News Update
April 27, 2011

Obama Administration Affirms Comprehensive Commitment to Clean Water

The Obama Administration released a national clean water framework today, April 27, that “showcases its comprehensive commitment to protecting the health of America’s waters,” according to a USDA news release. “The framework emphasizes the importance of partnerships and coordination with states, local communities, stakeholders, and the public to protect public health and water quality, and promote the nation’s energy and economic security.”

The Administration’s framework outlines a series of actions under way and planned across Federal agencies. It includes draft Federal guidance to clarify which waters are protected by the Clean Water Act nationwide; partnerships and programs to improve water quality and water efficiency; and initiatives to revitalize communities and economies by restoring rivers and critical watersheds.

“The steps we’re outlining today will be instrumental to protecting the waters of the United States, and ensuring that the vital natural resources our communities depend on for their health and their economy are safeguarded for generations to come,” said EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. “After four decades of progress on clean water, there is still work to be done to address unfinished business and tackle new threats to our waters. American families and businesses are counting on us to maintain and improve the rivers, lakes, streams and other waters that support thousands of communities and millions of jobs across the country.”

“Healthy rivers and clean waters are fundamental to our economy, our health and our way of life,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “With growing pressures on our natural systems, we must work to secure cleaner, safer and more reliable water supplies for our communities.”

“As our nation’s foremost conservationists, farmers, ranchers and forest owners have a values system rooted in rural America that recognizes we cannot continue to take from the land without giving something back,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “At USDA, we are working with farmers, ranchers and forest owners to conserve land, plant stream buffers for cleaner water, and install other conservation practices. We also will continue to invest in rural water and community facility projects that help small towns ensure their citizens have access to safe and reliable drinking water. The draft Clean Water Act guidance released today reflects USDA’s work with our Federal partners by maintaining existing exemptions for ongoing agricultural and forestry activities, thereby providing farmers, ranchers and forest landowners with certainty that current agricultural and forestry activities can continue.”

According to the USDA news release, the Administration is safeguarding clean water by:

• Promoting innovative partnerships. Federal agencies are partnering with states, tribes, local governments and diverse stakeholders on innovative approaches to restore urban waters, promote sustainable water supplies and develop new incentives for farmers to protect clean water.
• Enhancing communities and economies by restoring important water bodies. The Administration is dedicating unprecedented attention to restoring iconic places like the Chesapeake Bay, California Bay-Delta, Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico and Everglades, investing in action and helping states, local governments and stakeholders find pollution control solutions that are tailored to their specific needs.
• Innovating for more water-efficient communities. The Administration is working with policymakers, consumers, farmers and businesses to save water and money through 21st century water management policies and technology.
• Ensuring clean water to protect public health. The Administration is aggressively pursuing new ways to protect public health by reducing contaminants in Americans’ drinking water. We are updating drinking water standards, protecting drinking water sources, modernizing the tools available to communities to meet their clean water requirements, and providing affordable clean water services in rural communities.
• Enhancing use and enjoyment of our waters. The Administration is promoting stewardship of America’s waters through innovative programs and partnerships. These efforts include expanding access to waterways for recreation, protecting rural landscapes and promoting public access to private lands for hunting, fishing and other recreational activities.
• Updating the Nation’s water policies. The Administration is strengthening protection of America’s waters and American communities. We are modernizing water resources guidelines, and updating Federal guidance on where the Clean Water Act applies nationwide. The draft guidance will protect waters that many communities depend upon for drinking, swimming and fishing, and provide clearer, more predictable guidelines for determining which water bodies are protected from pollution under the Clean Water Act. The guidance is open for 60 days of public comment to allow all stakeholders to provide input and feedback before it is finalized. 
• Supporting science to solve water problems. The Administration is using the latest science and research to improve water policies and programs and identify and address emerging pollution challenges.

For more information and to read the Obama Administration’s clean water framework, visit www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives/clean-water.

— Adapted from a release by USDA.

National Junior Angus Show Set for Pennsylvania

Angus and American pride will meet in Harrisburg, Pa., July 10-16 at the world’s largest single-breed beef cattle show — the 2011 National Junior Angus Show. The Pennsylvania Angus and junior Angus associations will sponsor the event, themed “Let Freedom Ring.” Look to your May 2011 Angus Journal for a preview of the show and/or click here to read more.

— Release by American Angus Association.

