FARM AND RANCH DAYS

Keynote speakers provide updates during annual event in Fremont County

Producers and other agricultural stakeholders in and around Fremont County gathered in Riverton Feb. 8-9 for the annual Fremont County Farm and Ranch Days, which hosted University of Wyoming (UW) educators and agriculture leaders from across the state to discuss a variety of topics impacting local agriculture and Wyoming producers.

The event also welcomed National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist Lance VandenBoogart for a keynote address on the first day, and

U.S. Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) addressed attendees the following day.

Wyoming sees record wet year

The National Weather Service’s (NWS) mission is to provide weather, water and climate data, forecasts, warnings and impact-based decision support services for the protection of life and property and enhancement of the national economy.

VandenBoogart addressed attendees by answering

Please see EVENT on page 22

Colorado River update

Wyoming State Engineer’s Office hosts webinar to provide updates

The Wyoming State Engineer’s Office (SEO) Colorado River Working Group hosted a Wyoming SEO public webinar Feb. 7 to discuss plans for a consensus-based modeling alternative (CBMA) for Lakes Powell and Mead, in addition to the System Conservation Pilot Program (SCPP) 2023.

SEIS process and summary

On Jan. 30, the Colorado River Basin State representatives of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming sent a six-state letter to the Bureau of Reclamation (BuRec) in response to the BuRec’s public scoping process for a supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) intending to supplement the 2007 Interim Guidelines for Lower Basin Shortages and Coordinated Operations for Lake Powell and Lake Mead.

In the letter, representatives asked BuRec to model and evaluate CBMA impacts in the draft SEIS to be issued pursuant to the

FWS files ESA removal

On Feb. 3, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) completed the initial review of three petitions filed to remove the grizzly bear from the list of endangered and threatened wildlife under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE), Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) and the lower 48 states.

Petitions with FWS

On Dec. 17, 2021, the state of Montana filed a petition to designate and delist a NCDE distinct population segment (DPS) of the grizzly bear. On Jan. 21, 2022, FWS received a petition from the state of Wyoming to designate and delist the GYE DPS of the grizzly bear.

The GYE occurs in portions of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. On March 9, 2022, FWS received a petition from the state of Idaho to delist the grizzly bear in the lower 48 states.

FWS found the first two petitions present substantial information indicating the grizzly bear in the NCDE and the GYE may qualify as their own DPS.

FWS found the third petition to remove ESA protections for the grizzly bear in the lower 48 states does not present substantial, credible information to warrant further action.

If the removal of the GYE grizzly bear is warranted, management authority will be given to each of these three states.

Grizzly bear recovery and conservation are complex issues, requiring coordination among federal agencies, states, Tribes and other stakeholders.

According to FWS, “The FWS appreciates the states historical commitments and partnerships to recover bears, particularly through conflict prevention efforts which have been

Please see FWS on page 6

Wakely makes childhood dream a reality Featured Young Producer

Getting into the cattle business was never an if for 32-year-old Colten Wakely, it was a matter of when. In fact, his love for the industry started at a young age on the living room floor, where he fondly remembers spending countless hours setting up a ranch with Lincoln Logs.

“I knew I wanted it to be a reality,” Colten says. “I have always loved this way of life and the people associated with it.”

After years of hard work and help from a close-knit circle of supporters,

Colten was able to make his lifelong dream a reality. He now runs a herd of cattle, alongside his wife Raelynn and his parents Ashlee and Forde, on their ranch in Lyman.

Humble beginnings

Colten explains his family’s operation started from the ground level around 1998 after his parents purchased an 80-acre pivot.

“After a couple years of putting up and selling hay, they decided we might

As cattle markets look bullish, most producers are starting to grow concerned for their cattle’s condition with the winter we’re having. The last few months have certainly been a wakeup call for everyone on the extreme conditions a hard winter can bring.

As we did in the 1970s-80s, we’ll make it through to welcome spring and leave this winter behind us. Every day lived is one less day of winter.

The cattle forecast predicts prices and profitability will favor cattle producers in 2023. This is great news, and to top it off, we’ve also been hearing the three-year drought in the northern Great Plains may be coming to an end.

There is already adequate snowpack in the mountains for irrigating water this summer. I just wish the snowpack in the lower country would ease up a little.

I’m hearing La Niña has only a 14 percent probability of existence this spring, and this percentage will drop further by summer.

A neutral phase will take control of the pattern as the drought weakens and may last several months before giving El Niño a chance to grow later this summer.

The latest U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Cattle Inventory report came out at the end of January and showed revised beef cow numbers dropping to the lowest since 1962. Beef cow replacements were down 318,000 from last year. This tells us beef cow numbers will not rebound quickly.

While the Northern Plains drought is predicted to ease this spring or early summer, it may not in states east and south of Wyoming, which will further extend the low numbers of cattle.

A report from of the University of Missouri said the current drought in Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota caused these six states to lose more beef cows than the rest of the country combined.

Cattlefax reports, “Tighter cattle inventories reported by USDA confirm several more years of smaller calf crops and tighter cattle numbers ahead. The cattle cycle is a slow ship to turn.”

Expanding cattle numbers on the average ranch takes so much money each year. It is a balancing act to pay the bills and retain heifers.

While higher-priced cattle will help producers through this situation, it will take more than one year to get back to where they were, and higher-priced cattle may actually end up hurting them if they want to buy cattle to get their herd numbers up. Higher interest rates will not help either.

There have been a large number of heifers sent to feedlots in the last two years, and the calf supply has really dropped.

CattleFax said, “Total cattle on feed supplies were down 537,000 head to 14.2 million. The inventory of feeder cattle and calves residing outside of feedyards was down 724,000 to 25.3 million, the smallest since 2015.”

Unless they just won the lottery, I don’t imagine anyone wanting to expand cattle numbers this month due to the horrific winter we’ve been having.

Now through the first of June will be an interesting time for the cattle business. Some decisions – both easy and hard – are going to have to be made.

However, as we move out of a drought and cattle numbers rise, along with the predicted drop in input prices, I hope these decisions will be easier.