The Progressive Rancher - April 2022

5 reasons why you should advertise in magazines

By Theresa McCaffrey | Editor, Horsemanship Journal If money is tight, it can be tempting to cut back on marketing, but it is at this very time that you need to promote your business. Those selling digital media say it is cheaper to advertise online than in a print publication. Consider, however, your return for money spent. If advertising is cheap but ineffective, then money spent on it has been wasted!

It’s for this reason we’d like to extol a few effective benefits to magazine advertising.

1) The power of design. Magazines have an established design aesthetic that people connect with more than they do to websites. This means that when someone sees your advertisement in a magazine, they are far more likely to remember it.

2) Targeting specific demographics. Magazines are generally targeted at a specific demographic and offer advertisers the opportunity for more precise targeting of their audience than other forms of print media (such as newspapers).

3) The power behind paper. People still love printed matter, including magazines! 66% of people surveyed read a print magazine at least once in the past three months and 65% said they like to have printed magazines around, especially for travel.

4) Longevity. If a consumer sees an online ad, they see it for a fraction of a second before dismissing it and scrolling on. However, people keep their favorite magazines at least until the next edition comes out, but often longer. They pick it up many times through the day as they read while drinking a coffee, waiting for dinner to cook, etc.

Magazines are rarely thrown out, but are passed between friends, donated to libraries, etc, so your ad will be around for not just weeks, but months, perhaps even years.

5) Attention. As you know, people often view online material on their phones, not computers, which means they see your ad while they’re holding their phone doing something else. They will never be as engaged with the content as they are when they sit down with their feet up to read a magazine. Therefore, your ad is far more likely to be noticed and remembered than it would be if seen online. If people are relaxed and concentrating on what they’re reading, your ad will have more impact.

The conclusion? Magazine advertisement should be a crucial part of your marketing campaign and not dismissed out of hand as old fashioned or expensive. It’s worth noting that magazine and book sales are increasing once more, as people have missed the feeling of reading a book or magazine, and are now preferring to go back to printed mediums such as the one you’re holding instead of reading material such as this from a digital reader, their computers, or their phones.

IN THIS ISSUE 23 USDA | Cooperative Interstate Shipping Program NCA | President’s Perspective 25 USDA Expands Cooperative NCA | Springtime Update Interstate Shipment Program NBC | Checkoff News 25 SRM | Dr. Tamzen Stringham NBC | Beef Recipe Honored with Award Open Letter to the Secretary, 26 High Desert Grange’s Ballet US Dept of of the Interior Folklorico Fundraiser Eye on the Outside 27 UNR | Research Increases Vital Crop Drought Tolerance Editorial | Budd-Falen Law Offices “Economics 101” 28 UC | Benefits of Grazing Cattle for Reducing Fire Fuels Nevada CattleWomen Update

2 Advertise in a magazine today!

3 4 6 7 8 12 13 14

14 Editorial | Let’s Talk Ag

16 Society for Range Mgmt “Rangeland Economics 101” 19 Editorial | Opposed to Trich Testing by Jennifer Garrett

30 Raising Beef Cattle for Dummies: A Cheat Sheet

31 PLC | Permittee Alert! and The Weekend Roundup

32 Snyder Livestock | Sale Report

20 NFB - “The Conservation Agriculture Does Already”

34 Winnemucca RHR Results

22 UNR - Virtual Fencing

39 CCCowbelle’s Beef Recipe

21 NFB - “What A Ride!”

36 USDA | $200,000 Invested

37 UNR | NV Water Restrictions

VIEW ADDITIONAL ARTICLES AT

www.progressiverancher.com Visit our website to view or download the following PDF information: • “Economic Development in Nevada’s Changing Economy” from the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development • The U.S. Drought Monitor PDFs • Social, Economic and Fiscal Impact Assessment for New Lithium Operations in Humboldt County, Nevada • USDA NASS March Report • Nevada Agriculture Outlook Drought Forum March Stakeholder Meeting Notes

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Owner/Editor/Publisher – Leana Litten Carey progressiverancher@gmail.com Graphic Design/Layout | athena@athenart.com

Cover Credit: “Cohorts” by Cindy Sitz | John and Zack Sword, father and son and second and third ranchers of Drewsey, Oregon, enjoy an inspiring moment during a spring brand.

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.

© The Progressive Rancher Magazine. All rights reserved.

Leana Litten Carey, Owner/Editor

2040 Reno Hwy 432 • Fallon, Nevada 89406 (208) 358-2487 • progressiverancher@gmail.com Read the magazine and more articles online at

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2 APRIL 2022

The Progressive Rancher

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president ' s perspective It’s a crying shame that a perfectly good month that should be revered for its promise of Spring is instead dreaded as tax month.

Former NY Yankees owner George Steinbrenner had to be a pretty sharp guy to amass the fortune he did but arguably the best thing he did for it- as far as his family is concerned- is die at the right time. He kicked over at a time when there was no Federal Estate tax which saved his family something like $600 million.

I personally believe an inheritance tax is immoral, and we know that in its various iterations, ranches have been foreclosed on or sold to cover the debt to the tax man.

Your leadership at NCA has spent a good deal of time on this issue and recently so with Senator Cortez-Masto’s staff to ensure that if there is to be a death tax, the family ranch has the potential to weather it and stay in the family.

We appreciate the Senator’s efforts towards the inheritance tax and to preserve stepped-up basis in the version that values a ranch as a ranch and not any other use.

A far happier use of money is in the pursuit of education.

NCA Scholarship applications are due soon, make sure you get yours in!

Happy Spring friends, I hope you spend April rolling in green grass.

Jon Griggs

Jon Griggs | President, NCA

Special Feeder Sales April 12, 2022 May 10, 2022 June 14, 2022 July 12, 2022 For info about our Team Roping, please visit FallonLivestock.com www.progressiverancher.com

The Progressive Rancher

APRIL 2022

3

by Martin Paris | NCA Executive Director | O: 775-738-9214

Springtime Update

The Fallon All Breeds Bull Sale that was held in February is in the books. We have just finished wrapping up everything from the sale and would like to give thanks to all of our consignors, buyers, sponsors, and volunteers once again for your support this year. We look forward to seeing everyone again in 2023!

As we enter into spring, I hope everyone has some shiny new calves and lots of rain. While the Nevada Legislature is not in session this year, there is still plenty going on in the livestock industry, particularly on the public lands front. The bird is once again the word, sage grouse that is. Last November, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released their Notice of Intent to amend the 2015 and 2019 Sage Grouse Management Plans.

If we go back through the annuls of history, the 2015 Sage Grouse Management Plans were rife with issues harmful to the livestock industry.

With components such as 7-inch stubble height requirements, incoherent lek buffers, and sage brush focal areas, livestock appeared to be public enemy number one.

4 APRIL 2022

Fast forward to 2019, the Trump Administration/ BLM was able to rework the Sage Grouse Management Plans to reflect on the ground realities and add in some much-needed flexibility for livestock producers. Shortly thereafter, U.S. District Court Judge, Lynn Winmill ruled in favor of environmental groups by deeming that the BLM failed to fully analyze how sage grouse would be harmed under the 2019 land use plans.

BLM’s new planning effort comes on the heels of the Judge Winmill’s decision and seeks to “examine new scientific information, including the effects of stressors like climate change, on Greater SageGrouse, to assess what management actions may best support habitat conservation and restoration on public lands to benefit sage-grouse, as well as the people who rely on sagebrush lands to support their livelihoods and traditions.”

The comment period for the Bureau of Land Management’s Sage Grouse Scoping Period closed in February. NCA submitted comments urging that the BLM consider the following in preparation of new sage grouse plans;

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• The alignment of any potential federal plan with the 2019 Nevada Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation Plan • Removal of Sagebrush Focal Areas • The reliance on the best available science regarding habitat objectives • Addressing wildfire and the use of livestock grazing as a tool to prevent wildfires • The need to address predation on nesting sites • The need for cooperative monitoring agreements between BLM and permittees • Compliance with the Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act NCA will continue to closely monitor and engage as the process continues to work itself out. In the meantime, I’m happy to report that the Fiscal Year 2022 Omnibus package recently passed by Congress included a critical provision prohibiting funds from being used to enact a federal listing of the Greater Sage-Grouse under the Endangered Species Act. This key provision should empower voluntary, locally led conservation efforts from the ground up and not the top down.

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If you’re considering selling the ranch or farm, call us! We market aggressively and know the business well!

Paul D. Bottari

Lund Farm Lund, Nevada 100 acre farm with irrigation well and flood irrigation system.

Approx. 90 acres water righted.

Nice manufactured Home plus several small pastures near house with water and A small feed lot in center of property. Great farming/ ranching Community with K-12 Schools and even an Ag program.

Price: $685,000

Broker | NV Lic# B 015476

paul@bottarirealty.com Cell: 775.752.0952 O: 775.752.3040 | F: 775.752.3021 1222 6th St. PO Box 368 Wells, NV 89835 BOTTARIREALTY.COM

Bar O Ranch Summer and Winter Range

Chicken Ranch South of Wells

909+ Deeded acres of which over 700 acres have Water rights for irrigation. Currently 2 pivots in and New seeding planned and another new pivot about To be installed. Winter range out the gate and summer Range not to far away on the Utah side of the border. Three good manufactured homes plus three shops and Other outbuildings. Owner rated at approx. 300 head Year around. Price: $4,000,000. Will increase with addition of two more pivots and well to service them.

3796 + Deeded acres fenced an cross fenced with a stock water well and water from a permitted Spring. The ranch has an approved irrigation permit for 130 acres and 3 phase power is readily available. There is a 100 acre parcel zoned Industrial with Rail access and access onto US. Hwy 93. Price: $2,250,000

Broker Paul Bottari was selected Realtor’s Land Institute’s Land Broker of America in 2019

Bassett Lake Farm - McGill, NV 160 acre farm property near Bassett Lake. Has nice log home plus shop and a lot of nice fencing.

Two pivots and two irrigation wells plus domestic well. Excellent farm for small cattle operation or hay for Supplemental income. Great privacy but only 7 miles out of town. Price $775,000.

Wildhorse Cattle Co Elko | White Pine | Nye Counties

Copper Creek Recreational Retreat and Pasture

Talbot Creek Ranch Lamoille

897 acres in Elko, White Pine and Nye Counties with USFS grazing permits west of Wildhorse Reservoir and BLM permits on East and South of Wildhorse. 361 acres with water rights at the Wildhorse headquarters. Excellent summer and winter grazing. Price: $4,200,000

Approximately 400 Acres with nearly 1/2 mile of Copper Creek on it. In the Charleston Valley.

Borders forest on two sides. Short distance to Bruneau River. 81 acres with water rights.

Charleston, Nevada Price: $689,000

This 426 acre property is truly unique with over a mile of year-round Talbot Creek running through it and bordering the Humbolt National Forest. 2 cabins, large metal storage building. Priced to sell at $2,100,000

www.progressiverancher.com

The Progressive Rancher

APRIL 2022

5

Eat Beef. Our Registered Dietitian Suggests.

By Makenzie Neves, Manager of Producer Education and Engagement Registered Dietitian, Kori Dover, is the Director of Food and Nutrition Outreach at the Nevada Beef Council (NBC). Her role at NBC plays an integral part in promoting beef to consumers. Why? Her expertise in nutrition and the food system allows us to effectively communicate how beef plays an essential role in a healthy diet.

Nevada is not the only state who sees nutrition as a fundamental piece of beef promotion. Kansas and Nebraska also see that value. So much so that the Kansas State Beef Council and Nebraska Beef Council pay Dover’s salary to increase beef visibility on the west coast.

Dover, a self-proclaimed “foodie,” had early aspirations of becoming a chef.

However, when she was diagnosed with her first autoimmune disease, Celiac disease, life steered her in a different direction. Learning to navigate the glutenfree world led her to pursue a career in health and nutrition. Which eventually led her to her role at NBC. While studying to become a dietitian, she also studied farm-to-table and small farm agriculture. She quickly learned how disconnected and removed many people are from the food system. “I fell in love with telling the story of how food gets to our plates while highlighting the nutritional benefits. Working for the Beef Checkoff was a natural fit, and I knew that’s exactly where I wanted to be,” said Dover. Telling beef ’s nutrition story means covering all the different aspects of food. It covers everything from sustainability, the nutrients found in beef, healthy convenient meals, and more.

When asked about her favorite part of her job, Dover describes seeing people have their “light bulb moments.” Now more than ever consumers want to know where their food is coming from, and she has a passion for helping people connect those dots around the food system. “When students, consumers, and even health professionals connect those dots there is nothing more exciting to see. People light up and begin to understand the importance of cattle within our food system,” said Dover.

Additionally, she described her love for meeting producers and sharing their stories. Specifically, when she provides immersion experiences and handson learning for folks in the dietetic world. She appreciates the direct impact these experiences have because of those who work to feed the world. She again references those light bulb moments stating, “I get to sit back and see those light bulb moments spread across a crowd. It’s one of the most rewarding things to see as a strong believer in our food system.”

Dover’s role at NBC allows her to be a strong voice for producers when it comes to nutrition and beef. She leaves us with her best piece of nutrition advice, “All beef provides 10 essential nutrients your body needs! And yes, healthy, delicious, and convenient meals can be made with beef! Pair beef with flavorful fruits, veggies, and whole grains to pack your meals with a punch!”

For more information about the Nevada Beef Council please visit our website at https://www.nevadabeef.org/

Fallon: 8-5:30 M-F Gardnerville: 8-5 M-F Snyders Pinenut Livestock Supply

800-513-4963 • www.pinenutlivestocksupply.com The Progressive Rancher 6 APRILselection 2022 www.progressiverancher.com Complete of animal health products, feed, and equipment for beef, dairy, equine, sheep, goat and small animal.

Quick Italian Beef Roast & Vegetables Roast Beef doesn’t require slaving away in the kitchen all day.

Season an Eye of Round and roast for an hour or so, then finish the veggies in the same roasting pan.

Ingredients • • • • •

1 beef Eye of Round Roast (about 2 pounds) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/8 teaspoon pepper

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

Vegetables: • 3 medium zucchini or yellow squash, sliced (1/2-inch) • 1 tablespoon olive oil • 1 teaspoon lemon juice • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Preparation 1. Heat oven to 325°F. Combine salt, 1/2 teaspoon basil, oregano and pepper; press onto beef roast. Place roast on rack in shallow roasting pan. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is centered in thickest part of beef. Do not add water or cover.

Roast in 325°F oven 1-1/4 hours for medium rare doneness.

2. Remove roast when meat thermometer registers 135°F. Transfer to board; tent with foil. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes.

(Temperature will continue to rise about 10°F to reach 145°F for medium rare.)

3. Increase oven temperature to 425°F. Combine vegetable ingredients, except tomatoes, in large bowl; toss. Place in pan.

Roast in 425°F oven 15 minutes or until tender. Add tomatoes; toss. Carve roast. Serve with vegetables. Season with salt. www.progressiverancher.com

Did You Know?

Evidence from studies has shown that lean red meat can support a heart-healthy lifestyle. However, as a dietitian, a common question I am asked is, “what do I look for when buying lean beef cuts?” You can rest easy knowing there are nearly forty cuts of lean beef available.

When looking for lean cuts of beef, an easy trick to help identify lean cuts is to look for the words “round” or “lion,” such as sirloin and round roast.

Removing the external outer fat when enjoying beef helps reduce saturated fat intake also as the largest and primary source of saturated fat is found in the external fat.

Regardless, you can rest easy knowing that a three-ounce serving of beef provides ten essential nutrients to help fuel your day.

Kori Dover, RD Nevada Beef Council

The Progressive Rancher

www.nevadabeef.org www.mybeefcheckoff.org APRIL 2022

7

March 7, 2022

Background

The Honorable Debra Haaland Secretary U.S. Department of the Interior 1849 C Street NW Washington, DC 20240

When the Administration made the goal to conserve 30 percent of America’s lands and waters by 2030 public as part of Executive Order 140081, the livestock associations made a series of recommendations that we believe must be incorporated into the administration’s implementation strategy.

RE: Docket No. DOI-2021-0016; Request for Information To Inform Interagency Efforts To Develop the American Conservation and Stewardship Atlas Dear Secretary Haaland and members of the interagency task force: The undersigned agriculture organizations represent livestock producers across the United States whose operations include production on and stewardship of vast private, state, and federal lands.

