland, which included both land remaining in forestland as well as land converted to forestland. Forestland that remained forestland contributed to a carbon sink of 644 million metric tons in CO2 equivalents, nearly 16 million metric tons below the prior year, representing an improved carbon sink of 2%. Land converted to forestland contributed to a carbon sink of 111 million metric tons in 2018, mostly unchanged from 2017. Combined, these two land use categories resulted in a carbon sink of 754 million metric tons in CO2 equivalents during 2018, 15.5 million metric tons lower than the prior year. Based on the 754 million metric tons in sinks, and the 716 million acres of forestland, every 100 acres of forestland represents an average sink of 105 metric tons each year. Despite forestland area remaining mostly unchanged, since 1990, the net carbon flux of forestland has declined by 87 million metric tons, or nearly 16%.

Since 1990, the largest land use changes have been observed in cropland, where more than 30 million acres have come out of production. The decline in cropland is equivalent to more than 1 million acres lost per year. The reduction in cropland hampers our ability to capture carbon in the soil through enhanced conservation practices and new technology adoption.

Following forestland, the second-largest carbon flux were settlements. Settlements remaining settlements contributed to a carbon sink of nearly 124 million metric tons, slightly above 2017, but nearly 16 million metric tons lower than 1990. These changes in carbon stocks are due to carbon in organic soils, trees and landfilled yards, as well as emissions from fertilizer applications to soil.

Wetlands include lakes, reservoirs and rivers as well as land covered or saturated by water for all or a part of the year. Managed wetlands are those where the water level is managed or artificially changed, e.g., rice cultivation, cranberry or sugar production. Wetlands also include wet meadows dominated by grass cover and forestland near waterways. There were 107 million acres of wetlands in the U.S. during 2018, an increase of nearly 2 million acres, or 1.7%, from 1990.

Article continues next page...

Source: EPA & Farm Bureau Calculations

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MARCH 2021 27

... continued from previous page Land converted to settlements increased carbon emissions by 79 million metric tons in CO2 equivalents during 2018. The increase in carbon stocks was due to changes in land use and stock changes in biomass. Combined, settlements represented a carbon sink of 44 million metric tons, in line with prior-year levels. Based on the total flux, settlements in 2018 contributed to a carbon sink of 40 metric tons per 100 acres. Carbon sequestration on cropland totaled 16.6 million metric tons during 2018, slightly below the prior year. Land converted to cropland reduced carbon stocks by 55.3 million metric tons, in line with 2017. Combined, the total flux from cropland during 2018 represented emissions of 38.7 million metric tons. On a per-acre basis, the total cropland flux represented emissions of 9.7 metric tons per 100 acres. Importantly, the net emissions flux on cropland

28 MARCH 2021

has remained consistent over the last 30 years, despite significant productivity gains in agriculture, e.g., USDA’s Economic Research Service estimates cropland productivity has increased by nearly 50% since 1990: https://www.ers.usda.gov/dataproducts/agricultural-productivity-in-the-us/

represented a carbon sink of 12.8 million metric tons. Based on the total flux, grassland contributed to a carbon sink of 1.4 tons per hundred acres. Finally, wetlands remaining wetlands and land converted to wetlands represented a carbon sink of 726,000 metric tons in 2018. Given 107 million acres of wetlands, carbons sinks for wetlands represented 0.7 tons per 100 acres.

In other words, agriculture is able to grow more food and fibers and produce more renewable fuels while keeping the net carbon flux mostly unchanged. When agricultural emissions and sinks associated SUMMARY with crop or livestock production are included, the increased productivity contributes to lower per-unit During 2018, U.S. greenhouse gas emissions totaled 6.7 billion metric tons in CO2 equivalents, up 2%, or emissions. 188 million metric tons, from the prior year. When Lands converted to grassland contributed to a measured using the United Nations Framework carbon sink of nearly 24.6 million metric tons, Convention on Climate Change, an international slightly below prior-year levels. The management standard, agriculture’s contribution to greenhouse of grassland, including changes in management, gas emissions totaled 619 million metric tons, contributed to an increase in carbon emissions of representing 9.3% of total U.S. emissions. 11.8 million metric tons. Combined, grassland

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Of all the land types, forestland, via the management and conversion of land into forestry, holds the most carbon for the longest time, per EPA data. During 2018, a net flux representing 754 million tons of carbon captured in the soil was attributable to forestry, representing a net carbon sink of 105 tons per 100 acres. More optimistic (but dated) estimates from USDA and EPA suggest as much as 1,000 metric tons of carbon could be captured per 100 acres through reforestation or afforestation efforts (https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40562.pdf ) The challenge with expanding carbon sequestration through reforestation and afforestation is the significant reallocation of land use it would require, i.e., millions of acres of land would need to be taken out of pasture, cropland, wetlands or settlements and planted to forests.

