The Range Rights and Resource Symposium, Your Rights Are Your Property!

The Range Rights and Resource Symposium, Your Rights Are Your Property! Protect the Harvest Protect The Harvest will be hosting its Range Rights and Resource Symposium, May 20th and 21st in Layton, Utah. The theme of the symposium will be ‘Ending the Sound of Silence: Your Rights Are Your Property!’ Attendees will be able to hear from speakers including Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), Ramona Hage, Demar Dahl (past president of Nevada Cattlemen’s Association and current Chairman of the Nevada Land Management Task Force), Waddie Mitchell, Terry Padilla, and many more. The event will be emceed by Trent Loos, host of the Loos Tales radio program, experienced farmer and agriculture advocate. The Range Rights and Resource Symposium will cover a wide range of topics, such as: Pending Legislation, Public Relations and Intimidation, Federal vs. State Right to Water, and Grazing and Wild Horses. Tickets for the symposium can be purchased here. They are $125 through May 10th and $150 thereafter, the cost includes one dinner and two lunches.

Closure Order For Sacramento Ranger District to protect New Mexico meadow jumping mouse By lincoln national forest • May 5, 2016

The Lincoln National forest has issued a closure order (08-277) pursuant to 16 U.S.C § 551 and 36 C.F.R. 261.50 (a) to protect New Mexico meadow jumping mouse occupied habitat (areas within critical habitat where the New Mexico meadow jumping mouse is known to persist). The New Mexico meadow jumping mouse is listed as an endangered species with critical habitat (areas considered necessary for the recovery of the species). The Forest Service has a legal obligation to protect the jumping mouse and the critical habitat, under the Endangered Species Act. The purpose of this closure order is to protect areas of New Mexico meadow jumping mouse occupied critical habitat during the season the species is active and most vulnerable. The closure order will include all occupied critical habitat on the Lincoln National Forest. These areas include small portions of Agua Chiquita, Silver Springs, Rio Peñasco and Wills Canyon within the Sacramento Ranger District (see attached map). The closure will remain in effect for two years fromMay 1, 2016 to October 31, 2016 and May 1, 2017- October 31, 2017. Further analysis will be completed to determine future actions beyond October 2017. The closure restricts all entry to the restricted area. Authorized roads and trails within the restricted area will remain open. Exceptions to the closure include: Forest Service employees on official duty, anyone authorized by the Forest Service to enter the restricted area, and emergency personnel performing official duty. Any violation of these prohibitions is punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000.00 for individuals and $10,000.00 for organizations, by imprisonment for not more than six (6) months, or both. [Title 16 USC 551, Title 18 USC 357(b)(6), Title 18 USC 3581 (b)(7)]. Signs will be posted in the closure areas. For additional information about this closure on the Sacramento Ranger District, please call Ciara Cusack at 575-682-2551, Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Visit the Lincoln National Forest at www.fs.usda.gov/lincoln Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/LincolnUSForest