The Public Lands Council (PLC), the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), and the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) (collectively the “livestock associations”) appreciate the opportunity to provide perspective on the administration’s request for information on the development of an “Atlas” of conservation that will be used to inform and catalog the America the Beautiful goals to conserve 30 percent of America’s lands and waters by 2030. As individuals whose livelihoods, cultures, values, and enterprises are intimately intertwined with the health and sustainability of natural resources, the livestock associations and our members are uniquely qualified to discuss conservation goals.

PLC is the sole national association whose singular focus is to represent the interests of approximately 22,000 cattle and sheep producers who hold federal grazing permits throughout the West, NCBA is the nation’s oldest and largest trade association representing cattle producers, and ASI is the national organization representing the interests of more than 100,000 sheep producers located throughout the United States since 1865.

These organizations and our members are actively engaged in the management of lands and waters that are central to the administration’s current focus on a longterm conservation campaign.

These recommendations, in short, were the following: 1. Distinguish “conservation” from “preservation”, and “conserve” from “protect.”

2. Define what “counts”: is this federal land? State land? Would multiple use be allowed to be considered “conserved?”

3. Define scope: o 30 % per state?

o 30 % across the lower 48 states?

o How would water be quantified and cataloged as a “percentage?”

4. Recognize existing conservation, including the routine stewardship of farmers and ranchers.

Now, more than one year on from the initial debut of the conservation goal, many of the questions posed above, and many of the recommendations, go unanswered. Neither the administration’s first report2, in which the “30 by 30” goal was transformed into the campaign to “Conserve and Restore America the Beautiful”, or the subsequent annual report, shed much light on the administration’s progress to define or differentiate terms, whether progress has been made toward recognizing that conservation happens differently across the nation’s lands and waters.

We were pleased to see, however, recognition from the administration about the need to “Incentivize and Reward the Voluntary Conservation Efforts of Fishers, Ranchers, Farmers, and Forest Owners” as part of the larger conservation goal (emphasis added). As a

1 Exec. Order No. 14008, 86 Fed. Reg. 19 ( January 27, 2021).

2 Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful. 2021. www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/report-conserving-and-restoring-america-the-beautiful-2021.pdf

3 Congressional Research Service, “Federal Lands and Related Resources: Overview and Selected Issues for the 117th Congress.” 2021. https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R43429

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baseline, farmers and ranchers have often stewarded and conserved landscapes for decades, some for generations, and have done so with great success.

Ranchers’ and farmers’ viability depends on their ability to match the needs of their operations with the health of the landscape and watersheds, building on the biodiversity and ecological potential for future generations. The administration’s initial recognition that these practices are important must now translate to an understanding that this national conservation effort will fail without the voluntary and robust engagement of landowners and managers of all types.

The administration must recognize and “count” the contributions of farmers and ranchers on private land, state land, and federal land.

This conservation effort is not happening in a vacuum; during the comment period for the Atlas, the livestock associations and our members have commented on regulatory revisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Clean Water Act (CWA), Clean Air Act (CAA), Endangered Species Act (ESA), and various rulemakings under each of these larger authorities. Each of these rulemakings will result in changes to the regulatory burdens on livestock producers and land stewards, many of whom take specific action to comply with all of these federal laws – and more – during routine livestock operations.

As the administration purportedly seeks to “incentivize and reward” the contributions of farmers, ranchers, and others, there must be a focus that those incentives and rewards should not be the carrot that disguises the stick of an untenable regulatory framework that makes compliance impossible or impracticable. If the administration regulates farms and ranches out of business, those lands and the contiguous wildlife habitat in cultivated and protected ecosystems that they provide will be subdivided, developed, and impossible to “conserve.” The administration must avoid taking steps that directly threaten the sustainability of farms and ranches nationwide, as these landscapes are the last protection against commercial development and permanent habitat loss, in addition to being an irreplaceable part of domestic food security.

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General Recommendations The livestock associations offer a few general comments regarding the Atlas and the administration’s ecological goals: Now, more than ever, the administration must clearly distinguish between “preservation” and “conservation” as part of this effort. While some federal statutes provide for preservation of certain assets, ecosystems are not “assets” nor are they static entities. Ecosystems, and the biodiversity this administration has prioritized, can only be created, maintained, and restored through active management and careful cultivation over time. The administration should prioritize stewardship and conservation, rather than preservation for all ecosystems and resources considered as part of this proposal.

The Atlas, and underlying conservation goals,should focus on building on current success on existing landscapes, before seeking to create new designations or ownership patterns. While the livestock associations recommend consideration of varied landscape ownerships and management (private, state, and federal), the administration must recognize that a significant portion of the national land mass is already owned or managed by the federal government. Nearly 30 percent is under the federal estate3, many of those acres in need of fuels reduction, postfire remediation, native grass restoration, habitat improvements, and more. The livestock associations have consistently advocated that the administration should first seek to improve the ecological baseline of these landscapes prior to adding to the federal estate. That recommendation extends to private and state lands, where the administration may seek to expand the conservation footprint without actually achieving or incentivizing any additional conservation practices.

The administration must not seek to create new regulatory authorities in order to achieve current objectives.

This recommendation is twofold: 1) the administration must not seek to create new regulatory authority to achieve conservation objectives, particularly those that would allow the agencies greater latitude to infringe on private property rights, because 2) the administration will not be successful in regulating www.progressiverancher.com

additional landscapes into conservation.

The administration does not have the budget nor the personnel to actively conserve lands under the federal purview, and they lack the authority to require conservation practices be implemented on private lands. Durable conservation across landscapes, particularly those with a checkerboard ownership pattern, will only come through cooperative programming.

The administration should use this conservation goal as a way to address landscape level threats, particularly those that exist nearly solely in the purview of federal agencies.

In the West, federal agencies manage more than 640 million acres, on which they are the ultimate authority regarding management decisions. Many of these acres have been historically mismanaged, which has resulted in a variety of scenarios that threaten the ability of the administration to recognize their own lands as “conserved” as part of this initiative.

The administration should seize the opportunity to revitalize efforts that address invasive species encroachment, build on partnerships that allow federal agencies and ranchers to manage landscapes collectively, and make significant investments in managing threats to biodiversity across landscapes.

As a stated goal of the Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful is to engage in active restoration, the Atlas should include all of the federal lands classified in need of immediate proactive treatment or restorative action. The agency must take swift action to implement fuels treatments across millions of acres of national forest to reduce timber density and understory fuels that contribute to catastrophic wildfires. These actions must expand outside of the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI); threats to human health are greatest in the WUI but threats to biodiversity occur well beyond the boundary of human interaction. Further, the Atlas should provide the necessary impetus for land management agencies to implement post-fire remediation on millions of acres to prevent further degradation while the agencies seek to retroactively address inadequate analysis under the NEPA.

Additionally, the agency must continue investments to reduce the on-range population of horses and burros, according to the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) strategic plan for 2022. These animals are under the sole and direct purview of the federal government, yet the agencies have failed to implement the necessary management of these animals that now threaten biodiversity and ecosystems across the West4. These two scenarios are replicated across Western water systems, where crumbling infrastructure threatens the ability of entire regions to effectively manage water resources during drought conditions.

Federal investment in assets where federal agencies are the sole caretaker must increase, and agencies should leverage investment and partnerships where these assets are shared. Farmers and ranchers have shared rangelands and forest allotments, wildlife habitat and water resources with neighbors and federal agencies for generation, and the agencies must rely on that existing expertise.

Science and Data As a baseline, the administration must commit to incorporating the knowledge of farmers and ranchers into land management decisions and conservation strategies. Federal agencies have existing agreements that allow for cooperative monitoring and data collection; efforts in these spaces should be redoubled, and additional investments should be made in ensuring voluntary efforts can be incorporated into federal decisionmaking.

The livestock associations recognize the challenges facing the interagency task force related to conforming the variety of federal data sets across agencies, and the varied categorizations of land statuses. In the Department of the Interior’s early categorization of the “30 by 30” conservation goal, the Department referenced the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Protected Areas Database (PAD-US) data sets as a baseline for consideration of lands under the Department’s purview5, outlining that “only 12% of lands par permanently protected”.

4 Coates, P.S., O’niel, S.T., Munoz, D.A., Dwight, I.A., Tull, J.C., 2021.

Sage-Grouse Population Dynamics are Adversely Affected by Overabundant Feral Horses., J. Wild. Manage. 85, 1132-1149. https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jwmg.22089 5 www.doi.gov/pressreleases/fact-sheet-president-biden-take-action-uphold-commitment-restore-balance-public-lands 6 www.usgs.gov/programs/gap-analysis-project/science/pad-us-data-overview?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects 7 Bureau of Land Management, Instruction Memorandum (IM) 2012-043; USFWS, 2010; NRCS Working Lands for Wildlife, 2022.

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The livestock associations urge against using this platform and land identifications as a model for the Atlas. The PAD-US Gap Analysis Project (GAP) does not accurately reflect conservation status across varied ownerships, as the database relies on land designations as a means to ascribe a preservation “status.” GAP Statuses 1 and 2 consider only those areas that are “preserved;”6 while these two categories were combined to arrive at the twelve percent figure used by the Department, they are far from an accurate representation of landscape conservation. Failure to include lands where conservation practices, like grazing, are implemented alongside other multiple uses (as is the case in some GAP 3 lands and in different scenarios across GAP 4) on both public and private land would ensure the Atlas would be limited to an accounting tool. In stark contrast to the limited utility of the PAD-US dataset, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) conducts immense annual surveys and collects millions of data points about practice-based land health assessments that prioritize recognition of conservation and persistence of working lands to ensure conservation outcomes.

The livestock associations have members who also engage in management of federal landscapes as part of federal grazing permits and cooperative agreements.

The administration, as part of this Atlas exercise, must also recognize their own position that grazing is conservation7 (emphasis added). Grazing allotments under the purview of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the BLM are subject to a variety of assessments including those related to land health standards and planning and should continue to be recognized as an activity that both promote near-term conservation and protects long-term conservation outcomes.

Conservation as a Continuum Detailed above, conservation activities occur on a wide variety of landscapes through a variety of means. The livestock associations encourage the interagency task force to develop an Atlas that is more of a menu of conservation that continues to evolve, rather than a rigid limitation on creative conservation partnerships.

To achieve a menu of practices and stewardship norms that can be considered conservation, here too it is key for the administration to differentiate between conservation and preservation. If the Atlas is to truly reflect the “meaningful conservation work already underway

The Progressive Rancher

in America,” it must follow the lead of the land and water stewards across the country that adapt management to the local ecosystem.

The livestock associations recommend the Atlas build a foundational expectation that a land ownership or designation alone is not necessarily sufficient to mean that the land is conserved (i.e., federal ownership itself doesn’t eliminate the need to take action to reduce fuel risks, improve native grass biodiversity, use targeted grazing to achieve conservation goals). Especially here, the concept of “preserving” landscapes is inappropriate because it is impossible to do within the current confines of federal law. While the administration may take steps to designate a national monument, for example, the designation itself will not guarantee conservation or ecological outcomes.

Those outcomes are guided through the stewardship and management of that area over time, not ownership status.

The Atlas should also recognize that uses of landscapes will vary across ownership and management profiles. The livestock associations represent producers whose operations are limited to their private lands, affording them the opportunity to solely determine management outcomes, as well as producers who manage both private and public lands. Public lands ranchers – those whose operations include federal grazing permits and management of federal lands in coordination with federal agencies – undertake management in the framework of the “multiple use mandate,” as directed by statute.

The discussion above related to land health standards and ecological assessments that are livestock producers are expected to uphold are standards singular to livestock operations; where livestock grazing occurs in the same footprint as hiking, biking, hunting, fishing, motorized vehicle use, and more, the livestock grazing use is the use that shoulders the entirety of impact of all of those uses. The Atlas must account for the conservation contributions of livestock grazing while also recognizing that these benefits may be dampened or moderated by other uses that affect the land in different ways. The administration has prioritized access to nature as part of this conservation initiative, so must also account for the need to maintain multiple use in a way that the effort to quantify conservation efforts does not inadvertently – or intentionally – marginalize the grazing community and their conservation benefits.

...continued next page APRIL 2022

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...continued from previous page Investment in Stewardship, Not Designation The livestock associations generally believe that the call for input asks the wrong question when posing the question “what stewardship actions should be considered, in addition to permanent protections, to capture a more complete picture of conservation and restoration in America?”

The question frames preservation through permanent protections as a conservation baseline, rather than asking which stewardship actions should be prioritized to capture a complete picture.

Conservation and restoration come in many forms and are tailored to the ecosystem in a targeted way. Federal programs that recognize the voluntary conservation contributions on private land are prime examples of conservation strategies that allow for tailored implementation.

Currently, American farmers and ranchers have enrolled over 150 million acres of in voluntary USDA conservation programs.

At a baseline, the Atlas should account for acres enrolled in existing USDA voluntary conservation programs on private land. To increase enrollment in existing USDA conservation programs, the agencies should strive to ensure that these programs (along with technical assistance) are accessible to all producers.

The livestock associations support updates to the Conservation Practice Standards that will increase conservation program access. Voluntary conservation practices supported by research and implemented by producers with technical assistance are the key to increasing efficiency and resilience. The use of cover crops by farmers across the nation is perhaps the best example. While cover crops have been a key tool in the agricultural producer’s toolbox since the mid-20th century, the producer community knew little about which cover crops were best suited for their climate and soil type.

Often, the most suitable cover crop can differ between regions, states, counties, or even fields on a single farm. Years of dedicated research by USDA and land grant universities continue to develop the cover crop knowledge base. Now, farmers can utilize USDA and land-grant university resources to determine the cover crops that best suit their individual operation.

The livestock associations urge USDA to bolster programs that keep land in production, rather than promoting 10 APRIL 2022

programs that allow land to lay fallow.

These “working lands” programs, including USDA’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) cost-share programs, allow producers to manage their land efficiently while simultaneously contributing to our nation’s food supply. Land in production, whether it be crop fields or pastures with grazing cattle, provides a greater carbon sink than a fallow landscape.

Ruminant grazing increases the land’s ability to sequester carbon, by deepening root structures and encouraging photosynthesis.

USDA-NRCS not only provides cost-share funding through its EQIP and CSP programs, but also technical assistance to farmers and ranchers who wish to implement conservation practices. The benefit of Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) is its personalized approach: local NRCS employees work with agricultural producers to implement a suite of conservation practices best suited to fit the individual needs of each operation. Many of the solutions supported by NRCS’ Conservation Technical Assistance are the product of land grant university research and extension. Voluntary conservation practices, supported by research and implemented by producers with technical assistance, are the key to increasing efficiency and resilience.

As the agencies works collaboratively with producers to help reduce agriculture’s environmental impact, the livestock associations urge the agencies not to utilize subjective measurements, such as potential climate impact, to determine conservation program eligibility. By limiting access to conservation programs, USDA would not reduce agriculture’s environmental impact, but instead refuse assistance to producers who, by USDA’s own determination, need it most.

In addition to existing USDA conservation programs, the agencies must include acres enrolled in state and local conservation programs. Programs administered by state departments of environmental protection, state departments of agriculture, land grant universities, and local soil and water conservation districts are just a few examples of mandatory and voluntary programs that provide significant conservation value across the landscape. State and local programs are carefully tailored to the needs of individual communities, ensuring that environmental benefit is maximized.

Further, land grant universities across

the country are continuously developing new practices and tools for America’s agricultural producers. Acreage associated with this research accounts serve as valuable “land labs,” and are often the first to see the environmental benefit of new practices.

As the administration works to incorporate these programs unique to private lands, it is imperative that inclusion of these lands (existing enrolled acres) and the associated programs and practices must not face any regulatory penalty or repercussion should a future private business decision change the engagement in a federal program.

The Atlas must be flexible enough to recognize the valuable contribution of practices implemented as part of these programs, while also recognizing that the specific acres on which those practices may change over time.

Inclusions and Outcomes The livestock associations urge the Atlas to be flexible enough to recognize that conservation appearance and methods will vary based on ecosystem need; conserved lands that prioritize wildlife habitat continuity in Florida may look like habitat protected by livestock grazing on private lands on either side of a highway with a culvert under busy traffic, while in Nevada it may look like project to remove pinyon juniper to encourage revitalization of a sagebrush stand or use of targeted grazing to convert a cheatgrass monoculture into a thriving native grassland.