While always open to new climate-smart practices and technology to reduce emissions levels, farmers and ranchers could play an even larger role in the future to help us achieve our climate goals by adopting voluntary practices to offset GHG emissions, such as trapping carbon in the soil through increased conservation cover and reduced tillage. For livestock, increasing the number of anaerobic digesters and improved nutrient management and feed efficiency will help to reduce carbon emissions. Voluntary and incentive-based tools, including financial and technical support, can help farmers more rapidly adopt these climate-smart and GHGmitigating practices on the farm. Moreover, to maximize these efforts we should seek to preserve cropland in the U.S. Since 1990, total cropland has declined by 31 million acres, representing more

than 1 million acres lost per year. This challenge also highlights the importance of investing in agricultural research to develop new technologies and tools to help us achieve our climate goals by capturing more carbon in our soils without jeopardizing the production of the world’s food, fiber and renewable biofuels.

Read full article and view additional links here: www.fb.org/market-intel/ reviewing-u.s.-carbon-sequestration

Nevada Farm Bureau

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MARCH 2021 29

The 2021 AEWR Finally Revealed www.fb.org/market-intel/the-2021-aewr-finally-revealed

Veronica Nigh, Economist | (202) 406-3622 | veronican@fb.org Allison Crittenden, Director, Congressional Relations (202) 406-3634 | allisonc@fb.org | twitter.com/@acritty

With the release of USDA’s Farm Labor Survey on February 11, farmers that utilize the H-2A program finally know the minimum wage they must pay their H-2A workers in 2021. Usually, this wage rate, known as the Adverse Effect Wage Rate, is known when the Farm Labor Survey is released in November, but changes in policy that were proposed and then struck down in the courts over the last four months delayed the Farm Labor Survey’s release, which in turn held up the AEWR announcement. The FLS reveals an average increase of $0.63 per hour, or 4.5%, from 2020 to 2021, though there are considerable regional differences. Why the Delay? In fall 2020, the process of amending the wage methodology for the H-2A program began. First, in September, USDA issued a notice that it would no longer conduct the Farm Labor Survey, which is typically carried out in April and October and released in May and November, respectively. This change was important because the Department of Labor uses the data from the two surveys to calculate the annual national average gross wage rate for field and livestock workers, which becomes the AEWR. The annual national average gross wage rate for field and livestock workers is included in the November FLS report. Second, in November, DOL announced a final rule* that would have updated the methodology for determining the annual AEWR in the H-2A visa program. Both actions were challenged in court by farmworker organizations. (*https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/f iles/ETA/oflc/pdfs/H-2A_AEWR_Final_ Rule_With_Disclaimer.pdf ) The methodology changes never went into effect because on December 23, a federal court in California ruled against the implementation of DOL’s final rule to alter the methodology used to calculate the AEWR for the H-2A program. The judge’s decision required DOL to issue the 2021 AEWR by February 25. In a separate court decision, a judge ordered USDA to reinstate the FLS. As a result of the court rulings, none of the changes to the wage methodology for the H-2A program will be implemented. Now, Those Wages According to the FLS, the annual national average gross wage rate for field and livestock workers was $14.62 in 2020, up $0.63, or 4.5%, from $13.99 in 2019. By comparison, according to the BLS’ Employment Cost Index*, nationally, compensation costs for private industry workers increased 2.6% for the 12-month period ending in December 2020. (* https://www.bls.gov/news. release/pdf/eci.pdf ) While this is interesting, what really matters for the H-2A program are the regional annual average gross wage rate for field and livestock workers, which serve as the basis for the AEWR. As we have reported multiple times throughout the years, the rate of change from region-to-region varied considerably in 2020. The state of California, which is its own region, had the largest increase – jumping $1.28/hour, or 8.7%, above 2019. Meanwhile, wages in the Delta region (Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi) had the smallest increase - 5 cents/hour, or 0.4%, above 2019. All but three (Delta, Southeast and Lake) of the 18 regions in the FLS exceeded the ECI’s 2.6% increase. Hourly AEWR wages now exceed $12/hour in all regions except the Delta and Southeast. The Long View While a 4.5% single-year increase is sizable, the 2021 AEWR jump comes on the heels of several years of considerable wage rate increases. Over the last five years, the national average AEWR has increased by 20%. Again, however, regional wages are what really count. From this perspective, depending on the region, wages have increased between 9% and 35% over the last five years. 30 MARCH 2021

Nevada Farm Bureau

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Nevada Farm Bureau Excerpt from Nevada Farm Bureau 2021 Policies 2021 Nevada Farm Bureau Policy was adopted by voting delegates meeting in Ely, NV, November 19-21, 2020. Read full policies here:

www.nvfb.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2021-Nevada-Farm-Bureau-Policy-Book.pdf