USDA Announces Conservation Reserve Program Results

USDA Announces Conservation Reserve Program Results More Than 800,000 Acres Selected Through Highly Competitive Application Rounds WASHINGTON, May 5, 2016 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the enrollment of more than 800,000 acres in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) through the program's 49th sign up period. Through CRP, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) helps farmers offset the costs of restoring, enhancing and protecting certain grasses, shrubs and trees that improve water quality, prevent soil erosion and strengthen wildlife habitat. Farmers' and ranchers' participation in CRP continues to provide numerous benefits to our nation, including helping reduce emissions of harmful greenhouse gases and providing resiliency to future weather changes. "The Conservation Reserve Program provides nearly $2 billion annually to land owners – dollars that make their way into local economies, supporting small businesses and creating jobs. When these direct benefits are taken together with the resulting economic activity, the benefits related to CRP are estimated at $3.1 billion annually," said Vilsack. "Over the past 30 years, CRP has created major environmental improvements throughout the countryside. The program has removed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere equal to removing nine million cars from the road annually, and prevented 600 million dump trucks of soil from erosion. With today's announcement, USDA is continuing these achievements by maximizing conservation benefits within the limitations provided by law." This was one of the most selective sign-up periods in CRP's 30-year history, with a record high Environmental Benefits Index cut-off and the lowest-percentage of applications accepted. The high bar means that the per-acre conservation benefits are being maximized and that acres enrolled address multiple conservation priorities simultaneously. A nationwide acreage limit was established for this program in the 2014 Farm Bill, capping the total number of acres that may be enrolled at 24 million for fiscal years 2017 and 2018. At the same time, USDA has experienced a record demand from farmers and ranchers interested in participating in the voluntary program. As of March 2016, 23.8 million acres were enrolled in CRP, with 1.7 million acres set to expire this fall. Over three million acres have been offered for enrollment this year across the three main categories within CRP, with USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) receiving over 26,000 offers to enroll more than 1.8 million acres during the general enrollment period, and over 4,600 offers to enroll more than one million acres in the new CRP Grasslands program. Coming off a record-setting 2015 continuous enrollment of over 860,000 acres, more than 364,000 acres already have been accepted for 2016 in the CRP continuous enrollment, triple the pace of last year. FSA will accept 411,000 acres in general enrollment, the most competitive selection in in the history of the program, with the acreage providing record high conservation benefits. USDA selected offers by weighing environmental factors plus cost, including wildlife enhancement, water quality, soil erosion, enduring benefits, and air quality. The results of the first-ever enrollment period for CRP Grasslands, FSA will also accept 101,000 acres in the program, providing participants with financial assistance for establishing approved grasses, trees and shrubs on pasture and rangeland that can continue to be grazed. More than 70 percent of these acres are diverse native grasslands under threat of conversion, and more than 97 percent of the acres have a new, veteran or underserved farmer or rancher as a primary producer. FSA continues to accept CRP Grasslands offers and will conduct another ranking period later this year. Acres are ranked according to current and future use, new and underserved producer involvement, maximum grassland preservation, vegetative cover, pollinator habitat and various other environmental factors. Participants in CRP establish long-term, resource-conserving plant species, such as approved grasses or trees (known as "covers") to control soil erosion, improve water quality and develop wildlife habitat on marginally productive agricultural lands. In return, FSA provides participants with rental payments and cost-share assistance. Contract duration is between 10 and 15 years. CRP is currently protecting more than 100,000 acres of bottomland hardwood trees, nearly 300,000 acres of flood-plain wetlands, and 300,000 acres each for duck nesting habitat and nearly 250,000 acres of upland bird habitat. In addition, CRP is creating economic benefits that include at least $545 million per year in recreation benefits and water quality benefits from reduced sedimentation of $587 million per year. Throughout the Obama Administration, USDA has generated thousands of critical partnerships to conserve and protect our natural resources on working landscapes, while enrolling a record number of acres in conservation programs. Seventy-percent of the nation's land is owned and tended to privately, and America's farmers, ranchers and landowners have willingly stepped up to address the growing impacts of a changing climate. With USDA's support, they work to implement voluntary practices that improve air and water quality, prevent soil erosion and create and protect wildlife habitat. Since 2009, USDA has invested more than $29 billion to help producers make conservation improvements, working with as many as 500,000 farmers, ranchers and landowners to protect land and water on over 400 million acres nationwide. To learn more about FSA's conservation programs, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/conservation or contact a local FSA county office. To find your local FSA county office, visit http://offices.usda.gov. #