The Atlas must include a wide variety of landscapes, but conservation and restorative efforts should be focused on the practices that will move these landscapes toward a higher level of resiliency, rather than an artificial standard or “attribute.”

The livestock associations urge the administration to avoid creating list of attributes to be crossed off to achieve a one-time “conserved” designation, rather than doing the hard work of creating land management strategies that make lands more resilient in the face of drought and other stressors. The administration must favor careful planning and ongoing investment rather than a one-time mathematical exercise.

stakeholders. The administration relied on three public “engagement” sessions at the beginning of the year. These sessions were rife with technological glitches and did not afford participants the opportunity to have meaningful engagement. For many of our members who are caretaking many of the rural resources central to this discussion, the online video format and administration of the comment sessions left them without any further indication of the administration’s intentions or motivations as part of this conservation campaign. Further, while individual departments and program leads have had ongoing conversations with stakeholder groups who are already actively engaged in land management, the task force has so far failed to create any such opportunities. The livestock associations offer our assistance in helping the task force to create meaningful engagement opportunities and stand ready to serve as a facilitator for future discussions.

Conclusion The livestock associations appreciate the BLM and USFS’s recognition that grazing is conservation and urge the Atlas to clearly include grazed lands – both federal and private – as conserved. At its core, livestock grazing often represents the last bastion of protection for the American landscape, the acres most often considered as our national gems. These lands are those cultivated by the farmer, ranchers, fishers, and forest owners.

These individuals, and the ongoing investments they make as part of their larger management strategies, must be encouraged to lead this effort.

The livestock associations appreciate the opportunity to comment and look forward to continuing to lead conservation efforts as part of our long history of commitment to healthy, resilient, productive landscapes.

Sincerely, Public Lands Council

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association American Sheep Industry Association

Future Engagement The livestock associations appreciate the opportunity to have an ongoing conversation with the Departments and components of the interagency working group, however the public engagement on the Atlas marginalized a wide variety of

The Progressive Rancher

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APRIL 2022

11

CAB and NCBA Many of you already know that beef demand is the best it has been in over 20 years at 65 on a graph called the beef demand index. In 2000 this number had fallen from 100 to 50 in the previous twenty years from 1980. How was the cattle industry able to reverse this downward trend from two decades ago?

Cattle raisers got real smart real fast about improving certain inherited traits like feed conversion, marbling, and overall carcass grading quality, and they are still getting better. You’ve no doubt read that about 80% of the beef cutout now grades choice or prime which would have been only a dream twenty years ago.

Consumer knowledge and acceptance has been a focus of many breed organizations and industry associations like Farm Bureau and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). Having beef checkoff dollars to spend by these two and other contractors to the checkoff on things like research, education and advertising has also helped to grow demand for your ultimate product – meat on the plate.

You could ask yourselves where we would be without “Beef It’s What’s for Dinner” and the answer would be: not where we are now. Of course, this is not the only reason we have a higher quality, very much in demand product that customers around the world favor. Many organizations have been working diligently for many years to solidify beef ’s reputation as a major source of tasty, nutritious protein.

One such organization is Certified Angus Beef (CAB).

Please stay with me you non-angus beef producers while I make my next point. I have just returned from a meeting with my fellow officers and the CEO of NCBA with the Angus Breed CEO and the President and volunteer officers of CAB at CAB headquarters in Wooster, Ohio. You have all no doubt seen the CAB logo and advertising in grocery stores and restaurants signaling they are serving or have beef in the case that has met the quality and other standards of CAB.

CAB experiments with recipes and educational materials for customers and creates advertising for licensed partners to help them sell more beef. It is an advertising adage that selling is easier when the customer is familiar with the product, is comfortable with it, and it is convenient for them to buy and use the product.

CAB spends the bulk of its time and money trying to put these principles into the mind of consumers of beef.

When a person or organization in agriculture does good things for themselves it usually benefits the whole industry. I would argue that CAB is helping the Angus 12 APRIL 2022

sector of the cattle industry most certainly but is also benefitting the whole industry as it helps to drive demand for beef. Every time a consumer sees the CAB picture of a steak on the grill or a roast on a platter, they are thinking of eating beef in general and that benefits every sector of the industry.

The NCBA contingent was invited by CAB to this meeting to explore ways we could pool resources to provide good outcomes for the whole industry. I am sure there will be critics of this kind of activity as a waste of dues dollars on a “boondoggle.” I understand this sentiment, but I completely disagree with it. However, true leadership seeks to expand horizons, include all points of view and searches for ways to do things even better and not rest on your laurels.

Most members of NCBA will tell you they belong because they want the industry perspective brought to bear on issues in Washington D.C. Here are two examples of successes in 2019 where NCBA led the way and created real value for its members.

NCBA was the leader among all farm and ranch organizations to fight against devastating proposed tax hikes on family-owned farms and ranches by mounting a grassroots campaign with more than 1,800 producers which kept crucial tax provisions like stepped up basis in calculating estate taxes and like-kind exchanges in the House version of the Build Back Better bill.

The Association also succeeded in getting the back end 150 air-mile exemption for livestock haulers and secured multiple extensions of the hours-of-service exemption for truck drivers hauling livestock. This obviously helped during the pandemic in keeping livestock commerce moving at a real-time pace. It will also help as we go forward and try to manage commodity transportation during this time of driver shortage and limited transportation choices.

My experience last week reminded me that organizations such as CAB and NCBA are working full-time with maximum effort on problems they can solve and issues they identify as opportunities while letting the critics make noise about how nothing gets done or these industry organizations are not run by ranchers and farmers. The people in that room in Ohio last week were real ranchers or folks who had grown up in ranching and were now working for the industry that nurtured them.

We have heard especially in these last couple of years of packer control of the cattle business and cattle industry organizations because of excessive profits being made The Progressive Rancher

by the big four packing companies. There is no denying they have made a lot of money. The U.S. cattle market is the most complex, complicated, diverse, and intricate commodity market in the entire world. Saying the excesses in this market can be solved by quick fixes or government-controlled solutions in a black and white way is being ignorant of the market complexities and the many influences both inside and outside the industry affecting that market. Market forces are working and other sectors besides the packing industry can expect better times ahead.

And it pains me to repeat myself about something I said in response to a question at the most recent Nevada Cattlemen’s Convention last December in Elko, but here are the facts about the NCBA/Packer sector relationship. There are four packer seats on the NCBA’s 250 plus member Board of Directors. I have been to almost every board meeting of NCBA in the last 21 years and I have never seen a packer representative sit in one of those seats.

As Treasurer of NCBA, I am very aware of the NCBA financial picture. Packer revenue through paid dues is 7% of NCBA’s total revenue. The cow-calf sector of NCBA represents 65% of the membership on the Board. If there is packer control of the 65% cow-calf sector and feeder sector of the NCBA membership, I would like someone to show it to me or quit criticizing and contribute to real solutions that benefit the whole industry. Criticism and analysis are an especially important part of any organization’s process. However, it also needs to be based on facts and truth.

As a relatively small export state Nevada surely benefitted from NCBA efforts to ensure seamless transportation of our livestock during these last few years. Furthermore, Nevada’s family farmers and ranchers can rest a little easier knowing that estates will not be burdened to the point of having to sell the ranch because of excessive taxation upon the death of a prior generation. These are real solutions to real problems.

I am a proud member of NCBA, and I support many of the policy decisions made by the grass roots membership which give guidance to NCBA’s paid staff in dealing with policy decision makers in Washington D.C. and elsewhere. However, I do not always agree with those policies but that is the nature of belonging to any association.

I’ll see you soon.

www.progressiverancher.com

300 East 18th Street • Post Office Box 346 • Cheyenne, Wyoming 82003-0346 307/632-5105 • www.buddfalen.com

UPCOMING SALES May 5

Economics 101 – As Goes the Price of Fuel, so Goes the Price of Food EDITORIAL | By Sarah Falen Anyone driving a vehicle has noticed an extreme increase in fuel prices across the country in the last year, let alone in the last few weeks. As of March 12, 2022, gas averaged $4.33 per gallon and diesel averaged $5.14 per gallon. To put those numbers in perspective, the average price a week ago was $3.92 per gallon for gas and $4.41 per gallon for diesel. One year ago, gas was $2.84 per gallon and diesel was $3.06 per gallon. Those in California are paying an average of $5.73 for gas and $6.29 for diesel.

WVM Headquarters • Cottonwood, CA Consignment Deadline: April 20

May 26

These skyrocketing fuel prices impact all Americans, including when we sit down for a meal. To produce a pound of beef or a head of lettuce, farmers and ranchers use tractors, plows, balers — all things that run on fuel. For a lot of businesses, when the prices of inputs (such as fuel) increase, the business equally increases the price of their goods. But because there are a lot of necessary middlemen between my Wyoming ranch and your table and because most farmers and ranchers are still family businesses, they don’t have the ability to simply increase their prices because the middlemen will just buy the raw product from someone else. And the family farmer or rancher will simply go bankrupt.

Additionally, truckers transport 70% of nation’s goods from one place to another.

Truckers can’t stay in business if the fuel prices increase too much, so they must charge more to transport our goods. Those increased transportation costs will result in increased grocery prices.

WVM Headquarters • Cottonwood, CA Consignment Deadline: May 18

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This all means we are not just in a fuel crisis; we are close to a food crisis. A year ago, the average family of four was spending $256.70 a week on groceries. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has noted a 7% increase in the price of food from January 2021 to January 2022. Assuming food prices do not increase the rest of the year (which is highly unlikely), the average family will spend an additional $862.51 on groceries this year. Transportation and production costs are not the only factors increasing the price of groceries, but they are large ones.

“How did these skyrocketing costs happen?” First, start with President Biden’s first day in office when he revoked the Presidential permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. That pipeline, running from Canada to Nebraska would have transported 800,000 barrels of oil per day to be refined in the U.S. The price for oil determines half of the price of fuel. Less oil means higher prices for what is produced. While there are other factors decreasing the supply of oil in the U.S. besides cancelling the Keystone XL pipeline, it still means higher fuel costs.

Second, President Biden also “paused” the issuance of new oil and gas leases on federal lands, again, decreasing the supply of oil and gas to meet our current demand. This caused another increase in price at the pump, for us, for transporters, and for farmers and ranchers.

Since economics is not a mandatory class in school, here is a summary. If the demand for a product increases, even if the supply is the same, the price will increase. If the supply of a product decreases but the demand stays the same, the price will still increase. We are currently in a situation where we have the same demand for fuel, but the supply is decreasing, causing prices to increase. As with the price of fuel, so goes the cost of food. This is a food crisis. www.progressiverancher.com

The Progressive Rancher

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APRIL 2022

13

By Madison Bowers, President Happy Spring! I personally love the start of spring. I always look forward to warmer weather and all the spring ranch chores. The Nevada CattleWomen’s Officer team has been working hard on our events for 2022, we are excited to open up applications for our Beef Ambassadors Program. I am also going to give an overview of the upcoming Region VI meeting and WIRED event.

Nevada Beef Ambassador Program | We brought back our Nevada Beef Ambassador program in 2021. Ana Dagenhart chaired this youth program. The winner was required to serve as the Nevada Beef Ambassador for one year. Their duties include beef promotion and attending Nevada CattleWomen Inc events. The return of this program was a huge goal of ours, the first year back wasn’t perfect but we were very thankful to have one ambassador.

The 2021 recipient was Jackie Sceirine a student at University of Montana Western.

Jackie attended Smith Valley High School and was an outstanding athlete.

Jackie is majoring in Business Administration with a minor in Farm and Ranch Management. His plans after school are to move home, to work on the family ranch.

The 2022 applications will be opened this month (April). Charmi Mitchell is chairing the committee this year. Charmi is a great fit with her experience as an Agriculture Education teacher. The selected ambassadors will be required to

Let’s Talk Ag The future of agriculture in Nevada will need to be the focus of several upcoming discussions with the demand for water increasing.

We are all focused on inflation and the upcoming drought, as producers begin making their agricultural decisions. Depending on what basin in Nevada a producer is dependent upon, the story is bleak. Will there be a 70% allocation, 50% allocation, or no allocation? Will there be a reduction in AUMs? This is not new to the Nevada producer. These management decisions exist every year based on our winter, the soil moisture and the ability to store water.

Water is one of the main ingredients in production agriculture. The problem begins in that water is a limiting factor. The issues don’t seem that bad when we have more water than we need. However, when we start talking drought and limited reservoir storage, it becomes a hot topic item.

I should not be impacted that much by these issues, as I am getting ready to complete my 22nd year in the Extension service. The issues begin to cycle the longer I stay in the business, but something happened this last week that caught me off guard, and made me more aware of just how much we all need to protect our agricultural water resources.

The Nevada Ag Outlook was the third Wednesday in March and focused on two things – Mining and 14 APRIL 2022

complete Master Beef Advocacy Program and Beef Quality Assurance Program.

There are three scholarships positions ranging from $500-$1000.

Applications are ready to go, please email us at cwnv.inc@gmail.com. If you have any questions please call Madison Bowers at 775-388-3259.

Region VI CattleWomen’s Meeting | The Arizona State Cowbells are hosting this years Region VI meeting along with an ANCW WIRED event. The event will be held in Tempe, AZ May 12th-14th. Thursday the 12th and the morning of Friday the 13th will be the meeting portion. The WIRED event will start the afternoon of the 13th and go through the 14th.

The Region VI meeting will cover ANCW business, conflict resolution, and direct beef marketing forum. They also have arranged tours of JBS Packing, US Foods and Sysco.

The WIRED event has a theme of “ Ranch to Table”. They have a wide array of speakers and hands on events planned.

Registration for Region VI meeting and their WIRED event is available on ANCW’s website under “Upcoming Event”. Arizona State Cowbelles can be emailed with any questions or help with registration at azcowbelles@gmail.com

Planning for a Sustainable Agriculture Future

By Staci Emmn | Editorial

Economics. There was a presentation on the Lithium Mine going into Humboldt County and a Food and Agriculture Policy Institute update of current ag prices and current inflation impacts. The ag policy update was a bit depressing.

communities want to sustain and maintain their “rural” lifestyle? If the State of Nevada, Nevada Counties, and Nevada towns and cities are not thinking about it – they better make it a top priority.

Agriculture will be impacted by global situations like war, drought, interest rates rising, inflation in inputs costs, and many other things. The producers know this and some have lived through this before from one situation to another. The younger consumer has not lived through this, and they will soon learn that it is going to not only cost them more to eat, but their options in what they eat may be limited.

We have major changes happening in Nevada that will impact agriculture. Mining and development need one thing to be successful, which is water. Water is taken from agriculture production, and this water rarely ever goes back to being used for agricultural production.

The uncomfortable discussion is that the water may exist on paper, but doesn’t exist in reality; or the price per acre foot of water is so extreme that nothing else can compete.

In addition, we have a Nevada county facing the liquidation and selling off of large parcels of agricultural land and water rights. In the free market world, it goes to the highest bidder? What happens as large agricultural production companies are sold off piece by piece in an area impacted by an increased demand for development? This isn’t just a what if anymore, it is happening.

We need to begin our statewide discussions, and we need to plan our agricultural future. Do Nevadans want to have food grown in their state? If they do, then there will have to be some planning and protections of agricultural water use. There will also have to be local, state and national support for our producers. We need to decide right now if we want to sustain the agriculture we have in the state.

For years, I have heard about grow local agricultural not being sustainable. I see a lot of enterprise budgets where it is very difficult for the small producer to be sustainable. However, we better start thinking about what we want our agricultural future to be in Nevada.

Do we want to have local food available, or are we going to be dependent on outside resources? Do local

My agriculture environment has already changed since I was a kid. The water resources that were there in the 1970’s and 1980’s no longer exist. My environment has a new normal with less access to water in 2022.

Will agricultural water will even be available by 2050?

The Progressive Rancher

We better start planning now. www.progressiverancher.com

www.progressiverancher.com

The Progressive Rancher

APRIL 2022

15

Winter Webinar January 2022 “Rangeland Economics 101”

By Dan N. Harmon, NVSRM President

Just when we thought “virtual” meetings might be behind us, the winter season and a new Covid variant had different plans. As a result we were back to seeing all our friends and associates on little computer screens during the 2022 Winter Webinar held by the Nevada section of the Society for Range Management (SRM).