POLICIES FOR CONJUNCTIVE WATER ISSUES Conjunctive Water Management: 324 We are very concerned over the lack of legislative direction and absence of specific parameters in regard to how “Conjunctive Management” is going to be carried out. We urge a full public discussion of what conjunctive management of water resources means and how combining separate sections of state law will be implemented. Long and established separations for surface and groundwater rights cannot be quickly combined without a complete vetting of how issues and impacts will be worked through. Top down edicts by the State Engineer’s office, without local, public engagement of those being affected is not acceptable. Statutory parameters need to be established to guide regulatory actions in how the State Engineer will implement and operate conjunctive management activities. Regulatory activity related to carrying out conjunctive management needs to be based on established scientific documentation that the water relating to the conjunctive management of specific groundwater and surface water are connected, as well as an established understand to the degree one water right is relating to others. The interaction of water from various sources involves many different elements include the timeframes and the degree to which connections take place. State policy on the use of conjunctive management needs to be based on site specific circumstances, which recognizes the variety of elements that exist at a specific site. Not all areas have the same connection and interaction throughout a system and this warrants consideration in implementing active management that has consequences to different water rights. In responding to State Engineer actions where conjunctive management actions could have an impact on different water right owners, senior water right owners need to have their rights duly recognized as they wish to have the water associated with their rights dealt with. They should be able to receive water which meets their water rights instead of being required to accept financial or other compensation through mitigation measures that they do not voluntarily agree to.

Humboldt River Management Modeling: 325 Modeling being developed by the U.S. Geological Service (USGS) and the Desert Research Institute (DRI) for the Humboldt River system requires validation and the findings related to the research need to be presented in an understandable fashion. The “conjunctive” management which will come as the result of this modeling must have a basis in factual information that the general public can effectively deliberate for soundness. Along with the findings of the Humboldt River Basin Capture Analysis, we believe that an overall river basin economic perspective needs to be factored into river and groundwater basin management actions for the Humboldt River system. This process should apply to all other rivers in the state of Nevada. www.progressiverancher.com

The 2021 Session is underway with the Legislature focusing on the State’s budget and economic recovery and the Legislative Building closed to the public due to COVID-19.

No water related bills have been scheduled for a committee hearing but we do have information on bills that were prefiled before the 81st Session of the Nevada Legislature began on February 1st. Six of these measures were requested by the Division of Water Resources.

Senate Joint Resolution 1 requested by the Division of Water Resources (DWR) will not be heard. SJR 1 proposes to amend the Nevada Constitution to provide that the Nevada Court of Appeals has original jurisdiction over certain cases relating to water. The Nevada Supreme Court, instead, will consider creating a Commission to Study the Adjudication of Water Law Cases in Nevada’s Courts which it will do at a hearing on March 3rd. Another DWR bill draft request is Assembly Bill 5 which makes various changes to provisions relating to judicial review of orders and decisions of the State Engineer. CNRWA is concerned that AB5 would reduce affected water users’ ability to challenge problematic decisions of the State Engineer in Nevada state courts. AB6 revises provisions governing an application for a temporary change relating to appropriated water. Specifically, AB6 makes the holding of a hearing on an application for a temporary change to the place of diversion, manner of use or place of use of water application discretionary. The Division of Water Resources also requested the drafting of bills that would create a structure for a system of water banks, and to establish a program for conservation of water. Both bill draft requests apply to water used for irrigation only. The water banking bill is modelled after a pilot program in Utah while the water conservation bill is similar to a program in Oregon. The water conservation bill draft also contains a provision to establish an account to purchase and retire water rights from willing sellers. While we have not seen the final bill language there are questions

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about whether DWR’s proposals for water banking and a conservation program could be successful in Nevada and concerns that they could lead to speculation.

The Central Nevada Regional Water Authority requested the Legislature’s Interim Public Lands Committee to submit a bill draft request to give a board of county commissioners authority to establish a groundwater board for areas designated as a groundwater basin by the State Engineer pursuant to the provisions of NRS 534.030. The bill is intended to give counties more say in how their designated groundwater basins are managed. If created by a county, the groundwater board would provide recommendations to the State Engineer on proposed orders and regulations and water rights applications in designated basins. Designation of a basin allows the State Engineer to impose additional conditions and restrictions on water use and to make additional management rules as provided in NRS Chapter 534 including requiring meter installation and reporting, establishing preferred uses, and levying assessments. Finally, the Governor’s budget includes an increase of $676,655 in the Division of Water Resources Water Basin Account for the FY21-23 Biennium. This increase would be used to offset a reduction in other revenues for the Division. It is unclear if these funds are currently in the account or if existing assessments will need to be increased or new assessments levied by the State Engineer. Even though the Legislative Building is currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic there are still ways you can view meetings and provide testimony on bills. You can visit the Legislative website at: www.leg.state.nv.us for information about how to view and participate in committee meetings and provide written testimony. You can also check out the Central Nevada Regional Water Authority website at http:// cnrwa.com/ for regular updates.

