Proposal to Delist Wolves in Two States
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The National Livestock Weekly January 1, 2007 • Vol. 86, No. 12 “The Industry’s Largest Weekly Circulation” Web site: www.wlj.net • E-mail: [email protected] • [email protected] • [email protected] A Crow Publication Proposal to delist wolves in two states Idaho and Montana ranchers “The plan we hope and think we can may see relief in wolf protection re- come to an agreement to is to delist gardless of the ongoing lawsuits in wolves in parts of Oregon and Utah Wyoming. The U.S. Fish and and the states of Montana, Idaho, Wildlife Service (FWS) has an- and Wyoming. If Wyoming can es- nounced they will begin taking steps tablish a management plan this toward delisting wolves in the two legislative session, we can probably states regardless of whether or not delist all of them. If they cannot, we Wyoming has submitted an accept- will delist all of the states other able management plan by the first than Wyoming.” part of the year. This is good news for livestock Wyoming’s management plan has producers in Montana and Idaho been tied up in lawsuits since the who have seen significant finan- reintroduction of wolves over one cial losses that can be attributed to decade ago. This has impeded Mon- the growing numbers of wolves in tana and Idaho’s ability to pursue the region. However, two questions the delisting of wolves in spite of the remain. How long before wolves economic repercussions the rein- are delisted and what liberties, if troduction of the wolves has had any, will be given to ranchers? Un- on their states. fortunately, it is unclear what the These two states have been forced exact outcome of the delisting will to wait for Wyoming and FWS to be. come to an agreement in spite of the “When they do decide to take the fact that they both have manage- wolves off of the endangered species The market has been mostly quiet as heavy storms blanket the western states in deep snows. ment plans in place. Meanwhile, list, it will allow the state more wolves have been terrorizing farm- Cattlemen welcome the moisture, but conditions have made everyday chores a challenge. flexibility and management oppor- ers and ranchers whose hands have tunities,” said Lloyd Knight, exec- been tied, until now. Cattlemen pursue litigation against EPA The FWS has said that it “will utive vice president of the Idaho start removing federal protections Cattlemen’s Association. “It should The National Cattlemen’s Beef EPA’s Clean Air Scientific Adviso- agreement, NCBA is pursuing lit- from gray wolves in Montana and allow more flexibility to our produc- Association (NCBA), along with ry Committee’s Particulate Mat- igation to have the agreement put Idaho by January, regardless of ers and an ability to more careful- several other agriculture and non- ter Review Panel recommended into a revised version of NAAQS to whether Wyoming has submitted ly manage the safety of their herds. agriculture organizations, submit- excluding agricultural areas from ensure that EPA cannot enforce an acceptable plan to manage its It should give them an additional ted petitions pursuing litigation coarse PM NAAQS regulation. The compliance at a later date. own wolves by then.” tool.” against the Environmental Protec- information was passed on to NC- “We are challenging the ruling to However, Ed Bangs, the wolf re- Bangs said the delisting of wolves tion Agency (EPA) Dec. 18, 2006. BA in a letter dated Nov. 2, 2006. see it reflect what they say their in- covery coordinator at FWS, says, See Wolves on page 15 NCBAsubmitted a formal petition However, the exemption was not in- tent is, which is not to apply the reg- to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the cluded in the recent revisions of ulations to agriculture,” said Joe District of Columbia Circuit seek- the NAAQS. Schuele, director of Communica- South Korea finds high ing review of EPA’s air quality stan- “On livestock operations, dust is tions at NCBA. “We are pleased dards that regulate agriculture produced by tilling soil, planting that they have verbally agreed to dioxin levels in U.S. beef dust. and harvesting crops, driving on not apply the rules to agriculture, The Clean Air Act Ambient Air dirt roads, spreading nutrients on but right now, there is no protection On Dec. 22, U.S. and South Ko- Dioxin is a term that describes Quality Standards (NAAQS) for fields, mixing feed, and by cattle in place to ensure that it becomes rean officials traded questions a group of hundreds of chemicals Particulate Matter (PM) (dust) re- simply moving around in feedlots,” permanent.” with regard to uncommonly high that are highly persistent in the visions were released on Oct. 17, said Tamara Thies, director of en- Another concern that was levels of dioxin found in the most environment. It is formed as an 2006. After extensive efforts put vironmental issues at NCBA. brought to EPA by