This year’s winter meeting theme was the economics of rangelands, a topic that is sometimes overlooked in the world of ecological research, even though it is often the foundation of many critical management decisions we make. From the natural resources that livestock and wildlife rely on, to the business of conservation, rangelands are an industry unto themselves and can support whole communities.

While the relative value of any goods or services are in a constant flux, dictated by society, at any time and place, the intrinsic value of “healthy” rangelands is something we can all agree on. Understanding valuation is extremely important for landowners and managers to assess trade-offs when making decisions.

We had an amazing group of presenters who kindly volunteered to speak to us about their work. Our first presenter was Dr. Tom Harris, who some have described as the rangeland economics “guru” at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). His many years

of experience have provided great insight into the unique qualities of a state like Nevada which has so much public land, and the associated opportunities and challenges. He explained that because Nevada is 81% federal land various economies such as grazing, mining, or other land-based revenues, can be strongly affected by Bureau of Land Management (BLM) policies.

Dr. Harris presented an economic study (2006) on the value of Animal Unit Months (AUMs) in Elko County. He included all the direct and indirect values of ranch production. Based on 847,058 AUMs, he estimated a total economic impact of $125 million, which equals about $148 per AUM. He also presented a study that modeled the losses from decreases in AUMs for a medium sized (700 head) cattle operation. The researchers determined that a 50% decrease in AUMs led to unsustainable losses and operation closure. Dr. Harris also presented statistics on mining in Nevada. He explained that in communities like Eureka County, mining makes up over 75% of their employment. In the Elko and Eureka Counties, his research (2006) estimated that total direct and indirect economic impacts from mining equaled $2.9 billion.

Our next presenter was Mary Jo Foley-Birrenkott, the Director of Membership and Outreach for the

Mary Jo FoleyBirrenkott

parent SRM. She updated us on the new program SRM has developed and premiered at this year’s annual meeting in Albuquerque, NM- the Good Grazing Makes Cent$ (GGMC) program. It will provide a venue for producers, researchers, and land managers to communicate effectively. There are three main components. First is informational resources, such as monthly e-newsletters with content driven by members, and videos created by experts in the field and other usable information formats. Future content may include podcasts, workshops, and even field tours. The second component is an interactive forum on the program’s Facebook group to foster live content discussions. The third component is the benefit of joint membership with livestock associations. Joining this program gives you SRM and GGMC membership resources as well as access to participating livestock associations. For more information, please visit https://goodgrazing.org.

Dr. Garth Boyd, with the Context Network, gave a presentation on rangelands and carbon credits. This topic has gained a lot of attention these days, and as Garth explained, aspects of it can seem surreal.

With Nevada being one of the driest states, there are some real challenges to soil carbon sequestration.

He explained that agriculture, which contributes roughly 10% of CO2 emissions, is one of the only sectors that can also contribute to CO2 emission solutions by sequestering carbon into the soil. Soil carbon sequestration in agriculture is a naturebased solution that is increasingly important due to its potential scale, cost-competitiveness, and other advantages over alternatives.

Carbon sequestration is one more reason why managing for less cheatgrass and more perennial grass is so critical. Garth presented a metanalysis of 93 studies that found, on average, soil organic carbon increased 39% when annual cropland was converted to perennial grassland. By maintaining perennial grass and shrublands, rangeland soils can be a significant reservoir of organic carbon. This carbon sequestration can become a commodity on the carbon market. A carbon credit equals one metric ton of CO2 that has been reduced, avoided, or sequestered. The current market offers around $15 per credit (ton); however, with zero CO2 emission goals made by many large companies like Microsoft, who purchased every

16 APRIL 2022

The Progressive Rancher

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The unique element for Nevada is that nearly all the beef producers operate on BLM land with cow-calf operations. There are about 540 BLM grazing authorizations and 558 producers in Nevada (2017 AG census data). Doug emphasized the importance of agricultural economic research to determine future profitability and define contributions of the producers to the rangelands.

This includes water developments and good grazing practices in general. There has been a continuing trend of decreasing livestock numbers, which combined with droughts and input costs makes the profitability of grazing animals on public lands very challenging. Doug explained the importance of understanding the benefits that grazing has on rangelands if managed properly, and those benefits if highlighted can help with the challenges livestock producers face.

Dr. Garth Boyd Dr. Garth Boyd

Kelly McGowan with the Nevada Sagebrush Ecosystem Team presented next, giving us an overview of the Nevada Conservation Credit System (CCS). This relatively new program provides a credit and debit system for many resource industries in Nevada. Conservation credits can be purchased to offset debits acquired from land disturbances. The program, which began in 2016, really increased its projects in 2019 when the Nevada legislature passed a regulation that requires mitigation (credits) for any anthropogenic disturbances (debit projects). Kelly explained that the new regulation led to more than doubling the number of projects from 2020 to 2021. According to Kelly, there are about 32,000 credits available to mitigate disturbance. He anticipates that around 22,000 of those credits will be used to mitigate debits. Kelly explained that even though that leaves 10,000 available credits, he predicts an additional 40,000 credits will be required in the near future. While this debit need may seem alarming, Kelly is confident that new credit opportunities, including the possibility of public land credits, will provide enough to mitigate the debit needs.

Incentives to increase private land credits include financial and increased credits for conservation practices such as juniper removals or meadow restoration.

We then heard an in-depth presentation from Dr. Michael Taylor, an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at UNR, on research he and others conducted on the economics of upland and big game hunting in Nevada.

carbon credit available on the market in 2020, the price will likely increase.

Garth explained that the complexity of carbon markets, especially being new, can make potential agricultural carbon credit suppliers hesitant to get into the market. He gave examples of four registries that create standards and protocols to issue and certify credits: Verra.org, ClimateActionReserve.org, AmericanCarbonRegistry.org and the GoldStandard.org. Garth also talked about Grassroots Carbon (buildgrassroots.com), currently one of the most active programs for ranchers or producers to sell carbon credits.

Next, Doug Busselman, the Executive Vice President for the Nevada Farm Bureau, gave us an update on agriculture in Nevada, explaining opportunities and challenges for the future. Doug explained that the three big agricultural products in Nevada are meat animals (45%), dairy (20%), and feed crops (19%). www.progressiverancher.com

The Progressive Rancher

Ron Busselman APRIL 2022

17

...continued from previous page The study looked at all the factors that go into hunting expenditures in Nevada. A research study like this has not been done since the 1980s, and Michael stressed the important role that recreational hunting plays in Nevada’s rangeland economies along with agriculture. This study is part of the Nevada Economic Assessment Project (NEAP). The authors performed an economic analysis for how hunting-related expenditures translate into economic activity (employment, output, tax revenue, etc.) for each county in Nevada.

Michael presented expenditure data for hunting by species and sex, with antlered deer having the greatest total tag-related expenditures at about $37 million in Nevada.

When combining all tag-related expenditures and gear purchases such as campers, OHV, and ammunition, over $80 million is spent on hunting in Nevada annually. The two counties with the greatest expenditures are Washoe, where the largest population of hunters live, and Elko, where the majority of the hunts occur. All of the data will be published in a report provided by UNR Extension; so look for that soon.

Kelly McGowan

Lastly, to close out a full and thoughtprovoking day, Jack Alexander with Synergy Resource Solutions, Inc., gave us some insight into his decades of private-sector rangeland consulting. Jack covered the pros and cons of private versus public rangeland consulting.

Jack explained that a lot of the differences come down to an individual’s personal preference regarding things like independence or risk. He pointed out that the private sector requires good business skills, stating, “You have to make money to keep the wheels on the bus.” While most people in the natural resource field have good technical skills, it is hard to find someone with both technical skills and business skills. Jack told us about some of the challenges of a small business and problem solving. The interaction with customers in a smaller business is more personal, and people skills play an important role. Jack stated that he feels that managing natural resources is sometimes more about managing people. Jack summed up the day nicely, highlighting a lot of the opportunities that rangeland services provide, but also the difficult challenges we face today and in the future with those resources.

Michael Taylor

The Nevada Section of the Society for Range Management would like to thank all the presenters and participants this year. To view the presentations please visit YouTube NVSRM. 18 APRIL 2022

The Progressive Rancher

www.progressiverancher.com

Holloway livestock

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I would like to voice my opposition to mandatory yearly Trichomoniasis testing of bulls in Nevada. The current regulation, if enforced, will ensure that problem Trich areas in NV can be cleaned up.

Years ago, there was a similar proposal to require mandatory yearly testing.

Because the proposal was not well received, ranchers and agency personnel got together and developed the current Trich regulations. The existing regulations require that when a bull tests positive, all the neighboring herd owners are to be notified and their bulls tested and cleaned up. Then if another bull is found positive, those neighboring herds will have to Trich test and clean up any positive bulls, etc. This regulation enables the State Vet to clean up problem Trich areas and ensures that producers won’t be re-infected continually from a neighbor’s bull. It is a good compromise between no regulations and mandatory annual bull testing. We have heard that enforcement of the current regulation is difficult because the wording may not be strong enough.

Modifying the existing regulation to ensure enforcement would be the wiser, more realistic path to take versus requiring yearly Trich testing.

Nevada does not have a statewide Trich problem. Why force producers that do not have a Trich problem in their area to test yearly? Data provided from the NV Dept of Ag showed that from 2014 to 2019, 99.2% of the Nevada bulls tested were not infected. We currently have placed a State of Nevada Public Records Request through the Dept. of Ag. to get more current testing rate results. This low incidence of positive bulls in Nevada proves that producers are already taking steps to prevent Trich through their own voluntary testing and management. Producers that are controlling Trich by taking all the correct steps to stop Trich should not be penalized with government mandated testing.

Eradication of Trich is impossible because it is also carried by the female and no state has eradicated Trich by requiring mandatory Trich testing. Cow management is just as important as bull management. Producers who expose clean bulls to open dry cows have a high risk of infecting their clean bulls and maintaining Trich in their herd.

Nevada Water Solutions LLC Water Rights / Resource Permitting Expertise

Thomas K. Gallagher, PE 775•825•1653 / FAX 775•825•1683 333 Flint Street / Reno, NV 89501 tomg@nevadawatersolutions.com www.progressiverancher.com

Yearly mandatory Trich testing will put a financial and logistical burden on ranchers. Current costs to Trich test range from $25 to $50/bull for the culture test. The more accurate PCR test costs between $50 and $80/bull.

This cost is only for the vet and testing. It doesn’t include the day of labor and maintenance of the facilities to test the bulls. Within Nevada there are big variances of how cattle are run. In central and southern Nevada, many herds are not all gathered and worked at the same time. This regulation would be very hard on these producers to comply with because gathering their bulls to a central location is never done. They will need a vet at varying times depending on when and where gathers are taking place and testing facilities are not at every gathered location. Therefore, this adds another yearly mandatory cost to an industry that cannot raise its prices to pay for these extra costs.

The Nevada Department of Agriculture forcing mandatory yearly Trich testing is an unnecessary excessive government intrusion especially when ranchers are already stressed both economically and physically by low prices and drought. It would be costly and burdensome for producers to comply with and for the state to enforce. Enforcement of the current regulation will achieve the same goal.

The Progressive Rancher

FONTS OUTLINED

APRIL 2022

19

Nevada Farm Bureau

The Conservation Agriculture Does Already

By Doug Busselman | NFB, Executive Vice President Earlier in March, Nevada Farm Bureau submitted public comments in response to a Federal Register Notice that sought input for the development of the “American Conservation and Stewardship Atlas.” The Atlas is part of a bigger project being sought by the Biden Administration called the 30 x 30 Project.

The 30 x 30 Project seeks to implement the Biden Administration’s goal of conserving “at least 30 percent of the U.S. lands and waters by 2030.” This goal came about by Executive Order 14008, which President Biden signed on January 27, 2021.

From that top-down executive edict, the heads of several federal agencies worked through their bureaucratic processes to develop and release the “Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful” report, released on May 6, 2021. This 21-page document offered the vision that these agency leaders hoped would advance the overall dream of the conservation utopia that was offered in Executive Order 14008. The agencies involved were the: • • • •

U.S. Department of Interior U.S. Department of Agriculture U.S. Department of Commerce Council on Environmental Quality

The authors of “America the Beautiful” identified three problems that they believe need attention: • The disappearance of nature • Climate Change • Inequitable access to the outdoors

The authors of “America the Beautiful” also stated, “In pursuing the President’s goal of conserving and restoring America the Beautiful, this report recommends adhering to eight key principles that will be critical to the success and durability of the effort.” From there, the report identified these eight principles: • Pursue a collaborative and inclusive approach to conservation • Conserve America’s lands and waters for the benefit of all people • Support locally led and locally designed conservation efforts • Honor Tribal sovereignty and support priorities of Tribal nations • Pursue conservation and restoration approaches that create jobs and support healthy communities • Honor private property rights and support voluntary stewardship efforts of private landowners and fishers • Use science as a guide • Build on existing tools and strategies with an emphasis on flexibility and adaptive approaches

On the surface, these all appear to be noble and unquestionable goals. Unfortunately, despite many attempts, no answer has been given, defining what exactly is “conservation.”

20 APRIL 2022

The closest idea to identify what “conservation” might mean was this statement in “America the Beautiful”:

“Many stakeholders recommended that a continuum of effective conservation measures be acknowledged, departing from stricter definitions of ‘protection’ that do not recognize the co-benefits that working lands or areas managed for multiple use may offer.”

Figuring out where the starting point and what might be counted in the 10-year project of “conserving at least 30 percent of the U.S. lands and waters by 2030” -- “America the Beautiful” stated…

“This report recommends that the U.S. Government take two complementary steps to measure and report upon conservation progress in the United States: the creation of an American Conservation and Stewardship Atlas that collects baseline information on the amount and types of lands and waters that are being managed for conservation and restoration purposes, and the publication of annual America the Beautiful updates on the health of nature in America and on the Federal Government’s efforts to support locally led conservation and restoration efforts.”

In other words, the purpose of the American Conservation and Stewardship Atlas is

“To develop and track a clear baseline of information on lands and waters that have already been conserved or restored, the U.S. Government should establish an interagency working group of experts to build an American Conservation and Stewardship Atlas. The Atlas would be an accessible, updated, and comprehensive tool through which to measure the progress of conservation, stewardship, and restoration efforts across the United States in a manner that reflects the goals and principles outlined in this report (“this report being “America the Beautiful”).”

The interagency working group identified to develop and operate the American Conservation and Stewardship Atlas is led by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in partnership with the Council on Environmental Quality, and other land and ocean management agencies at the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and the Interior.

What might come out of the “interagency working group” by way of constructing the American Conservation and Stewardship Atlas and establishing the metrics which will tally the progress in getting to whatever they decide will be “30 percent” remains to be seen. On the other hand, the questions structured in the Federal Register Notice, to help guide public input, did not leave much confidence that the principle of “Honoring private property rights and support the voluntary stewardship of efforts of private landowners and fishers” was going to find a very measurable place in “continuum” of conservation.

The Progressive Rancher

The Federal Register Notice posed contributors’ thoughts on things like “clearly defined geographic boundaries” or “status of ecological function” or “representation of species and habitats”. Given the way these items were structured and included, it’s doubtful that anything without some sort of federal designation will be tallied in the 30 percent.

Having a federal panel of interagency bureaucrats designing the official scorecard also makes one wonder how to support “locally led and locally designed conservation efforts” will be accomplished. What local efforts will pass their predetermined tests?

Because Nevada is already overwhelmingly comprised of federally managed lands and dominated by federal agencies with a decades-long obsession for locking away more and more acres through an always increasing variety of land designations, we might be a wee-bit cynical about reading the hype in “America the Beautiful.”

We also maintain that agricultural producers (those who farm on private lands and those who manage livestock grazing on federal lands) have and continue to deliver on improved conservation practices. This is borne out with a recently released report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The report, called the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) made a 10-year comparison of progress accomplished in implementing conservation practices on cropland across the country.

Some of the highlights include:

• Structural practice adoption increased by nearly 31 million acres, largely in combination with conservation tillage and other structural practices on the same field as supporting practices to control erosion and trap sediment. Conservation tillage adoption increased by 53.4 million acres and became the dominant form of tillage on all cultivated cropland (67 percent). More than 41.5 million acres of the total increase was in continuous no-till, which reached 33 percent of all cultivated cropland by CEAP II.