Jeff Fontaine is the Executive Director of the Central Nevada Regional Water Authority. He can be reached at: ccjfontaine@gmail.com 775-443-7667 MARCH 2021 31

Page 1 and 2 of 20 pages READ THE FULL 20 USDL-21-0126 PAGE PDF HERE:

Transmission of material in this release is embargoed until 8:30 a.m. (ET) Friday, January 29, 2021

www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/eci.pdf

Transmission of material in this release is embargoed Technical information: (202) 691-6199until • ncsinfo@bls.gov •USDL-21-0126 www.bls.gov/ect 8:30 a.m. (ET) Friday, January 29, 2021 Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • pressoffice@bls.gov Technical information: (202) 691-6199 • ncsinfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/ect Media contact: (202) 691-5902 E • MPLOYMENT pressoffice@bls.govCOST INDEX – December

2020

EMPLOYMENT COST INDEX – December 2020 Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 0.7 percent, seasonally adjusted, for the 3-month period ending in December 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 0.7 percent, seasonally adjusted, for the 3-month increased 0.9thepercent andofbenefit costs reported increased 0.6 percent period salaries ending in December 2020, U.S. Bureau Labor Statistics today. Wages and from September 2020. (See salarieschart increased 0.9 tables percent and benefit costs3.) increased 0.6 percent from September 2020. (See 1 and A, 1, 2, and chart 1 and tables A, 1, 2, and 3.)

Chart 1. Three-month percent change, seasonally Chart 2. Twelve-month percent change, not Chart 2. Twelve-month percent change, not compensation seasonally seasonally adjusted, civilian workers adjusted, civilian workers

Chart 1. Three-month percent change, seasonally civilian total adjusted,adjusted, civilian workers, total workers, compensation 1.0

1.0 5.0

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2016

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2018

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0.0 2015

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Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 2.5 percent for the 12-month period ending in 0.0 0.0 2018in December 2019 2020Wages and salaries 2015 2016 2018 2019 2020 December2015 2020 and2016 increased2017 2.7 percent 2019. increased 2.62017 percent over the year and increased 2.9 percent for the 12-month period ending in December 2019. workers increased percent forperiod the 12-month period ending in BenefitCompensation costs increased 2.3 costs percent for overcivilian the year and increased 2.2 percent2.5 for the 12-month ending December in December 2019. 2 and tables 4, 8, and in 12.)December 2019. Wages and salaries increased 2.6 2020(See andchart increased 2.7A,percent

percent over the year and increased 2.9 percent for the 12-month period ending in December 2019.

Compensation costs for private industry workers increased 2.6 percent over the year. In December Benefit 2.3 percent over the year and increased 2.2 percent for the 12-month period 2019, the increasecosts was 2.7increased percent. Wages and salaries increased 2.8 percent for the 12-month December 2019. (See3.0 chart 2 and tables A, 4, The 8, and period ending ending in in December 2020 and increased percent in December 2019. cost 12.) of benefits increased 2.1 percent for the 12-month period ending in December 2020 and increased 1.9 percent in December 2019. (See charts 3 and 4 and tables industry A, 5, 9, andworkers 12.) Compensation costs for private increased 2.6 percent over the year. In December

2019, increase wasincreased 2.7 percent. Wages salaries Employer coststhe for health benefits 1.9 percent for theand 12-month periodincreased ending in 2.8 percent for the 12-month period in December 2020 increased 3.0 percent in December 2019. The cost of benefits December 2020.ending (For further information, see chartand 3 and www.bls.gov/web/eci/echealth.pdf.) increased(COVID-19) 2.1 percent for the 12-month period2020 ending in December Coronavirus Pandemic Impact on the December Employment Cost Index2020

and increased 1.9 percent

in December 2019. (See chartswith 3 and 4 and tables A, 5,in9,estimation and 12.) Response rates for December were comparable prior releases, and no changes procedures were necessary. Additional information is available at www.bls.gov/bls/effects-of-covid-19on-workplace-injuries-and-illnesses-compensation-and-occupational-requirements.htm#ECI. Employer costs for health benefits increased 1.9 percent for the 12-month

period ending in December 2020. (For further information, see chart 3 and www.bls.gov/web/eci/echealth.pdf.) Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact onRancher the December 2020 Employment Cost Index The Progressive www.progressiverancher.com

32 MARCH 2021

Response rates for December were comparable with prior releases, and no changes in estimation

Chart 4. Twelve-month percent change, not seasonally adjusted, private industry workers

Chart 3. Twelve-month percent change, not seasonally adjusted, private industry workers 5.0

Health benefits Benefits

4.0

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Among private industry occupational groups, compensation cost increases for the 12-month period ending in December 2020 ranged from 2.0 percent for management, professional, and related occupations to 3.6 percent for service occupations. Within industry supersectors, compensation cost increases ranged from 2.2 percent for both other services and education and health services to 3.4 percent for leisure and hospitality. (See table 5.) Compensation costs for state and local government workers increased 2.3 percent for the 12-month period ending in December 2020, compared with an increase of 2.9 percent in December 2019. Wages and salaries increased 1.8 percent for the 12-month period ending in December 2020 and 2.5 percent a year ago. Benefit costs increased 3.1 percent for the 12-month period ending in December 2020. The prior year increase was 3.3 percent. (See chart 5 and tables A, 7, 11, and 12.)

