News Update

News Update
Feb. 21, 2007

Endangered Species Act Reform Introduced

Efforts to reform the Endangered Species Act (ESA) have been revived in the 110th Congress, according to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).

Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) and Craig Thomas (R-Wyo.) introduced the Endangered Species Reform Act of 2007 (S.658) on Feb. 16 — a bill that seeks to strengthen species recovery while providing for local community input.

According to NCBA, the bill aims to:

• Give impacted states a larger voice in the listing process by requiring the Secretary of the Interior to solicit assessments from those states.

• Allow for more public comment opportunities by requiring a minimum of two hearings in each of the affected states.

• Require advocacy groups that petition for an ESA listing to provide information on the species that has been tested in the field, peer reviewed and published by a scientific source. Petitioners must also provide the historical and current range and distribution of the species in addition to the status and trends of all populations of that species.

• Allow the Interior Secretary to use data observed by landowners on the status of that species.

• Require the Interior Secretary to prepare a recovery plan upon the proposal to list a species and for the Secretary to change the status of a species or remove the species from the list upon meeting those criteria.

The bill has been reported to the Environment and Public Works Committee where it awaits further action.

Checkoff Report Debuts

The Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board (CBB) has released its new research annual report, titled “Creating Opportunity with Knowledge.” The report details the history of the beef checkoff and its benchmark discoveries gained during the past 20 years.

This years report includes:

• A historical overview of beef safety research, such as interventions developed through the checkoff’s aggressive response to a major E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in 2002. The report covers recent findings and sets the stage for further studies in safety areas such as beef packaging technologies, emerging pathogens, pre-harvest interventions and dust cloud cross-contamination.

• A look at the continuing role of product enhancement research, such as the kind that led to creation of Beef Value Cuts, which are now firmly entrenched in foodservice.

• A historical perspective on some of the studies that went deep into the nutritional makeup of beef and have led to a new, positive profile for lean beef in a healthy diet.

• Findings of attitude studies targeting young people, ground beef and just what factors drive consumer protein preferences. The checkoff continues to track and trend consumer behaviors, particularly in areas of retail, foodservice and new products.

To view this report online or for more information on other checkoff-funded research, visit www.beefresearch.org or call (303) 694-0305.

N.J. Court Upholds Farm Animal Treatment Standards

A New Jersey appellate court Feb. 16 unanimously rejected an animal rights/food safety coalition’s attempt to toughen state standards for farm animal treatment.

According to The Associated Press, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, directed by the state legislature, had developed and adopted regulations governing humane care, raising and marketing of domestic livestock. However, a coalition of animal welfare groups, organic consumer groups and others argued that the regulations allowed inhumane practices, AP reported.

The group’s attempts to appeal the state standards failed.

— compiled by Crystal Albers, associate editor, Angus Productions Inc.