• Adoption patterns were slightly higher on the most vulnerable cultivated cropland, with structural practices, conservation tillage, or both in place on 85 percent of highly erodible land (HEL) and on over 90 percent of cultivated cropland with high or moderately high runoff vulnerability.

• Conservation crop rotations were used on nearly 70 percent of cultivated cropland acres, up from 66 percent in CEAP I. Nearly 28 percent of all cultivated cropland had high-biomass conservation crop rotations.

Although those who have been involved in the government’s 30 x 30 initiative haven’t been able or willing to define what they intend to count as “conservation” – agricultural producers have been demonstrating through their actions that they already do conservation.

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What a ride Louisville KY! What a ride!

By Kari Brough | YF&R Nevada State Chair Young Farmers and Ranchers (YF&R) headed to Louisville, Kentucky for a leadership conference two years in the making. Rewind two years when Nevada YF&R was in the air headed to Louisville for the conference when covid brought everything to a screeching halt. The conference was canceled, and everyone returned home to a very different world.

The conference went virtual in 2021 and for a while it was unclear if the 2022 conference would be in person or virtual. Finally, the exciting news everyone had been waiting for got announced the 2022 YF&R Leadership Conference would happen in person.

Three Nevada YF&R members headed to Louisville, Kentucky for the four-day Leadership Conference. This year’s theme was the Triple Crown of Agriculture (Food, Fiber and Fuel). YF&R conferences are always a great time to bring together current and future young farmers and ranchers from across the U.S. to learn, share and grow. This year the excitement could be felt, and people were so excited to be back together once again.

As the Nevada YF&R Chair I was lucky enough to be able to attend the State Chair training, offered by the National AFBF YF&R committee on the first day of the conference. My table consisted of a cotton corn and soybean farmer from Arkansas, A peanut and cotton farmer from Florida, A grain farmer from Michigan, a hay farmer from Kansas, and me a Wagyu and Angus rancher, emphasis made on rancher from Nevada.

As the training started, I was pleased to notice that this would be very different from other trainings in the past.

Gone where the boring lectures where one person got up and spoke and the rest listened. This was interactive.

We started our training off by introducing our selves to someone we didn’t know at the table with the assignment to introduce them to the rest of the room.

Mr. Reed Story from Arkansas was my partner. I learned he was also a multi-generational farmer who grew up raising soybeans, cotton and corn. Our table of course was chosen to go first and being the only woman at the table I had the honors of going first. As I got up, my nerves took over a bit, for I knew this would set the tone for who I was, and more importantly who, Reed was.

Two Minutes was all I needed to do this and was relieved when it was all over. As Reed took his turn introducing me attention was quickly drawn to the fact that Jordan and I raised Wagyu cattle and noticed around the room a few people who wanted to chat after. Our time to shine was over and as we were listening to the rest introduce themselves, I was trying to figure out what were the lessons we needed to learn from this exercise.

After the room was finished the lessons became clear.

“How many could name 10 people in this room?” Our trainer for the session asked. Shoot, I could only name five and tell you who was from Idaho but not her name.

Getting to know people and remembering their names was the activity and, shoot, I was slacking. Remembering name is always much harder than it seems. My goal was to remember names not only names but what made them unique. The next thing that this activity did was teach us how to introduce someone, make them a valid part of our conversation and I loved that! Everyone has a story and knowledge that can help someone else out. It is always important to make sure others are validated for what they have done in life. By the end of the training, I knew 10 names and their stories and more importantly the start of new friendships have been made.

I probably could write this whole article on this one meeting because it was chalk full of valuable lessons that I plan on implementing into my final year as YF&R chair.

The biggest take away from this was the value of a name, knowing your leadership style and knowing the styles of

your team. Learning how to use them for the benefit of the team, and finally really getting to know someone. Not just having the same automatic conversations.

One of the great things about the YF&R conferences is the different keynote speakers they often have. I loved the keynote speakers especially Dr. Delatorro McNeal, II who had us moving and grooving and investing in ourselves. He focused on Vison, Goals, Plans and Accountability (VGPA) and how this should guide you in your life. I came away from his speech with new hope and success. Braxten Nielson the second motivational speaker and had me in tears as he retold his story of how he lost everything after a horrible bronc riding accident, but even more tears as I watched him walk for the first time after months of being paralyzed. His determination and love for God helped him through his toughest times by not giving up on life and pushing through. His story helped me see that if you truly want something you must work hard and never give up on your dreams. It truly was a motivational speech and even though he doesn’t have full control over one of his legs he is back to participating in rodeos and strives every day to become his best self.

I was fed by learning about early succession planning and how to better market our products in the breakout sessions. I loved the Power Hour of “working with stubborn family members” and enjoyed learning about the city. I toured the Louisville Slugger office and museum and was guided by the park manager of the Louisville Bats around the dug outs and the field. The tours are always one of my favorite parts of the conference. It’s always fun learning something new about a different city.

I tried new foods and met wonderful new friends! What a ride being able to be a part of an organization such as this! That YF&R members from around the United States can meet and learn from each other.

I even had the opportunity to travel halfway home with one of my new friends Austin & Nicole Hiebert from Kansas. We discussed more about our state’s programs, ideas we would like to try, things that where a total busts, and taking over the family ranch, or in their case farms. They had a great idea about in state ranch tours for YF&R and they are even planning a trip to Oregon and Washington area to see that area. A tour of Nevada might just be in the idea books!

I was very impressed, if you can’t tell, with all the hard work that was put into this conference. I see Nevada YF&R having such potential. This year will be a great year for Nevada YF&R, and I hope all the great things I have learned at this five-day conference make it our best year yet. Join us in growing the YF&R program in Nevada. You might not think YF&R is for you but join us once and see all the great things we do, and we might surprise you.

www.progressiverancher.com

The Progressive Rancher

APRIL 2022

21

Virtual Fencing: A New Tool for Livestock Grazing Management

by Paul Meiman | Extension Specialist - Rangeland Livestock/Wildlife Interactions Associate Professor, Dept. of Ag., Veterinary and Rangeland Sciences | UNR CExt 775-738-7291| pmeiman@unr.edu | www.unce.unr.edu Sometimes, after speaking to a group about virtual fencing or working on some aspect of our project, I cannot help but think about some of the reasons why it strikes me as ironic that I am working with this cutting-edge technology. But it does not take long for me to convince myself (again) that I am an ideal person to be doing this work. I’ll come back to that after a brief introduction to virtual fencing.

Virtual fencing for livestock is similar to the fenceless dog fences or invisible dog fences in that these systems use collars to deliver audio, and electrical stimulus cues to keep animals where you want them. Soon after being introduced to these systems, the animals will likely learn the association between the audio cue and the electrical stimulus so that they respond to the audio cue and avoid the electrical stimulus. Virtual fence systems for livestock use collars with GPS (global positioning system) capabilities to track animal locations relative to boundaries that the user establishes, and a computer software package that allows the user to “build fence”.

Building virtual fence is essentially a point-and-click computer exercise to create polygons on a map, and then adding start times and stop times for that fence.

You can do this on the hottest day in August without breaking a sweat or tearing your jeans on a barb!

Multiple virtual fences can be created and sent to the collars as the livestock manager moves animals across the landscape. Also, it is possible to use virtual fences for both inclusion and exclusion of livestock.

For a few reasons, I’m the last guy one might think of when it comes to cutting-edge technology. I’m that guy who walks into the copy room and sends the copier into extreme panic mode without even touching the machine! I cringe each and every time my computer or

phone “updates” because I know it will take weeks or months to figure out how to do most of the things I had just re-learned to do since the last update! I truly miss my good ol’ flip-phone, and those of you who still use one are A-OK in my book! At the same time, and in some very important ways, I am the perfect person to be working on virtual fencing.

Soon after I started studying Range Management, I became committed to sustaining rangeland ecosystems as working landscapes that support the plants and animals (including, but not limited to wildlife, livestock and humans) that live there and the ecosystem processes that occur. For much of the past 25 years I have worked with livestock producers, federal and state agency natural resource managers and variety of other stakeholders to address challenges related to livestock grazing management on rangelands.

Through the years, and across a wide variety of situations involving livestock grazing management, solutions for maintaining already good conditions on the land, or bringing about needed improvement, involved efforts to manage the distribution of livestock use across large, expansive landscapes. Managing livestock distribution (and their use of the plants) across the landscape and through time empowers the manager to influence season of use, duration of use and intensity of use - the 3 fundamental components of grazing management. Often, the more options a manager has for moving animals around the landscape, the greater their management flexibility and likelihood of success.

Fortunately, there are many great tools available to help manage animal distribution (including, but not limited to herding and stockmanship, attractants [water, supplement, mineral, etc.], conventional fencing).

I am optimistic about virtual fencing being another valuable tool to add to this toolbox. For these reasons, I am the perfect person to be working on virtual fencing.

I share these reflections, because I expect that there might be some folks reading this who, like me, do not consider themselves particularly technologically savvy (say that fast, 4 times!), and might not think any further about virtual fencing. But, I bet many or most folks in that category are committed to managing livestock grazing on rangelands to meet both natural resource and production objectives, so actually might be ideal candidates to consider virtual fencing as a potential tool. As with the other tools in the grazing management toolbox, virtual fencing should be viewed as one to be considered by the livestock manager in terms of how it might fit their operation, their animals, their landscape and their management philosophy.

There is a lot of wisdom in the following statement that is often spoken by folks in range management about grazing systems. No grazing system will succeed everywhere, and every grazing system will fail somewhere. I think this also applies to various tools available for use in livestock grazing management. They need to fit the operation, the animals, the landscape and the humans involved. My hope is simply that this article will prompt some folks to think about virtual fencing as a potential tool for livestock grazing management.

Ultimately, the decision about whether or not virtual fencing should end up as one of the tools in a particular livestock manager’s toolbox should be up to that livestock manager.

From the Editor: “What?!? I may never tear my shirt or pants again...?!?”

The image at right is a “heat map” from a virtual fence (VF) system displaying locations of approximately 200, VF-collared cattle for a 1-week period in a 365-acre subunit of a 2,000-acre pasture. The virtual fences (light red lines) are the only things that kept cattle from moving to the east (right). Red shading indicates areas where cattle spent the most time, while cooler colors indicate areas where cattle spent less time. Although there were some escapes, the VF was effective keeping animals in the desired area for the specified time.

The image above shows cattle in Nevada fitted with virtual fence collars.

22 APRIL 2022

The Progressive Rancher

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Cooperative Interstate Shipping Program The Cooperative Interstate Shipment (CIS) program promotes the expansion of business opportunities for state-inspected meat and poultry establishments.

Under CIS, state-inspected plants can operate as federally-inspected facilities, under specific conditions, and ship their product in interstate commerce and may have the opportunity to export them to foreign countries, provided the CIS participating State has entered into a supplemental agreement that addresses the export of CIS inspected products. No states currently have a supplemental agreement for exporting product.

The CIS program is limited to plants located in the 27 states that have established a Meat and Poultry Inspection Program (MPI) and maintain “at least equal to” FSIS regulatory standards.

Application Process

State-Inspected Establishments Interested in Applying

To participate as a plant, you’ll need to apply through an agency administrating the state MPI program. Once you complete your application then, the state will evaluate your submission and based on their findings, will or will not recommend you for the CIS program.

To be considered for CIS by your state, you will need to have the following requirements: • Must employ fewer than 25 employees; • Have an adequate food safety system; and • Meet appropriate facility standards.

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Once the state determines you qualify then it will submit a recommendation on your behalf to the FSIS District Office for your state

After the District Office reviews the state’s recommendation and accepts your application then you will need to comply with all the requirements under the Federal Acts as follows: • Meet the Federal regulatory sanitation performance standards in Title 9 CFR parts 416.1 through 416.5; • Submit labels to the FSIS select establishment coordinator with the Office of Field Operations who will forward the labels to the FSIS Labeling and Program Delivery Division for review, except for those labels eligible for generic approval; • Obtain the same water source and sewage system approval that FSIS requires for federally-regulated establishments; • Develop written Standard Sanitation Operation Procedures (SSOP) as noted in 9 CFR 416.11 through 416.16; and • Write a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) Plan in compliance with 9 CFR Part 417.

These are the requirements to obtain a Federal grant of inspection. You must comply with all of them in order to be selected into the CIS program FSIS Review of State Application

There are a number of key steps that a State needs to take in order to be eligible to participate in CIS beyond operating their own MPI. For instance, States must demonstrate that they have authority under their own laws to provide the same inspection services as FSIS provides in official Federal establishments.

The Progressive Rancher

The necessary legal authority may come in the form of documentation that demonstrates the State incorporated the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA), the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) and the implementing regulations by reference. An example of such documentation is a copy of the law that authorized the incorporation.

Alternatively, a State that has not incorporated all provisions of the FMIA, PPIA and implementing regulations by reference could submit a copy of a State law that gives State personnel the authority to enforce Federal food safety standards for purposes of a CIS Program. Another route would be to submit a legal opinion from the State Attorney General that confirms that State personnel have such authority.

Major Differences Between a Cooperative Interstate Shipment Agreement and Federal Inspection Subject

CIS Inspected

Federally Inspected

Inspection Personnel

State appointed, federallytrained inspectors

Federally appointed inspectors

Application

Apply for a recommendation via the State where the establishment resides.

Apply for a Grant of Inspection via the FSIS District Office associated with your state.

Inspection Label

Federally Inspected seal with One standard seal of “SE” which symbolizes the inspection for carcasses, product was made from a “state one standard seal of establishment”. The seal will inspection for processed usually have the abbreviation meats and a standard seal on the federal seal. Each legend for raw and processed will differ due to different state poultry. abbreviations.

APRIL 2022

23

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24 APRIL 2022

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The Progressive Rancher

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USDA Expands Cooperative Interstate Shipment Program for Meat Processors in Montana Press Release Release No. 0065.22 | Contact: USDA Press at press@usda.gov

Cooperative Interstate Shipment program provides an excellent opportunity for small meat and poultry processors to build their local and regional marketplaces, while ensuring the safety of the meat and poultry products they produce,” she said.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the State of Montana have finalized a Cooperative Interstate Shipment (CIS) agreement, which provides an opportunity for selected state-inspected meat and poultry processors to ship their products across state lines. Under the CIS agreement, the State of Montana may inspect meat products produced in selected establishments for shipment throughout the United States.

The CIS program was launched in 2012 under Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack after being authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill. With the addition of Montana, 10 states now participate in the program to promote the expansion of business opportunities for state-inspected meat and poultry establishments.

Under CIS, selected state-inspected establishments that comply with federal inspection requirements are permitted to ship their product in interstate commerce.

“This announcement is part of USDA’s commitment to build more and better markets, a more resilient supply chain and better food system, and to increase competition in agricultural markets across America,” said Sandra Eskin, USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety.

“USDA is working with states to ensure they have the tools and resources necessary to expand existing capacity and thrive for many decades to come. The

The CIS program is limited to states that have established a Meat and Poultry Inspection (MPI) program for products to be shipped solely within the state. To be eligible to participate in the CIS program, state MPI programs must meet a number of criteria to demonstrate that the inspection that it provides to state-inspected plants will be the “same as” the inspection that FSIS provides to official federal establishments. For instance, a state must demonstrate that it has the necessary legal authority to administer and enforce requirements that are the same as the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA), the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) and applicable regulations. In addition, the state must collect regulatory samples at the same frequency as federal inspectors and use the same analytical methods at laboratories that meet the same level of accreditation as the FSIS laboratories. The assigned state inspectors may remain as the establishment’s onsite inspectors, provided they have the same training and inspect the plant under the “same as” regulatory standards as their federal counterparts in FSIS-inspected establishments. FSIS provides ongoing oversight of the CIS program to ensure that participating states

maintain and operate their “same as” programs in a manner that complies with all applicable federal statutes and regulations and follows FSIS directives and notices. FSIS reimburses the states for 60% of their costs associated with providing this interstate eligible inspection service.

In addition to Montana, FSIS has signed agreements with Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wisconsin. For more information about CIS, visit www.fsis.usda. gov/cis.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America.

Visit www.usda.gov to learn more.