Chart 5. Twelve-month percent change, not seasonally adjusted, state and local government workers 5.0

Wages and salaries Benefits

4.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 0.0 2015

2016

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1 2

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2019

2020

Includes private industry and state and local governments Includes wages and salaries and benefits.

MARCH 2021 33

Churchill County Cowbelles Update Lately I have been reflecting over the past few years and my mind turned to a couple of my favorite songs. Probably my all time favorite is Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel recorded in 1964. I know I am divulging my age. For some reason, the lyrics have always captivated me. However, my favorite version was performed by Disturbed in 2015. A great classic that has withstood the test of time. Currently I am enamored with a tune that was written and was the theme for a movie titled Unchained in 1955, hence the title Unchained Melody. Classical covers of this song include Elvis Presley, The Righteous Brothers, and Roy Orbison. My favorite version is by Austin Brown a member of the accapello group, Home Free. Austin’s vocal range coupled with his story telling style reminded when the song was featured in the movie “Ghost” starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. Anyone can check them out on YouTube. Enough reminiscing, time to update everyone on what is happening in Cowbelles.

All applications are due on April 1, 2021. At CCHS turn them into the Guidance Office, and seniors at Oasis will be given directions on where to directly mail the applications. Good luck, everyone!

Each day we move closer the Churchill County Junior Livestock Show, which means our group ramps up awareness of our Jr. Cattleman’s Award for youth 12 years of age by January 1, 2021 or older. Individuals also need to reside in Churchill County and be enrolled in the Youth Livestock Program. Additionally, applicants must exhibit at the livestock show and complete the application, a short summary, and maintain up-to-date record book. The final two factors in determining the winners are the sportsmanship of the applicants and their performance in the interview by the Cowbelle’s Junior Cattleman’s Committee. Winners take heart because you can be awarded this honor twice. The

By Susan Van Patten, President award is $250.00. This award was developed to provide Livestock Program Members the opportunity to enhance their Beef Project and to increase members awareness of the Beef Industry.

In closing, I encourage everyone to become aware and active at the local, county, and state level of our government. Only by becoming aware of what our elected officials are doing and voicing our thoughts does our republic survive. This must be a group effort and cannot be done by one individual stepping in to save the day. So, we need to go to the school board meetings, the city council meetings, and write, call, or email our state or national legislators about current or pending legislation. To access the Legislative Bills website for Nevada, go to: https:www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/ REL/81st2021/Bills/List

A reminder to all Seniors in Churchill County that Cowbelles sponsors three $500.00 scholarships. To apply, contact the Guidance Office at Oasis and Churchill County High School for an application.

Our Favorite Beef Recipes Garlic Butter Steak & Potatoes When you’re hankering for a classic steak and potatoes dinner, this one-skillet dish fits the bill perfectly. You will end up with all the flavors of a steakhouse from the comfort of your own home. For the potatoes:

For the steak and garlic butter:

3 tablespoons olive oil

Two 1” thick rib-eye or New York steaks (about 12oz each) or 1½ pounds of flank steak, cut into 2 pieces

1 pound medium Yukon Gold or red potatoes, cut into ¾” wedges 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon kosher salt 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, plus more as desired

Cook the potatoes: Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the potatoes cut-side down, sprinkle with salt, cook undisturbed until golden-brown and the potatoes release easily from the pan, about 10 minutes. Flip each wedge to other side, cook until brown and tender, 10 to 15 minutes more. Cook the steaks: Dry the steaks with paper towels. Season with 1 tsp salt. Heat the cast iron pan until it starts to smoke just a bit. Cook steaks on first side until a crust develops and steaks no longer stick to the pan, about 1 minute. Flip and cook on the other side for 1 minute. Continue cooking and flipping for a total of 4 minutes. Add butter to pan. Flip the steaks once more. Tilt the pan so the butter pools on one side and add the garlic to the pool. Use a large spoon to baste the garlic butter over the steaks. Flip again and repeat with basting. Check internal steak temperature at 6 minutes for your preferred doneness: medium rare is 125°F to 130°F. Transfer steaks to a cutting board, rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, stir parsley and lemon juice into the pan’s juices. Taste and season with more salt and lemon juice as needed. Cut the steaks across the grain into ½”-thick slices. Place steak on top of potatoes and drizzle with the garlic lemon butter pan sauce. Serve immediately.