Eddy County May 11th Public Meeting

Eddy County May 11th Public Meeting News / Other News Less event details Date Wed, May 11 2016 1:30 PM MDT — Wed, May 11 2016 7:30 PM MDT About Eddy County is holding the first public meeting as part of updating the 2008 Eddy County Comprehensive Plan. The meetings will be facilitated by the County’s consultant, Consensus Planning, and will include a discussion of where the community sees Eddy County being in the next 20 years. Each of the elements in the 2008 Eddy County Comprehensive Plan (land use, economic development housing, transportation, infrastructure, water resources, public facilities, hazard mitigation, and implementation) will be updated as part of this planning process. The first public meeting will be held at two separate locations on Wednesday, May 11th in Artesia and Carlsbad, and will also be available through live stream. Citizens are welcome to attend either one of the meetings in accordance with their preferred and most convenient location: • The public meeting in Artesia will be held from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Eddy County North Road Department, 2611 S 13th Street • The public meeting in Carlsbad will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Eddy County Administration Building, Commission Chambers 2nd Floor, 101 W. Greene Street The public meeting in Carlsbad will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Eddy County Administration Building, Commission Chambers 2nd Floor, 101 W. Greene Street NOTE: it was in this process that extraterritorial zone was proposed in the past.

USDA Offers New Loans for Portable Farm Storage and Handling Equipment

USDA Offers New Loans for Portable Farm Storage and Handling Equipment Portable Equipment Can Help Producers, including Small-Scale and Local Farmers, Get Products to Market Quickly COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 29, 2016 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide a new financing option to help farmers purchase portable storage and handling equipment. Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Val Dolcini and Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Administrator Elanor Starmer announced changes to the Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) program today during a local and regional food roundtable in Columbus, Ohio. The loans, which now include a smaller microloan option with lower down payments, are designed to help producers, including new, small and mid-sized producers, grow their businesses and markets. "As more communities reconnect with agriculture, consumer demand is increasing for food produced locally or regionally," said Dolcini. "Portable handling and storage equipment is vital to helping farmers get their products to market more quickly and better maintain product quality, bringing them greater returns. That's why we've added this type of equipment as a new category for our Farm Storage Facility Loan program." The program also offers a new "microloan" option, which allows applicants seeking less than $50,000 to qualify for a reduced down payment of five percent and no requirement to provide three years of production history. Farms and ranches of all sizes are eligible. The microloan option is expected to be of particular benefit to smaller farms and ranches, and specialty crop producers who may not have access to commercial storage or on-farm storage after harvest. These producers can invest in equipment like conveyers, scales or refrigeration units and trucks that can store commodities before delivering them to markets. Producers do not need to demonstrate the lack of commercial credit availability to apply. "Growing high-value crops for local and regional markets is a common entry point for new farmers," said Starmer. "Since they often rent land and have to transport perishable commodities, a loan that can cover mobile coolers or even refrigerated trucks fills an important gap. These producers in turn supply the growing number of food hubs, farmers markets or stores and restaurants interested in sourcing local food." Earlier this year, FSA significantly expanded the list of commodities eligible for Farm Storage Facility Loan. Eligible commodities now include aquaculture; floriculture; fruits (including nuts) and vegetables; corn, grain sorghum, rice, oilseeds, oats, wheat, triticale, spelt, buckwheat, lentils, chickpeas, dry peas, sugar, peanuts, barley, rye, hay, honey, hops, maple sap, unprocessed meat and poultry, eggs, milk, cheese, butter, yogurt and renewable biomass. FSFL microloans can also be used to finance wash and pack equipment used post-harvest, before a commodity is placed in cold storage. AMS helps thousands of agricultural food producers and businesses enhance their marketing efforts through a combination of research, technical services and grants. The agency works to improve marketing opportunities for U.S. growers and producers, including those involved in specialty crop production and in the local and regional food systems. Visit www.ams.usda.gov to learn more about AMS services. Today's announcement will further advance the efforts of USDA's Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative, which coordinates the Department's work to develop local and regional food systems. USDA is committed to helping farmers, ranchers, and businesses access the growing market for local and regional foods, which was valued at $12 billion in 2014 according to industry estimates. Under this Administration, USDA has invested more than $1 billion in more than 40,000 local and regional food businesses and infrastructure projects. More information on how USDA investments are connecting producers with consumers and expanding rural economic opportunities is available in Chapter IV of USDA Results on Medium. To learn more about Farm Storage Facility Loans, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/pricesupport or contact a local FSA county office. To find your local FSA county office, visit http://offices.usda.gov. #