Dr. Stringham Honored with SRM Sustained Lifetime Achievement Award Mary Jo Foleym Director of Outreach Society for Range Management srmoutreach@rangelands.org / 303-986-3309 / www.rangelands.org Dr. Tamzen K. Stringham received the Sustained Lifetime Achievement Award at the Society for Range Management’s 75th Annual Meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico earlier this February.

The Sustained Lifetime Achievement Award is presented by the Society for Range Management to members for long-term contributions to the art and science of range management and to the SRM. Dr. Stringham is a world-class researcher, a mentor to both graduate and undergraduate students, a terrific educator, and an extension educator and technical speaker. She has set the standard for ongoing research in the arenas of state and transition ecology, watershed management, and fire ecology. Dr. Stringham has garnered over $8.5 million in research funding throughout her career. www.progressiverancher.com

She is also a long-time member of SRM and holds an Endowed Chair at the University of Nevada, Reno. In the 29 years Dr. Stringham has been a SRM member, she has been fully engaged in the Society and its activities and goals. She has served on the Academic Program Assessment Committee; on the Watershed & Riparian Committee; Finance Committee; on the Nominations Committee; on the Awards Committee; three times as a judge of student oral presentations at annual meetings; three times as a judge of student poster presentations; and as a Reviewer for the Journal of Rangeland Ecology and Management. In addition to these membership roles, she served as the Chair of the Watershed and Riparian Committee in 2006.

Dr. Stringham has also been a strong proponent of rangeland management and ecology in her interactions with a number of allied societies. These efforts The Progressive Rancher

complement the work she has done directly with the SRM. Activities include providing journal and technical reviews for the Journal of Restoration Ecology, the Journal of Arid Environments, the USDA Agricultural Research Service, the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the University of Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station.

For the tremendous contributions to the science and management of rangeland ecosystems he has made, it is with great honor the Society of Range Management recognized Dr. Stringham with the Sustained Lifetime Achievement Award.

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High Desert Grange’s Ballet Folklorico Celebrates The Art Of Hispanic Dance In Fundraiser

By Suzann Gilliland Peterson Folkloric dance, like the English term “folk dance,” means dances of the people. This type of dance reflects the traditions, cultures and beliefs of people in a particular region. Folkloric dance expresses the life and spirit of a people through its movement and music. It is both historical and current, preserving tradition yet shifting with the current times.

This is how Vanderbilt University Center for Latin American Studies aptly describes this cultural tradition, a tradition that is alive and thriving in Fallon, Nevada’s High Desert Grange Ballet Folklorico Nuestra Herencia Mexicana. Most of the twelve dancers in Nuestra Herencia Mexicana are Mexican American, but such a group may have dancers from many different backgrounds. The common thread is a love of Hispanic culture.

Elizabeth Medina, Director of Nuestra Herencia Mexicana, began dancing at the age of eight in Stockton, CA with the Ballet Folklorico de Frank Zapata. At eighteen, she left the team and created her own dance group. In 2015 she moved to Fallon with her husband and left her California group in the hands of her sister. Missing her group was the impetus to create a new team. In 2018, Nuestra Herencia Mexicana was born via an ad Elizabeth posted on Facebook. In 2019, Elizabeth joined her program with the High Desert Grange. All members of her dance team are High Desert Grange members and they take advantage of the many programs the Grange offers.

Elizabeth relishes the personal reward of passing on her knowledge to her team members and watching them perform her art. “They make my vision come to life as I choreograph all of our material,” she says.

She continues, “As a dance director, I make sure my students don’t just dance. I make sure they know what they’re representing. In Folklorico, we dance various dances from various regions. Every region has a costume, a type of music, a posture, a skirt movement, a hand placement, etc. I like to make sure they respect each region as it is represented.”

Practice is essential for a good presentation and the team practices twice a week at Ivyland where Elizabeth runs her program. Dancing is a cardio workout and one of her biggest personal challenges is keeping in good physical shape. One of the biggest team challenges is keeping the cost of performing as low as possible while keeping the 26 APRIL 2022

HDG Ballet Folklorico Nuestra Herencia Mexicana artistic traditions of the different regions true to life.

In order to portray the region they are presenting at any given performance, it can take the members up to an hour to prepare their initial hair bun, makeup, and undergarments. Some events have 2-5 dress changes. Dancing is a labor of love.

When asked how she thinks the dance team contributes to the Fallon community she said, “It takes kids off their couch and off the phones. I’d like to think I’ve helped spark a healthy interest. I also love seeing my students gain confidence through the stage. I hope this helps them in school and in their everyday lives.”

Nuestra Herencia Mexicana is well known in northern Nevada. They have performed at the Churchill County Cantaloupe Festival, Winnemucca Fair, Yerington Fair, Carson City Fair, Nevada State Fair, Fiesta on Wells, Dia De Los Muertos for Nevada State Museum, Danzantes Unidos Festival, and private events.

On Saturday, April 2, at 4:00 at the Churchill County High School auditorium in Fallon, Nuestra Herencia Mexicana will present “Alma Mexicana.”

“Alma Mexicana” means “Mexican Soul” and is a fundraiser to raise money to pay for registration, hotel, dining and transportation for their dancers to The Progressive Rancher

participate in the Danzantes Unidos Festival. This is a three-day annual conference that takes place in Fresno CA. Over 3,000 Ballet Folklorico dancers will gather for the weekend for workshops, dance markets, showcases and social gatherings. This will give the dancers a chance to see what other groups are working on and to discover different regions and arts that other teachers and groups have put together. Seven first-timers will accompany the dance team this year. Joining Nuestra Herencia Mexicana at the fundraiser will be the 30-member Ballet Folklorico Flor de Castilla from Reno who will be presenting dances from the Mexican regions of Sinaloa, Veracruz, Zacatecas, Guerrero, Nuevo Leon and Jalisco. Also performing will be Mariachi Los Arrieros and singer Melinna Adrian, both from Reno. Cost to attend is $25.00 per person per seat and can be purchased on the High Desert Grange website: https://www.grange.org/highdesertnv22/ alma-mexicana/. Doors open at 3:30. Any unsold tickets will be sold at the door. A concession stand with snacks and drinks will be available.

Elizabeth and Nuestra Herencia Mexicana are looking forward to showcasing their talent for the enjoyment of our community. For more information, contact Elizabeth Medina at (209) 933-1393 or at nuestraherenciamexicana06@gmail.com www.progressiverancher.com

unr.edu/nevada-today

Breakthrough research increases drought tolerance in vital crops John Cushman awarded two patents for biotechnology research John Cushman, foundation professor with the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, has been awarded two patents for his research on improving drought tolerance and water-use efficiency of plants. This work, which showed a significant breakthrough in research for crop improvement, will help to preserve agricultural productivity during periods of intense heat or extended drought.

U.S. Patent 11,053,512 was awarded last year to Cushman and former postdoctoral research scholar in the department, Sung Don Lim, who is currently an assistant professor at Sangji University, South Korea. The patent addresses the process of increasing tissue succulence in plants. Improving on his team’s past work using Arabidopsis, or mouse-eared cress, Cushman is using biotechnology to increase the tissue succulence of the plant by making the leaves about 40% thicker, allowing them to store more water. Plants with high tissue succulence, such as the saguaro cactus, are more adapted to surviving in arid climates.

Working with postdoctoral students in the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources to conduct this work, the team also included graduate research assistant Jesse Mayer, who conducted work on plant tissue succulence using Arabidopsis.

U.S. Patent 10,858,404 was awarded in December 2020 to Cushman, Lim and Cushman’s departmental colleague Assistant Professor Won Cheol Yim, and outlined a synthetic biology approach that allows the transfer of the drought-tolerant trait called crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) from desert-adapted plants to major crops, such as soybean, one of the leading crops in the United States.

The team is using CAM, an alternative form of photosynthesis used by agave and cactus, to limit water loss by absorbing carbon dioxide through open pores, or stomata, in their leaves and storing it as malic acid at night, because water vapor is less likely to escape the leaves in the cooler, more humid night conditions. During the day, the stomata stay fully or partially closed while the plant uses the stored malic acid and sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into sugars and starch.

“We wanted to file these patents because we thought this could be important and applicable to a number of crop species,” Cushman said. “We chose to test this process on soybean because it’s a vital crop, and it suffers a lot of loss due to drought stress. We’re hoping we can eventually continue this work with other vital crops as well.”

Cushman and his team are testing both processes on soybean to improve productivity, water-use efficiency, and drought and salinity tolerance under hotter and drier environments.

Once testing on soybean is complete, the engineering could potentially be used to target other vital crops, such as corn. www.progressiverancher.com

The Progressive Rancher

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Authors: Felix Ratcliff, Devii Rao, Sheila Barry, Luke Macaulay, Royce Larsen, Matthew Shapero, Shane Dewees, Max Moritz, Rowan Peterson, and Larry Forero

Benefits of Cattle Grazing for Reducing Fire Fuels and Fire Hazard The widespread and severe wildfires in California during the past several years highlight the importance of understanding how land management practices such as cattle grazing affect wildfire risk. The California Cattle Council recently funded a UC Cooperative Extension project to evaluate how much fine fuel (grasses and other plants) are eaten by cattle on rangelands, and how this may affect wildfire behavior. These results have not yet been published, but preliminary results are presented here.

Cattle Numbers The study found that about 1.8 million beef cattle grazed California’s rangelands, which include grasslands, oak woodlands, and shrublands, in 2017. Beef cows were by far the most abundant beef cattle class, with 677,000 on range in the state. This was followed by steers, heifers, and bulls.

Fuel Removal by Cattle Beef cattle are found grazing in every county in California, except San Francisco and they consumed 11.6 billion pounds of fuel in 2017. Our analysis which was based on county crop reports, Agricultural Census data, and UC Cooperative Extension data showed that cattle consumed vegetation across about 19.4 million acres of rangeland, primarily privately-owned.

However, some grazing also occurs on federally-owned and other public lands too, especially in the mountain and desert regions of the state.

The amount of fuel consumed per acre varied greatly based on region (Figure 1). The average amount of fuel removed across grazed rangelands in the state was 596 pounds per acre. This number varied from 174 pounds per acre in the southeast interior region to 1020 pounds per acre in the San JoaquinSierra Region (Figure 2).

Figure 1. Beef cattle grazing regions of California

Fine fuel reduction on any given ranch can differ greatly (either higher or lower) from the region-wide estimates in this study. Figures 3, 4, and 5 show examples of 500, 1,200, and 3000 lbs./ acre of grassland vegetation.

These fuel removal estimates are based on the best available data, but this data does not describe the complex details and variation of cattle grazing across the state. There is a need for more consistent and accurate accounting of cattle numbers and grazed acres across the state to better understand grazing’s impact on fire fuels.

These regional values of fuel removal are much lower than the amount of vegetation or forage that grows naturally in these regions in most years. Valley grasslands in the interior of the state generally produce 2000 pounds of forage per acre or more in an average year (Becchetti et al. 2016, Bartolome 1987). Coast range grassland sites in central and northern California generally produce more than 3000 pounds of forage per acre (Larsen et al. 2020, Becchetti et al. 2016). Coastal prairie sites can be highly productive, producing more than 4500 pounds per acre on average in the central coast (Larsen et al. 2020). The highest

production years can see double the average production in any given region, and the lowest production years can be less than 25% of average production. The relatively low amounts of fuel removal reflect conservative stocking strategies, which are used by many ranchers across the state as a way to guard against drought and the unpredictable nature of forage production (Macon et al. 2016).

Influence of Cattle Grazing on Wildfire Behavior Maintaining flame lengths below four feet is often cited as a critical threshold that allows fire fighters to safely access an area from the ground without heavy equipment (Andrews and Rothermel 1982). Fire behavior models developed for this study suggest that maintaining fine fuels at or below 1200-1300 pounds per acre during spring and summer will keep flame lengths below four at wind speeds up to 40 mph. This number is affected by other factors however, and during very dry weather conditions, fine fuels may need to be kept at or below 800 pounds per acre to keep flame lengths below 4 feet. These numbers are useful for interpreting the impacts of reducing fuel levels, but they still need to be experimentally validated in California.

Figure 2. Pounds per acre of fuel reduction on grazed rangelands in each region, based on county crop reports

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The Progressive Rancher

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In addition to reducing fine fuels, cattle grazing can also reduce rangeland fuels by preventing or slowing encroachment of shrubs and trees onto grasslands. This is valuable from a fire safety perspective because shrubs can increase fire hazard and fire intensity (Ford and Hayes 2007, Parker et al. 2016).

Reducing fire hazard is not as simple as grazing rangelands to bare soil or even to low level of fuel. Rangeland managers need to balance different management goals. They aim to leave some forage on rangelands at the end of the grazing season (before the first fall rains) to protect soil from erosion, support future forage production, avoid growing some types of weeds, and often provide fall forage for their cattle. In some areas, it is important to leave more than 1200-1300 pounds of forage per acre to achieve these goals, so reducing fuel loads will have to be done carefully to avoid conflicts with other management targets (Bartolome et al. 2006).

Conclusions Cattle grazing plays an important role in reducing fine fuels on grazed rangelands in California. Without grazing we would have hundreds to thousands of additional of pounds/acre of fine fuels on the landscape, potentially leading to larger and more severe fires. The bulk of this fuel reduction occurs in regions of the state with higher forage production per acre. Therefore, while average fuel reduction rates are higher in these regions, residual fuels may not be low enough across all grazed rangelands (even in regions with high fuel reduction rates) to avoid long flame lengths. Fortunately, cattle do not generally consume forage uniformly at the field, ranch, or region scale. At many locations within grazed rangelands, there will likely be patches that are grazed low enough to significantly alter fire behavior, and patchy fuels can slow fire extent and rate of spread.

EDITOR’S NOTE: “Although this article was written in 2020, look were we are today with the fires of 2021.”

Figure 3. 500 lbs./acre of grassland vegetation

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Widespread and severe wildfires are predicted to increase over time in California. This “new reality” requires that we take advantage of all the tools in our management toolbox to protect public safety while meeting our broader rangeland management objectives.

Grazing all rangelands to ideal fuel levels is not logistically feasible or compatible with management goals. However, there are opportunities to improve fire safety in California by grazing rangelands that are not currently being grazed or even by increasing grazing intensity on very lightly grazed areas. The number of beef cows in California today are only about 57% of their peak numbers in the 1980s (CDFA 2010-2018). This reduction is mirrored by declines in public lands grazing. Strategic implementation of cattle grazing, including potentially feefor-service agreements, on key private and public lands can meet multiple natural resource objectives, while also lowering fire hazard through reducing fine fuels, reducing fuel continuity, and slowing or stopping shrub encroachment into grasslands.

Figure 4. 1,200 lbs./acre of grassland vegetation

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This research was funded by the California Cattle Council.

REFERENCES

Andrews, P.L. and R.C. Rothermel. 1982. Charts for interpreting wildland fire behavior characteristics. General Technical Report INT-131. US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station.

Bartolome JW. 1987. California Annual Grassland and Oak Savannah. Rangelands, 9:122–125.

Bartolome, JW, WE Frost, NK McDougald, M. Connor. 2006.

California Guidelines for Residual Dry Matter (RDM) Management on Coastal and Foothill Annual Grasslands.

University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Rangeland Monitoring Series, Publication 8092.

Becchetti T, George M, McDougald N et al. 2016. Rangeland Management Series: Annual Range Forage Production, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources.

California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). 2010 – 2018. California Agricultural Statistics Review. California Department of Food and Agriculture, Sacramento, California.

Ford LD & Hayes GF. 2007. Northern Coastal Scrub and Coastal Prairie. In: Barbour M, (ed.). Terrestrial Vegetation of California, 3rd Edition. University of California Press, p. 180–207.

Larsen, R., M. Shapero, M. Horney, L. Althouse, D. Meade, K. Brown, D. Rao, K. Striby, C. Rigby, K. Jensen, D. Conestro, K. Lindsteadt, S. Covello. 2020. Forage Production Report, California Central Coast, 2001 – 2019. University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. Accessed online August 2020 at: http://cesanluisobispo.ucanr.edu/Custom_Program355/Forage_ Production_Report/.

Macon, DK., S Barry, T Becchetti, JS. Davy, MP. Doran, JA. Finzel, H George. 2016. Coping with drought on California rangelands. Rangelands 38(4):222-228.