34 MARCH 2021

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Your Trusted Source for Ag News & Information www.thefencepost.com/news/noble-research-institutefocuses-on-regenerative-agriculture/

Noble Research Institute focuses on regenerative agriculture February 22, 2021 | ARDMORE, OK | Noble Research Institute announced that it will focus all of its operations on regenerative agriculture and set its primary goal to regenerate millions of acres of degraded grazing lands across the United States. Noble will achieve the vision through its direct work with farmers and ranchers across the nation as they make the transition to and profitably maintain regenerative management of their lands.

“Land stewardship is a core value held by many farmers and ranchers,” said Steve Rhines, president and CEO of Noble. “Regenerative agriculture is the next step in the land stewardship journey wherein farmers and ranchers reduce their reliance on conventional practices and concentrate on restoring or regenerating the soil. The soil is the cornerstone of a healthy ecosystem and a productive farm or ranch.”

Regenerative agriculture differs from both mainstream conventional and organic agriculture in that it does not focus on inputs (such as fertilizer). Instead, regenerative agriculture uses interactions among soil, plants, water and animals to help build resilience in the soil. Resilient soil is more drought- and floodresilient, decreases the use of chemical inputs (and related costs), reduces water contaminants, enhances wildlife habitats, and captures carbon in the soil to mitigate climate variability. Noble’s programming will center exclusively on regenerative ranching, which applies regenerative principles specifically to grazing lands. About 85% of U.S. grazing lands are unsuitable for producing human food crops, such as corn. However, grazing lands provide consumers with nutrient-dense meat from grazing animals, such as beef cattle, one of Noble’s primary focuses for the past 75 years. www.progressiverancher.com

Jeff Goodwin, Noble Research Institute consultant, looks for signs of biological life in the soil. The soil is the cornerstone of a healthy ecosystem and a productive farm or ranch. (Photos courtesy Noble Research Institute)

Importantly, the U.S. has about 655 million acres of grazing lands across all 50 states — making grazing the nation’s single largest land use. It is estimated that 70% of global grazing lands are in a state of degradation.

Tearing Down Barriers Working directly with farmers and ranchers, Noble’s consultants, educators and researchers will seek ways to overcome the barriers that often deter farmers and ranchers from adopting or using regenerative principles. These barriers can be significant. They include the lack of science-based and economic knowledge about the impact of regenerative management as well as limited access to practical information that farmers and ranchers can use in day-to-day operations. “Without an understanding of key principles or help answering vital questions, adoption of regenerative ranching can seem too great a challenge to attempt alone,” Rhines said. “For 75 years, farmers and ranchers have been at the heart of our work. We are obsessed with helping them and their land flourish. Our research, consultation and educational programs are all designed to encourage and support farmers and ranchers. This history brings us to where we are today. We will combine Noble’s expertise, values and goals with other like-minded farmers, ranchers and collaborators to answer critical questions and guide others in their journey in regenerative ranching.”

Noble’s regenerative programming will aim to do more than build technical knowledge. It will provide science-based study of the economics of regenerative land stewardship in grazing animal production.

“Noble was established to understand and apply the principles of land stewardship and soil conservation so that the land remains productive for future generations,” said Susan Brown, chair of the board of directors of Noble’s governing body (The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation) and granddaughter of Noble’s founder, Lloyd Noble. “Part of this equation is making sure that farmers and ranchers are profitable so they can continue to reinvest in the land and its restoration. Otherwise, at some future point, we will have neither the land productivity to provide for our food needs nor the farmers and ranchers available to do so.”

For more information about Noble Research Institute, visit: www.noble.org

Noble has committed its 14,000 acres of grazing lands and livestock operations, located in southern Oklahoma, to provide education and demonstration for supporting others’ transitions from conventional to regenerative management. These acres will reveal both challenges and successes in Noble’s own regenerative journey, which Noble will openly share with others to benefit their own experiences. The Progressive Rancher

MARCH 2021 35

By Erika I. Ritchie | eritchie@scng.com | February 22, 2021

www.ocregister.com/2021/02/22/ 800-pound-bulls-in-trabuco-canyon-are-helping-to-restore-open-spaces/

800-pound bulls in Trabuco Canyon help restore environment Frank Fitzpatrick is excited for a pilot project with the Transportation Corridor Agencies to show the good his cattle can do. “Everyone hates cows because they’ve been fed a bill of goods that they are harmful,” he said about past damage done from cattle over-grazing on many of Orange County’s rolling hills. “Environmental degradation comes from man-made decisions. It’s not the cow; it’s the how.” He hopes his small herd of 800-pound Barzona bulls the TCA has hired to graze on 23 acres off Live Oak Canyon Road that the transportation agency is tasked with preserving as open space will show how the cattle can be used in a beneficial, not destructive way. By moving his cattle around and limiting their consumption – a practice Fitzpatrick has followed for decades – the animals can actually help to regenerate the soil and plants, he said. They eat plants that shouldn’t be there and the land also benefits from the nutrients that come from the cattle urinating and defecating.