Expanding Opportunities for Minor Crops: Final Rule to Revise Crop Grouping

Expanding Opportunities for Minor Crops: Final Rule to Revise Crop Grouping EPA is finalizing a rule to revise the pesticide crop grouping regulations that allow the establishment of tolerances for groups of related crops. The final rule will expand the number of crops that can have tolerances established and thus will allow minor use growers a wider choice of pest control tools including lower-risk pesticides, to be used on minor crops, both domestically and in countries that import food to the United States. Crop groupings allow petitioners to request a tolerance for multiple related commodities based on research data on a representative crop. This is the fourth in a series of revisions to the crop groupings. The final rule revises the existing leafy vegetable (except brassica) and brassica vegetable crop groups, as well as establish new crop groups, including: stalk, stem and leaf petioles; tropical fruit, inedible peel; and tropical fruit, and edible peel. This final crop group rule is in response to several petitions submitted to EPA by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Interregional Research Project Number 4 (IR-4). IR-4 helps growers by conducting research to support tolerances for products and crops that pesticide companies do not find profitable enough to support investment in the research. The Federal Register notice announcing the final rule is available at www.regulations.gov in Docket# EPA-HQ-OPP-2006-0766. Learn more about Crop Groupings and Minor Uses

Registration deadline extended for AgriFuture conference

Registration deadline extended for AgriFuture conference Registration closes this Friday for May 16-18 event in Las Cruces (LAS CRUCES, N.M.) – People who want to farm, ranch, or land another career in agriculture now have until May 6 to register for the AgriFuture Educational Institute, happening May 16-18 in Las Cruces. The AgriFuture conference aims to inform, inspire, and connect those who will produce our food and fiber (cotton, wool, etc.) going forward. Dozens of people will lend their talents and tales of experience during the event, including: • Mesilla Valley farmer, entrepreneur, and past member of the national Faces of Farming and Ranching program Jay Hill • Ruidoso-area ranchers and entrepreneurs Laura Jean Schneider (author of a series on ranching in High Country News) and Sam Ryerson • Former National FFA officers Paul Moya, a native New Mexican, and Wiley Bailey • Farm kid-turned Miss America 2016 Betty Cantrell The farm-to-retail sector, value-added production, and international trade will be addressed during the institute’s breakout sessions. Then attendees will board several buses to take private tours of a wide variety of agricultural businesses in and around Las Cruces. New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA) and a dozen other agencies and organizations involved in New Mexico agriculture are coordinating and hosting AgriFuture, which is open to future agricultural producers age 40 and under; veterans are encouraged to attend. It is also open to current agricultural producers of all ages in hopes that they will serve as mentors going forward. “AgriFuture is an excellent way for existing agriculture producers to impart generations of knowledge to young producers and future producers,” said Beverly Idsinga, executive director of Dairy Producers of New Mexico, one of the conference’s sponsors. “This knowledge is vital to keep agriculture thriving and to pass the torch on to the next generation.” People who want to attend must register at http://2016-agrifuture.eventbrite.com by Friday, May 6. Event updates are being posted at www.facebook.com/NMDepartmentofAg. The registration fee for future agriculture producers is only $50 for the Institute and includes lodging. The fee for current agriculture producers (those who can potentially mentor beginning farmers and ranchers) is only $100. Institute activities are being planned by NMDA and several of the state’s agricultural organizations: Ag New Mexico Farm Credit Service, Dairy Producers of New Mexico, Farm Credit of New Mexico, New Mexico Association of Conservation Districts, New Mexico Beef Council, New Mexico Cattle Growers Association, New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau, New Mexico State University’s Cooperative Extension Service, New Mexico Wool Growers Inc., USDA-Farm Service Agency, and USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service. Institute activities are also being funded by these and other organizations, as well as a long list of individuals. To help sponsor the institute in any amount, please call NMDA at 575-646-5063.