Parker, V. T., R. B. Pratt, and J. E. Keeley. 2016. Chaparral. Pages 479-508 in H. Mooney, and E. Zavaleta, editors. Ecosystems of California—a source book. University of California Press, Berkeley, USA.

Figure 5. 3,000 lbs./acre of grassland vegetation

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Raising Beef Cattle For DUMMIES : A Cheat Sheet A Must Read For All Urban Cowboys | By Scott Royer and Nikki Royer

Beef cattle are amazing, hardy creatures that can convert otherwise unusable plants into high-quality beef for people. You can raise a few head of cattle to stock your own freezer with wholesome steaks, roasts, and other cuts of meat, or you can start your own beef cattle business and sell the butchered meat to customers.

No matter what your end goal is, your beef cattle depend on you to look out for their well-being, so you must know how to tend to their needs, including properly choosing, feeding, and caring for them.

Selecting Healthy Cattle And Bringing Them Home Safely When raising beef cattle, you want to start off on the right hoof by selecting healthy animals and by making their transition to their new home as smooth as possible. Consider these pointers when getting started on your bovine adventure: • Prepare your facilities before bringing home your first cattle. Your cattle need grazing areas with a good perimeter fence (either sixstrand high-tensile or, at minimum, a 4-foot high woven wire), a strong pen or corral, a shelter, and clean loafing and eating areas.

• Purchase only healthy animals. Your cattle should be alert without being wild. Their eyes should be bright, clear, and free of discharge.

Their breathing should be smooth and regular, and they shouldn’t be coughing. The animal’s body should be full and rounded, not shrunken or hollowed out. They should be able to move with a free and easy stride.

WARNING! Avoid buying cattle with mucus coming from the nose or with swollen legs or joints. These symptoms may indicate illness or even an infection, which can be passed to other cattle and, in some cases, humans.

• Prepare your trailer. Clean the inside of the trailer to reduce the chance of disease transmission. Make sure it has a skid resistant floor to help keep cattle from slipping, and adjust the ventilation on the sides of the trailer so it’s appropriate for the weather conditions.

• Load and unload the cattle in a quiet and patient manner. Being transported is stressful for cattle, but you can minimize their distress by being calm and taking your time. Although movie cowboys do a lot of whooping or hollering around their herds, such loud noises scare the animals and make them harder to load on the trailer the next time.

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• House your new arrivals in a small, secure holding lot and look them over for injuries.

Limiting the size of the pen for your new cattle reduces nervous pacing and decreases the opportunity to escape. Make sure the pen is stocked with good-quality grass hay and plenty of clean water. After you unload all the cattle, check for any injuries that may have occurred during transport.

• Always make sure your cattle have access to a clean, fresh, and plentiful supply of water.

Beef cattle drink a lot. During a hot summer day, for example, a mother cow with a nursing calf can consume nearly 18 gallons of water.

• Keep your new cattle separate from the rest of your animals so they have no fence line contact. This quarantining procedure helps reduce the spread of disease through air, direct contact, feed, water, equipment, or traffic.

Beef cattle may need to be isolated from 21 to 120 days depending on which diseases are of concern in your area. Your vet can help with specific recommendations.

Keeping Your Cattle Healthy

Feeding And Watering Your Cattle One of the main things you can do to keep your cattle healthy and content is to properly take care of their dietary needs. Here are some tips for tending to all four of your bovine’s stomachs: • When adding or removing feeds from your animal’s diet, gradually make the change over a week or so. An abrupt switch in feedstuffs can harm the helpful bacteria in the digestive tract and cause an unsafe change in a bovine’s digestive juice pH. • Be prepared for big appetites. Beef cattle can consume up to 3 percent of their body weight a day in dry feed.

• Provide your cattle with forage to keep their digestive systems functioning correctly. You can meet your animal’s forage requirements by letting them graze pasture or feeding them dried, harvested hay.

• Use concentrates to supplement forages as needed. Supplements are particularly useful during times of drought, to help market cattle put on fat, or to meet the nutritional needs of a lactating and ovulating young cow.

Concentrates like the grains of corn, oats, wheat, and barley are good sources of energy for your cattle. Soybean and cottonseed meal supply both energy and protein.

• Add minerals and vitamins to your cattle’s diet to keep them healthy and productive.

You can mix these nutrients with the other feed you provide your cattle, or you can serve it up in a free-choice feeder for animals on pasture.

The Progressive Rancher

• Provide only wholesome feedstuffs. Don’t feed your cattle any grain or hay that’s musty, moldy, or soiled by animal feces.

Sure, you can provide your cattle with medical care when it gets sick or hurt, but preventing disease and injury in the first place is even better.

Practice the following measures to keep niggling beef cattle concerns from morphing into big problems: • Provide a stress-free environment for your animals. Stress makes any living creature more susceptible to disease, and cattle are no exception. So take the time to always interact with your cattle in a calm and low-stress fashion.

• Monitor your animal’s feed consumption.

Decreased appetite is an early sign of sickness.

Healthy cattle come up to the feed trough at every meal to eat. Healthy cattle on pasture have full and rounded stomachs.

• Keep an eye out for changes in vital signs.

For mature cattle, the normal temperature range is 100.4 to 103.1 degrees Fahrenheit, the pulse is 40 to 80 beats per minute, and the respiration rate at rest is 10 to 30 breaths per minute.

• Create a vaccination schedule for your cattle and follow it. Implement an immunization schedule for respiratory and clostridial diseases. If you have breeding animals, you also want to have a reproductive vaccination program. Many fairly priced and highly effective vaccines are on the market.

REMEMBER! Be sure to read and follow all label directions when giving shots.

• Develop a good working relationship with your veterinarian. Your vet can be a great adviser as you strive to keep your herd of cattle in tip-top shape.

This article is from the book Raising Beef Cattle For Dummies. The authors are graduates of the Purdue University School of Agriculture and raise cattle on their diversified family farm in Indiana. In addition to raising calves from their own herd, the Royers also purchase and finish feeder cattle from other producers.

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DO. NOT. WAIT. Start talking with your range cons now to make a plan for the summer.

Right now, I’m sure we are all doing the same thing: watching every long-range forecast, looking over our livestock, and checking the pastures to see what forage survived the winter. Despite the cold, now is the time to look ahead and make a plan for how you’ll handle another potentially dry summer. If you’re like me, turnout is only a few weeks away.

For others, it might be a couple months in the future. Either way, the time to plan is now.

Agency personnel want to hear from you. When you are looking out into the fog (or in our case, the dust) trying to see ahead for the coming year, always remember our old “friend” NEPA.

ACTION ITEMS

Before calling your range con, write down the answers to these questions for yourself: • Are your livestock in the condition you want?

• Are your livestock still showing the effects of last year’s drought?

• How does your pasture look?

• Did you get timely moisture last season? Any fall moisture in the ground?

• Do you have carry-over forage or are you counting on spring growth to sustain you?

• Are you looking to lease pasture?

• Are you changing your rotation to access adequate forage at the start of the season?

• What is your plan if we don’t get more rain this summer?

Most importantly:

• Are you making changes to your grazing plan, planning to haul water into new areas, adding a supplement to your program, or making other changes that will require a new NEPA?

If you don’t like the answers to any or all of those questions, it is past time to start a discussion with your local agency people. This is particularly crucial if you are in need of a new NEPA. Make your first call today.

TELL US WHAT’S HAPPENING ON THE GROUND

Have you made voluntary changes to your grazing operations in order to ensure your livestock AND the land remain healthy during severe drought conditions? Click the form below and tell us. Your personal details will not be shared.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/17ZOxtaDTgsUP5uvf7n0W5nf8un1UsYTuij2jEcXutv0/edit It is up to us - the ranching community - to step up and direct our own future. It can be done; it has been done and there are people who can help you get started. PLC is always on watch for offices that make blanket changes and adjustments in stocking levels and/or turnout and removal dates. The best defense is a good offence - and a plan for how to meet challenges head on. That plan begins, and relies on, good communication with your agency.

Your future is in your hands. Are you going to direct it or are you just along for the ride?

Niels Hansen, Public Lands Council President

LEARN MORE: https://publiclandscouncil.org/commentperiods/ https://publiclandscouncil.org/plc-events/ www.progressiverancher.com

A weekly analysis of western ranching politics brought to you by the Public Lands Council In the Administration: PLC Comments 30x30 Atlas Proposal

PLC remains engaged in the Administration’s proposal to conserve 30 percent of America’s lands and waters by 2030. This week, PLC submitted comments on behalf of our state and national affiliates on the Administration’s America the Beautiful campaign “Atlas” call for information. The Atlas is intended to be the administration’s tool to track progress under 30x30. PLC believes the Atlas needs to recognize the good work ranchers already do, be flexible enough to change with needs over time, and avoid an approach that favors preservation over conservation.

This conversation is far from over; PLC requested the administration hold direct stakeholder engagement. Read PLC’s request here: https://f iles.constantcontact.com/51cf4e1c701/7929fecb-2017-41d4-b39fe9f15ed50720.pdf Executive Director Kaitlynn Glover also joined RFD TV’s Suzanne Alexander this week to highlight the role of grazing in landscape conservation and discussed PLC’s role in reminding the administration that success under 30x30 requires the leadership and engagement of public lands ranchers.

In Congress: Funding the Government before the Deadline!

In the late hours of March 10, the Senate took the final step to approve an omnibus appropriations spending bill for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22). Why is this important to PLC members? The bill contained a number of PLC priorities, not the least of which was continued inclusion of a provision that allows western states and private partners the flexibility to conduct successful conservation of sage brush habitat without the threat of an Endangered Species Act listing for the Greater Sage Grouse.

Glover joined industry leaders, stakeholders, and representatives of rural America in acknowledging the hard work of many Members of Congress protect these conservation efforts.

“Voluntary” Permit Retirement Bill Reintroduced - Oppose Now!

Representatives Adam Smith (WA) and Jared Huffman (CA) have reintroduced the ill-advised Voluntary Grazing Permit Retirement Act (H.R. 6935) www.congress.gov/117/bills/hr6935/BILLS-117hr6935ih.pdf The bill would force the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior to permanently retire federal grazing permits that are waived by a permittee for any reason.

Despite false claims that the bill “increases flexibility for federal grazing permittees”, the bill puts a dangerous tool in the hands of activists who want nothing more than to eliminate livestock grazing.

Permanent retirement of grazing permits takes management tools away from local land managers. Protecting livestock grazing is more important than ever before as we work to make landscapes more resilient to drought, wildfire, and other threats.

Tell your delegation to oppose H.R. 6935, the “Voluntary” Grazing Permit Retirement Act today!

The Progressive Rancher

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BU

E

21ST

H

S FOR T L L

CENTURY

2022 SALE REPORT 86 bulls averaged $3584 at Snyder’s Bulls for the 21st Century sale in Yerington, Nevada on March 13. 63 Angus averaged $3545, 3 Brangus averaged $4700, 8 Charolais averaged $3650, 3 LimFlex averaged $3233, 4 Red Angus averaged $3488, and 5 SimAngus averaged $3600. The high selling bull, a Sydgen Enhance son consigned by Westwind Angus, sold to Brian and Heather Kingdon for $7250.

The high selling Brangus, a MYTTY In Focus son consigned by Romans Brangus and Angus, sold to Alta Genetics for $7000. The high selling Red Angus, a 9 Mile Franchise 6305 consigned by Lana Trotter, sold to Ron Paregien for $5750. The high selling Charolais, a Lt Affinity 3221 PLD son consigned by Fred Jorgensen, sold to Pete Delmue for $4000.

The sale is a big weekend for Yerington. Every motel room in town was full with people attending the event. Dr. Dave Daley spoke at the Bull Buyer’s seminar on Saturday preceding the sale. He recounted his experience with the devasting Bear fire and urged the audience to become better communicators by first becoming listeners. He also talked about the California Cattle Council, an assessment paid by producers to fund projects to benefit the cattle industry in California.

The seminar was followed by a huge party hosted by Yerington Rotary and Yerington PEO. Both organizations worked hard to put on Boots, Buckles, and Bling, a fantastic dinner dance, with auction and raffle.

The sale was the end of a career for auctioneer, John Rodgers. He and Lucy worked together for many years and he sold every one of the twenty three Bulls for the 21st Century sales. Ringmen, Logan Ipsen, Matt MacFarlane, and John Dickinson reminisced about working with John and he was presented with a tooled leather director chair engraved with, “THE BEST DAMNED AUCTIONEER OF THE BEST DAMNED BULL TEST.” John Rodgers’ final sale was also the final sale for the Snyder Bull Test. At the end of the sale, Lucy Rechel announced that Bulls for the 21st Century was being discontinued.

John Rodgers of Western Video Sales ends his auctioneering career at Lucy’s.

“A perfect sale to end an elegant career for an elegant person.” - Leana Carey, Editor

Logan Ipsen of Western Video Sales gives John Rodgers a heart felt congratulations on retirement and a thank you for his contribution to Logan’s success in the business.

Everyone felt it had been an honor to haved worked with John Rodgers during their lives.

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The Progressive Rancher

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Champion Calving Ease Continental Easterly 2602/257H

Champion Angus Westwind 2008/G0569

Champion Red Angus/Brangus Trotter 2201/024

Lucy’s Award Lana Trotter

Champion Calving Ease Angus Lancaster 2037/093

High Point Bull and Champion Angus Angus consigned by Dave and Paula Holden Westwind Angus Champion Other Breeds Calving Ease Division Brings consigned by Greg Roman 2093/115J Romans Brangus and Angus Champion Calving Ease Angus Division Consigned by Lancaster Ranch (consignor not present) Champion Continental Division SimAngus consigned by Kris and Casey Gudel, 2706/135 Gudel Cattle Company (consignor not present) www.progressiverancher.com

Champion Continental Calving Ease Division LimFlex consigned by Tom Easterly Champion Other Breeds Division Red Angus consigned by Lana Trotter Trotter Red Angus (consignor not present) Best Consignment Dave and Paula Holden/Westwind Angus Lucy’s Award Lana Trotter (not present)

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APRIL 2022

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The total payout for RHR was $25,750 with the top team taking home $6,437.50

2022 EVENT CHAMPIONS Ranch Hand of the Year: Chris Bengoa Team Branding – McFarlane Quarter Horses Ranch Doctoring – McFarlane Quarter Horses Wild Mugging, Trailer Loading and Team Roping Winner of all three: C7 Cattle Steer Stop – Kaite McFarlane, McFarlane Qtr Horses Saddle Bronc – Zalin Arritola, McFarlane Qtr Horses Team Roping – Miller Livestock Solutions Tie Down Roping – Miller Livestock Solutions Branding – Miller Livestock Solutions Trailer Loading/Doctoring – NK Ranch Vendor of the Year: Reclaimed NV Silversmithing

OVERALL TEAM RESULTS 1st: McFarlane Quarter Horses – Wilder, Idaho

1st: NK Ranch – Owyhee, Nevada

2nd: C7 Cattle – Gooding, Idaho

2nd: Tri State – Winnemucca, Nevada

3rd: Jim Ranch – Owyhee, Nevada 4th: Ride Em and Slide Em – Bruneau, Idaho

3rd: Miller Livestock Solutions – Bruneau, Idaho

5th: Vanbelle Ranch – Paisley, Oregon

4th: Kiel Livestock – Lovelock, Nevada

Photo above: 1st Place: McFarlane Quarter Horses with Calcutta winner Brynn Lehman

Below: 1st Place: NK Ranch with Calcutta winner Monel Bilant

Pictured left to right: Brynn Lehman, Zalin Arritola, Jaylen Eldridge, Jerad McFarlane, Kaite McFarlane, and Ryan MacKenzie

Pictured left to right: Miss Reno Rodeo Kaili Hill, Katie Cavasin, Addy Hill, Jessica Kelly, Timmy Lyn DeLong, Monel Bilant, and NSJHSRA Princess Kayleigh Marshall

5th: Young Guns – Nampa, Idaho

OVERALL WOMEN’S TEAM RESULTS

34 APRIL 2022

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COW DOG TRIALS Brace Class • 1st: Brian Jacobs with GS Mojo & RKB Lacy • 2nd: John Rose with Tuffy & Toby • 3rd: Jeffery Horner with Gun & Tesla Open Class • 1st: Paula Gow with Ko Jack • 2nd: Jeff Clausen with Ruthe • 3rd: David Gordon with Nuck • 4th: Brian Jacobs with GS Mojo • 5th: JR Bailey with JJ Intermediate Class • 1st: John Rose with BJ Toby • 2nd: Shauna Moser with Sophie • 3rd: Gina Liberini with 2S Echo Ranch Class • 1st: Chantelle Nielsen with Jack • 2nd: Trev Moser with Jude • 3rd: Sylvia Arnett with Becca Nursery Class • 1st: Brian Jacobs with Ransom • 2nd: Mike Collins with Pie • 3rd: JR Bailey with JJ

BRACE: Brian Jacobs with GS Mojo & RKB Lacy

NURSERY: Brian Jacobs with Ransom

OPEN: Paula Gow with Ko Jack

RANCH: Chantelle Nielsen with Jack

All Cow Dog Trial winners pictured with Matt Wilson from Outlaw Saddles & Silver and NSJHSRA Princess Kayleigh Marshall Cow Dog Trials Intermediate Champion: John Rose with BJ Toby

2022 Wild Horse Race Champions: Team Noland Jess Noland, Leroy Morningowl, Avon Garcia

Top Selling Horse $36,000 – Mobsters Hideout Consigned by Tom & Carmen Buckingham Buyer: Joree Anderson from Winnemucca, Nevada Overall Sale Average: $12,640 | Top 10 Sale Average: $19,250 www.progressiverancher.com

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Natural Resources Conservation Service U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Contact: Heather Emmons 775-335-5146 / heather.emmons@usda.gov

USDA Invests $200,000 in Nevada to Reduce Wildlife Risk, Improve Watershed Health and Restore Wildlife Habitat in Santa Rosa-Paradise Landscape Apply for NRCS Funding by April 22 for weed treatment The Nevada Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the U.S. Forest Service HumboldtToiyabe National Forest together will invest almost $200,000 this year to the Santa Rosa-Paradise Priority Landscape Restoration Project through the Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership.