By strategically moving the animals, it gives the land time to restore itself, he said. The restoration that can be achieved not only helps the native plants grow, but also can reduce fire and flood risks. The pilot project involves just a few of the 600-head herd that belongs to Fitzpatrick and his Orange County-based 5-Bar Beef Ranch and just a small portion of the TCA’s 2,000 acres of preserved open space that are spread across 17 sites in Orange County. For the last six days, the bulls – which are wearing GPS-monitored collars that act as an invisible fence – have been pulling up and munching on non-native plant species that are just beginning to sprout. And while they dine, they are trampling the dry stalks of mustard seed plants that have formed a thick layer over the ground, helping expose the sprouting native grasses below to sunlight and moisture so they can grow and take over areas invaded by non-native plants.

Rancher Ryan Fitzpatrick lets cattle from the 5 Bar Beef ranch graze on land owned by the Transportation Corridor Agency at the Live Oak Plaza Conservation Area in Trabuco Canyon, CA on Monday, February 22, 2021. The area, a 23-acre parcel at the corner of El Toro Road and Live Oak Canyon Road, is part of a threeyear pilot program of fire mitigation and native species replenishment. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The effort is all about timing. The non-native plants often sprout first, said Doug Feremenga, the TCA’s environmental planning manager. That pushes out the plants that are meant to grow and support the local ecosystem. After 13 days, the bulls are moved to another area before they can eat the native plants, and the process begins again. The practice is called conservation grazing. The collars – which are part of another project Fitzpatrick is involved in – keep the cattle in the area they need to be. If they roam near the borders, they’re warned with a loud beeping sound. If they step beyond the virtual boundary, they receive a zap just like from an electric fence. For the TCA, the goal is to mitigate wildfire risk and help bring back some of the riparian grasses and coastal sage scrub that support the threatened coastal California gnatcatcher and the endangered Riverside fairy shrimp. Feremenga said the effort is “mutually beneficial.” TCA biologists will monitor the sites and collect data to use in planning restoration of some of their other conservation lands in the county. “This is a cutting edge program in Orange County,” Fitzpatrick said. His effort, he said, is focused on changing public opinion about land use and the importance of holistic, planned grazing as a form of regenerative agriculture. The project is part of the Holistic Education for Reversing Desertification, or HERD, Foundation he started two years ago. Once COVID-19 gets out of the way, Fitzpatrick said he plans to include public presentations about the conservation efforts on the land. Fitzpatrick also has plans to work with Future Farmers of America and 4-H groups in the county. Because the TCA parcel across from Cook’s Corner in Trabuco Canyon where the project is being tried has been fallow for a while now, there won’t be enough plants for the cattle to consume, so Fitzpatrick said he has to supplement their food with extra protein. He will also supply water and salt blocks. The pilot is expected to last three years and Fitzpatrick is being paid $11,500 annually to graze his cattle three times each year.

36 MARCH 2021

The Progressive Rancher

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For More Information: (775) 623-5071 or www.RanchRodeoNV.com 38 MARCH 2021

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THE DAILY ROUNDUP Daily western ranching and political headlines brought to you by the Public Lands Council Sign up at publiclandscouncil.org for daily articles like the ones on these pages.

Free 2021 Virtual Legislative Conference Join the Public Lands Council leadership, staff, and affiliates for our Annual Legislative Conference! Attendees will hear from Members of Congress, policy experts, scientists, and other industry professionals who are dedicated to Western lands, waters, and perspectives. The 2021 PLC Legislative Conference will prepare attendees to share coordinated messages with their Members of Congress, provide a forum to shape PLC policy, and provide a unique opportunity to “gather” with public lands permittees without interrupting spring ranch work. For the first time, this year’s legislative conference will be a dynamic virtual event. We thank you for your patience as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Schedule of Events https://publiclandscouncil. org/?event=virtual-legislativeconference-2021 Register here for this FREE event https://zoom.us/webinar/register/ WN_JdlN158cSOauJAuaETqEsw

US Rep. Joe Neguse Prioritizes Public Lands, Wildfire Response in 2021 House Agenda www.coloradoan.com/story/ news/2021/02/22/us-rep-joeneguse-focus-public-lands-wildfireresponse-2021/4267630001/ U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse has a stacked agenda for his second Congressional term that includes COVID-19 relief, a new bipartisan wildfire caucus and another chance for two sweeping public lands bills. Probably the highest-profile piece of public lands legislation on Neguse’s 2021 docket is the CORE (Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy) Act, which he’s reintroducing after it sputtered in a Republican-controlled Senate last year. The act would create about 73,000 acres of new wilderness areas in Colorado and federally protect about 400,000 acres of land in areas including the Continental Divide and San Juan Mountains. It would be the largest piece of Colorado public lands legislation since 1993. The act passed in the House in fall 2019 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, with some Republican support.