NCBA was the recent beef shipment which had unintentional byproduct of many forth by NCBA, EPA agreed that “These are examples of the dust issue of compliance. Schuele says, been rejected on Dec. 6, 2006. The industrial processes. The major agriculture operations emit only that would be regulated under a “We have identified to EPA that rejection of the third shipment of cause of dioxin in the environ- “fugitive” emissions (cannot be cap- coarse PM NAAQS.” the standards set forth in NAAQS U.S. beef has caused significant ment is waste-burning incinera- tured and measured). As a result, Although there was a verbal are simply unattainable for agricul- frustration, skepticism, and even tors. ture operations. It would be im- anger among U.S. officials and KimMee-kyung, the senior re- possible to get in compliance even America’s cattlemen. searcher at the quarantine serv- Cattle trade remains with the most substantial efforts.” Secretary of Agriculture Mike ice in South Korea, said that diox- Many farms and ranches are sim- Johanns said the rejection of the in is oftentimes found in beef as ply unable to control dust to the lev- third beef shipment “clearly illus- a result of environmental pollution trates that South Korean officials in the food chain. She added that slow as another el EPArequires, even with the “best are determined to find an excuse South Korea administers random management practices,” says Thies. to reject all beef products from testing on approximately 100 sam- “The EPAhas put agriculture in an storm pounds region the United States.” ples of imported beef per year. The last significant fed cattle trade was a week ago Friday when impossible situation, with no scien- The rejection comes at a time USDA spokesman Keith the market was established at $85 and $135 on limited trade prior tific justification.” when U.S. officials and cattle pro- Williams said that South Korea’s to Christmas. Heavy winter weather in much of the feeding states In addition to the petition, NC- ducers are reaching a limit with findings are very unusual and are has slowed trade significantly. At midday Thursday, just a handful BA has also submitted extensive regard to the ongoing conflict with inconsistent with the amount of comments on the issue including of cattle traded at steady levels with the prior week. South Korean beef imports. The See Dioxin on page 16 Slaughter was much slower last week with the holiday-shortened evidence, acknowledged by EPA, industry has had to deal with schedules. For the week through Thursday, 343,000 head passed that fugitive dust presents no pub- three rejections as a result of sig- through packing plants, which was 30,000 lower than the same lic health concerns. nificantly small bone fragments week a year ago. Daily slaughter was lower, which makes one won- “Ranchers are experienced at discovered by South Korean offi- der if Swift has been able to staff up after their immigration incident. managing air quality and utilizing cials. Only 116,000 head were processed last Thursday. Packers were able dust control practices on their Seoul has asked Washington to to squeeze out a little profit on this week’s cattle; the packer index ranches,” says Thies. “Dust is—at explain the levels of dioxin that showed them earning $7.50 a head. In the week ending Dec. 23, there most—a nuisance issue and should were found in the latest shipment. were only 615,000 head processed which is respectable for this time be regulated accordingly. It is not South Korea allows for 5.0 of year. a health issue that warrants reg- picograms (one picogram is the With one more week to go, year-to-date beef production was at 25.3 ulation at the level that EPA’s rule equivalent of one trillionth of one billion pounds, up 5.7 percent from a year ago. It took 32,525,000 head requires.” gram) of dioxin. According to a to produce that much beef. Actual cattle slaughter was 3.9 percent Other organizations that filed a statement issued on Dec. 21, the above last year’s number. petition on Dec. 18 are the Ameri- South Korean Agriculture and Beef markets have been very slow this past week with very small can Farm Bureau, National Pork Forestry Ministry found 6.26 load counts on boxed beef sales. The Choice cutout was trading a Producers Council, and the U.S. picograms of the toxic substance See Markets on page 11 Chamber of Commerce. —Rae- in one gram of fat in a U.S. beef Marie Gordon, WLJ Editor sample. INSIDE WLJ RED BLUFF BULL SALE — The FDA SAYS CLONED ANIMALS SOUTH KOREA THREATENS GORDON BROWN NAMED INDEX Time Sensitive Priority Handling Red Bluff Bull Sale, dubbed the OK TO EAT — After more than BAN — South Korean lawmakers NWSS ARTIST — The 15th an- Beef bits ..............................P-3 Superbowl of bull sales, is set for five years of study, the Food and threatened to reinstate the ban on nual Coors Western Art Exhibit & Markets ............................P-11 one of its biggest years ever.