The partnership enables NRCS and the Forest Service to collaborate with agricultural producers and forest landowners to invest in conservation and restoration at a big enough scale to make a difference. Working in partnership at this scale helps reduce wildlife risk, improve watershed health and restore wildlife habitat in the Santa Rosa-Paradise Landscape in Humboldt County, Nev. NRCS will provide $60,000 for three years to apply weed treatment through its Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and producers are encouraged to apply for fiscal year 2022 funding by April 22, 2022 by contacting the Winnemucca, Nev. USDA Service Center.

“The partners in Nevada are due high praise for voicing the needs and bringing resources. The Paradise Sonoma Conservation District played an important role,” said NRCS Nevada State Conservationist Ray Dotson. “We look forward to the partners assisting in the critical outreach efforts to educate local ranchers about this great opportunity. Staff from the HumboldtToiyabe National Forest are great partners. This is the second Joint Chiefs proposal approved in Nevada. I look forward to future funding based on the clear results we are achieving.”

Project partners include: the U.S. Forest Service, NRCS, the Conservation District Program, NDF, Nevada Department of Wildlife, Nevada Department of Agriculture, BLM, Bureau of Indian Affairs, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Ft. McDermitt Paiute and 36 APRIL 2022

Shoshone Tribe, the Paradise Sonoma Conservation District, the Paradise Valley Weed District, the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Service Humboldt County Office, the University of Nevada, Reno’s Great Basin Fire Science Exchange and Humboldt County.

About the Landscape

The Santa Rosa-Paradise landscape is a priority landscape under Nevada Division of Forestry’s (NDF) Forest, Range and Watershed Action Plan.

This landscape includes lands managed by the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest Santa Rosa Ranger District and adjacent private, tribal and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands in Humboldt County, Nevada. The collaborative funding will be used for: 1) removal of Medusahead and other invasive annual grasses and noxious weeds, and reseeding/restoration; 2) reestablishment of a cross-jurisdictional fuel break that protects the Santa Rosa-Paradise Landscape; and 3) proper functioning condition (PFC) assessments for prioritized streams to guide future watershed restoration.

The Santa Rosa-Paradise Landscape is sagebrush dominant with a diversity of other plant species in more shallow water basins. The project activities will reduce wildfire risk to multiple shared values, improve habitat for sage grouse, mule deer, Lahontan cutthroat trout and other species, and benefit the rural economy by protecting and enhancing the productivity of rangelands that support both family and corporate ranching, protecting mining industry infrastructure and maintaining and improving recreational opportunities and access and related economic activities.

the Oregon border, Orovada on the western side of the range along Hwy. 95, and Paradise Valley, all ranching communities. The Santa Rosa Range is the largest range on the western side of the priority landscape and includes the Santa Rosa Paradise Peak Wilderness.

The Quinn River Valley is in the northwest, and Paradise Valley and Eden Valley are located in the south.

The project area encompasses priority sage grouse habitat, including leks, Lahontan cutthroat trout streams, mule deer fawning habitat and migration corridors, cultural heritage sites, and tribal lands with culturally important plant and animal species.

“The Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership is an excellent example of what we can accomplish with our partners when we manage the landscape as a whole,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Wildfires have no boundaries, and neither should our efforts to reduce wildfire risk and enhance the resilience of our forests, communities, water supplies and working lands. These Joint Chiefs projects are excellent examples of how agencies can work together and use targeted funding to achieve dramatic conservation improvements that benefit natural resources, build drought resiliency and address the climate crisis.”

Congress recently recognized the value of this important USDA program by making it permanent in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, signed by President Biden. This year, Forest Service and NRCS will invest in 41 projects, including 17 new projects, bringing together agricultural producers, forest landowners, and national forests and grasslands to improve forest health using available Farm Bill conservation programs and other authorities.

For full project descriptions and information on completed projects, visit the Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership website: https://tinyurl. com/RestorationPartnership

More Information

Agricultural producers and forest managers interested in participating in Joint Chiefs’ or other USDA conservation programs should contact their local USDA Service Center.

Service Center staff continue to work with agricultural producers via phone, email and other digital tools. Because of the pandemic, some USDA Service Centers are open to limited visitors.

Contact your Service Center to set up an in-person or phone appointment. More information related to USDA’s response and relief for producers can be found at www.farmers.gov/coronavirus

The Martin Fire burn area in the Santa Rosa-Paradise landscape

About the Project Area

The Santa Rosa-Paradise area is in north central Nevada along the Oregon border.

Populated areas include McDermitt on The Progressive Rancher

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Southern Nevada water supply faces Colorado River restrictions www.unr.edu/nevada-today

Southern Nevada will be getting at least 7% less water from the Colorado River, as the federal government restricts water allocations due to falling water supply.

Scientists expect temperatures to continue to rise and water supply to decrease in the coming decades. Creative strategies and approaches will need to be applied to address the reduced supplies, three professors at the University of Nevada, Reno suggest in a series of blog posts about the Colorado River, the drought and its effects on Nevada. The professors study the climate and politics of water in Nevada and the drought impacts of the Colorado River.

The Climate Prediction Center longrange outlook based on the U.S. Drought Monitor shows continued drought for the next three months in much of the West. It’s not looking good for the Colorado River, one of the main sources of water for Las Vegas, as the federal government has been forced to institute policies for the first time that limits the amount of water going to the partners in the Colorado River agreement.

Creative strategies needed to address long-term shortages, say three University of Nevada, Reno professors

But, steadily dropping river flows and reservoir levels are not exactly a surprise.

Scientists have long warned that higher temperatures, especially if they coincide with a drought, could stress water supply in the Colorado Basin and force us to be more thoughtful and creative in how we use and manage water. The past year has underscored that message.

Scientists expect temperatures to rise in the coming decades. There is still some uncertainty about just how big a dip those higher temperatures will take out of the Colorado River, but as it warms, the overall amount of water available will drop and droughts will be worse than they would otherwise have been. To meet Nevada’s current and new water demands, we will need innovation in water policy and management, new technology and conservation strategies, and the research to support those changes.

PART TWO: https://www.unr. edu/nevada-today/blogs/2021/ impact-of-colorado-rivershortages-on-nevada The impact of Colorado River water shortages on Nevada

PART ONE: www.unr.edu/ nevada-today/blogs/2021/risingtemps-and-colorado-river

Changes to water policy needed as time runs out

Rising temps stress water supplies in Colorado River

By: Elizabeth Koebele, Assistant Professor of Political Science; and

The West will need a variety of strategies to sustain this important resource

Max Robinson, Research Assistant and hydrogeology graduate student

By: Steph McAfee, Nevada State Climatologist and Associate Professor, Geography and Extension Drought on the Colorado River has been in the news over the past year. In August, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s water-level forecasts for January 2022 indicated that the water levels in Lake Mead, one of the system’s major reservoirs, would stay below 1,075 feet elevation. Because of how low water levels have fallen, a Tier 1 shortage was declared. This means that southern Nevada, which gets about 90% of its water from the Colorado, will have to make do with 7% less water. www.progressiverancher.com

how collaborative water sharing processes used over the last 20 years in the Colorado River Basin may provide insight into the renegotiation process and the development of long-term solutions to one of the biggest problems facing Nevada and the Western U.S. PART THREE: https://www.unr. edu/nevada-today/blogs/2021/ final-colorado-river-installment Large-scale water reuse investments target drought in the West Investments such as $1.2 trillion infrastructure law passed by Congress are key to the future By: Kerri Jean Ormerod, Associate Professor, Geography & Extension Most Nevadans are accustomed to having potable water on demand, regardless of season or drought. As drought threatens urban water supplies, there are two basic water management strategies: reduce demand and/or increase supplies. Reuse of highly treated municipal wastewater, known as reclaimed water or recycled water, is becoming a more common supply-side solution to water scarcity.

According to the USGS, each Nevadan, on average, uses about 197 gallons of potable water per day (compared to the national average of 82 gallons per day). Much of the water used indoors ends up as wastewater that is flushed down our toilets, sinks and showers. In Washoe and Clark Counties, reclaimed water is already used to irrigate parks, golf courses and other green space.

In southern Nevada, any treated wastewater that is returned to Lake Mead earns “return flow credits” for the water authority, which means that for every gallon of treated wastewater that enters the reservoir, a gallon can be removed for later use. Additionally, researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno are currently collaborating with local agencies to explore the feasibility of a potable water reuse project. These are just two of the creative ways that reclaimed water can augment urban water supplies in Nevada.

Additional background: Scientists keep watch on climate and weather as drought grips Nevada

Interdisciplinary approach from UNR Extension keeps people informed and involved. www.unr.edu/nevada-today/news/ 2021/drought-and-climate-in-nevada

Lake Mead water levels are rivaling the low water levels as seen here in the climate.gov photo taken in 2014. Photo by Ken Dewey, Applied Climate Science, SNR, UNL.

In August 2021, the Colorado River captured the attention of the nation.

In a first-of-its-kind decision, the federal government declared a water shortage on the river, which provides 90% of southern Nevada’s water supply.

Mandatory water delivery cuts, known as “Tier 1” reductions, followed for NV and Arizona as well as Mexico. Paired with expectations of a drier climate, these cuts have catalyzed a conversation about how the region’s water policies – and assumptions about future water availability – must be adapted.

Elizabeth Koebele’s research team at the University of Nevada, Reno is leading efforts to better understand

The Progressive Rancher

APRIL 2022

37

GRASS UP TO YOUR SHOULDERS 5 1/2Ton/ 1st Cutting

(AND WE’RE SHORT ON WATER!) *Jerry Hoagland, Seven High Ranch, Reynolds Creek, Owyhee Co, Idaho

MACBETH MEADOW BROME We run out of creek water about June 1, and Macbeth still kicked out the tons. We had to raise the swather to get through it!

Of the five meadow bromes on the market, Macbeth is the only one that excels on dryland or low water. A meadow brome will always be your highest yielding grass!

Macbeth will have leaves about as wide as barley.

New Seeding

Macbeth with 360-D dryland alfalfa * Black Ranches/ Bruneau, Idaho

* 360-D was chosen for it’s longevity

Greenway Seeds

Caldwell, Idaho www.greenwayseed.com Alan cell: 208-250-0159 Message: 208-454-8342

Alan Greenway Seedsman Over 50 years Experience 38 APRIL 2022

$

3.50/lb

(USD) - Free Shipping on 2000 lbs. or more!

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Churchill County Cowbelles |

Favorite Beef Recipes

By Leana L. Carey, President

I’ve been asked, how can you make “smoked and grilled beef ribs” if you don’t have a grill or a smoker? You just buy some ribs, turn on that oven, and make some fall-off-the-bone beef ribs! You won’t believe these oven-baked results; the ribs smell and taste smoked and grilled. Of course a smoker is better, but this is a great (and easy!) alternative. I used back ribs, but this recipe will work for any beef ribs.

Oven-Baked Dry-Rubbed Fall-Off-The-Bone Beef Ribs

Ingredients

2.5 pounds of beef ribs 1 tablespoon onion powder 1 tablespoon garlic powder 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon oil 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon smoked paprika About 2 tablespoons your favorite BBQ sauce

Equipment: Large baking sheet • Aluminum foil • Ziploc bag or large air-tight container • Basting or pastry brush • Spoon Directions: Remove the inedible silverskin on the underside of the ribs to ensure the dry rub gets to the meat on the underside. Use a sharp knife to get underneath the connective tissue sitting just on top of the bone on the underside of the ribs. Once you have a flap, use your hands (with a paper towel helps) to pull it off.

Put all of the spices in a bowl. Add in the oil and then mix the ingredients together very well until they form a crumbly paste. Apply the spice mixture liberally to the beef ribs and cover each side of the ribs. Use all of the spice mixture. Place the spice covered ribs into a ziploc bag or an air-tight container and leave them outside of the fridge for 1-2 hours to marinate for same day preparation (or overnight in the fridge for next day preparation).

After marinating (ie, when ready to cook), pre-heat oven to 250 degrees F.

Put a large sheet of aluminum foil over a large baking sheet and then place the beef ribs on the foil. Wrap the ribs up by either using another foil sheet, or folding the sheet you already have down, whichever is easiest. The goal is to create a sealed pouch for the ribs to sit in. Make sure not to pile the ribs on top of one another.

Put the ribs into the oven on the middle rack, close the oven door, and forget about them for 3-4 hours (I went 3.5) then take out of the oven and open up the pouch to see how the ribs are doing. They won’t look right at first, but you will notice that they are already fall-off-the-bone tender.

At this point, set the oven to broil. Once the broiler is fully hot, place the ribs under the broiler on the middle rack for 5 minutes. This allows the ribs to take on color and get a much crispier texture on the outside. Be careful and watch the ribs the entire time. The fat from the ribs that ends up on the foil can sometimes catch fire under high heat. If that happens, simply remove the ribs, sop up any grease from the foil that may be catching fire with paper towel, and return ribs to the broiler.

You can now eat the ribs, but I highly recommend first taking some of your favorite barbecue sauce and brushing about 2 tablespoons lightly over all of the ribs. You can use a basting/pastry brush. I don’t recommend baking/broiling with the barbecue sauce because it burns very easily.

If the ribs were all connected as one rack, you can now cut up the ribs using a large butcher knife before serving. Otherwise, just tear off pieces and enjoy. Be careful moving them around before serving because these ribs really do fall off the bone. www.progressiverancher.com

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APRIL 2022

39

Presort Standard U.S. Postage PAID Permit #40 Tooele, UT

Call or stop in for our complete list of Seeds in stock

Ron’s Seed & Supply

Salt tolerant, drought-hardy, organically approved and non-GMO seed varieties available.

710 Grass Valley Rd • Winnemucca, NV 89445 775-623-5053 • ronsseed@gmail.com

Serving Nevada Agriculture for 40 years HARVXTRA & ROUNDUP READY ALFALFA ®

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WL 343HQ

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©2021 Forage Genetics International, LLC. Roundup Ready® is a registered trademark of Monsanto Technology LLC, used under license by Forage Genetics International, LLC. HarvXtra® Alfalfa with Roundup Ready® Technology and Roundup Ready® Alfalfa are subject to planting and use restrictions. Visit www.ForageGenetics.com/legal for the full legal, stewardship and trademark statements for these products. HarvXtra and NEXGROW are registered trademarks of Forage Genetics International, LLC. Prices and programs are subject to change. Because of factors outside of Forage Genetics International’s control, results to be obtained, including but not limited to yields, financial performance, profits, losses or otherwise, cannot be predicted or guaranteed by Forage Genetics International.