Climate: Protecting Forests in Pursuit of Climate Action Keeping Trees in the Ground Where They Are Already Growing is an Effective Low-Tech Way to Slow Climate Change https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/ Keeping-trees-in-the-ground-where-they-are-15969074.php Protecting forests is an essential strategy in the fight against climate change that has not received the attention it deserves. Trees capture and store massive amounts of carbon. And unlike some strategies for cooling the climate, they don’t require costly and complicated technology. Yet although tree-planting initiatives are popular, protecting and restoring existing forests rarely attracts the same level of support. As an example, forest protection was notably missing from the US$447 million Energy Act of 2020, which the U.S. Congress passed in December 2020 to jump-start technological carbon capture and storage. Read the full original article here: https://theconversation.com/keeping-trees-in-the-ground-where-they-are-alreadygrowing-is-an-effective-low-tech-way-to-slow-climate-change-154618. www.progressiverancher.com

Color-Coded Radar Maps Reveal a Patchwork of California Wildfire Destruction Research flights over the Los Angeles area tell a story of plant loss and regrowth

www.sciencenews.org/article/color-coded-radar-maps-california-wildfire-destruction Each year in California, thousands of wildfires ravage hundreds of thousands of hectares of land. Deciphering how well large swaths of vegetation recover over time can be tough from the ground. New radar maps now reveal the patchwork of plant destruction and regrowth in the wake of more than a decade of fires in Angeles National Forest and other areas near Los Angeles.

A NASA research plane equipped with radar instruments, known as UAVSAR, flew over So. California multiple times from 2010 to 2020 to produce a detailed map of the terrain below. By sending microwave pulses toward the Earth’s surface and measuring the signals that bounce back, the instruments can detect changes of a few millimeters in surface height. They’re also sensitive to moisture, says Yunling Lou, a radar engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA. The resulting maps can distinguish areas with trees and shrublike chapparal from bare earth.

Lou and her colleagues are developing an approach to color-code the maps by year to track large-scale changes in vegetation and monitor the recovery of forests and shrubland after destructive wildfires. Areas with vegetation show up as red in 2010, green in 2017 and blue in 2020. When the three maps are laid atop each other, they tell a story of loss and regrowth. For instance, the 2016 Fish Fire destroyed vegetation that was present in 2010 and didn’t grow back by 2017 or 2020, so it still appears red in a composite map. The area affected by the 2020 Bobcat Fire appears in yellow: Vegetation was present in 2010 and 2017 (red and green combine to make yellow) but not 2020. “So much of the Angeles National Forest was impacted by fire at some point and you have patches that are in different stages of regeneration,” says Naiara Pinto, a landscape ecologist at JPL. The color-coding method could allow researchers to identify factors, such as vegetation and soil types, that affect why distinct areas regenerate at different speeds. Such maps could also potentially be used to identify burned regions without vegetation and at risk for landslides. The team is continuing to develop additional ways to use data collected by UAVSAR. The radar can also penetrate smoke or clouds, potentially allowing it to track wildfires in real time to assist firefighters actively fighting blazes.

More Cattle Than Anticipated | By Meghan Grebner https://brownfieldagnews.com/news/more-cattle-than-anticipated/

A livestock economist says there are more cattle in the US than the industry expected according to the USDA’s latest Cattle on Feed report. But, University of Missouri livestock economist Scott Brown says he doesn’t want to focus solely on the negative. “But maybe some of the optimism I had later in 2021, this takes some of the shine off giving what’s been stronger placements than we anticipated.” He tells Brownfield with input costs projected to rise, risk management will be key to the bottom line. “We might get out here this summer and get a really big run,” Brown says. “We feel like we might have enough vaccines out there that the economy is starting to open back up. We could see some pretty strong beef demand in that scenario, and it might give us the opportunity to price cattle, by the way. Let’s make sure we do some risk management if the opportunity arises.” Brown says both placements and the total number of cattle on feed were outside the upper end of pre-report expectations.

The Progressive Rancher

MARCH 2021 39

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The Progressive Rancher - march 2021

Articles inside

Nevada Cattlewomen

NBC Checkoff News

Mind of a Millennial

President’s Perspective

CNRWA Report

NBC Beef Recipe

NCA Roundup | Scholarships & Fallon Bull Sale Report 25 DCNR - Division of Water Resources | April 2 Hearing