Onsite and Online Training Programs in Cattle Care Available
Commentary by Elizabeth Parker, NCBA chief veterinarian.

From ranchers to veterinarians and everyone in between, we all have a role in ensuring the safety and well-being of animals. In the U.S. cattle industry, animal abuse will not be tolerated. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) has proactively developed multiple initiatives to assure industry-wide adoption of sound animal husbandry practices. These programs, which are based on decades of practical experience, research and the most up-to-date science and education, ensure animal health and well-being and provide a safe, quality beef product for consumers here in the United States and around the globe.

Caring for cattle is not just something we have to do, it’s something we take pride in doing. I learned from my father how to care for cattle just as many other ranchers did. However, the face of our industry is changing. We can no longer rely on the tradition of passing animal care principles on from one generation to the next.

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, there are more than 308 million people living in this country. Yet there are only 742,000 beef cattle herds, of which more than 140,000 are represented by NCBA. Simply put, our work is cut out for us. That is why, as the oldest and largest national organization representing beef cattle producers, NCBA in 1987 developed the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Program, which is funded by the Beef Checkoff Program, to provide an educational platform for the cattle industry.

BQA is a successful voluntary program that helps to proactively identify and address areas of needed improvement in beef production. It works because of the responsibility and the ownership of the industry. In the Gettysburg Address, President Abraham Lincoln said our nation’s government was developed “by the people and for the people.” I am not attempting to compare apples to oranges here, but history has proven when individuals take ownership, they take responsibility. BQA is a successful program “by industry, for industry” that should never be weakened by being misused or construed as the basis of a regulatory or government mandated program.

BQA was designed and is regularly updated to provide flexibility to meet the diversity of the industry, including geographical needs, every producer sector or business model and all producer sizes. As technologies continue to develop, so have our programs. Veterinarians, animal scientists and farmers and ranchers joined forces to develop more than 70 online training modules through the Animal Care Training Program, a cattle management training program, which is managed by the Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State University.

The Animal Care Training Program provides relevant training information for animal caregivers and is available in both English and Spanish to help us efficiently reach all individuals directly responsible for caring for cattle. While training modules are available online and through other multimedia, we continue to utilize hands-on training. Stockman and Stewardship sessions, held around the country, apply BQA materials in a hands-on format with an emphasis on increasing cattle performance by reducing handling stress.

BQA guidelines provide managers of beef and dairy operations tools to train all workers on appropriate cattle husbandry and management, which includes humane handling and euthanasia. According to BQA, euthanasia is humane death occurring without pain and suffering. The decision to euthanize an animal should consider the animal’s well-being. When necessary, BQA states euthanasia should be done by either a trained employee or a veterinarian in accordance with the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) guidelines. The BQA Code of Conduct states that abuse of animals will not be tolerated. We believe any individual — from workers to guests — who witness willful animal abuse is responsible for making every effort to stop it immediately. Watching and doing nothing to stop abuse isn’t acceptable.

BQA isn’t our only tool. NCBA has worked with industry to develop and implement the Cattle Industry’s Guidelines for the Care and Handling of Cattle. The guidelines provide a basis for care and handling in areas ranging from feeding and nutrition to disease prevention practices to euthanasia.

BQA also developed a Quality Assurance Marketing Code of Ethics and the cattle industry follows a Producers Guide for the Judicious Use of Antibiotics, guidelines developed more than two decades ago and adapted from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), AABP and the Academy of Veterinary Consultants’ antibiotic use guidelines. NCBA’s Cattle Health and Well-Being committee provides strategic guidance to develop policies to ensure cattle health and well-being issues are being addressed to maintain the health and quality of cattle care.

The combination of these long-term proactive and responsible programs has made the United States a world leader in cattle health and well-being, as well as contributed to domestic and international food security. Our programs recognize the importance of each animal in our care as well as the entire cattle herd. We also recognize the human element — a much more difficult challenge to successfully address as fewer people are raised on farms. Cultural and language differences add to that hurdle. That’s why we’ve stepped up efforts to deliver education in multimedia options as well as hands-on training. We will continue to work to expand and improve this educational reach. 

Unfortunately, there are individuals and organizations attempting to spread misconceptions about animal care. They haven’t taken time to learn about the many initiatives and programs currently in place in the U.S. beef cattle industry to ensure animals are treated humanely. Rather than intentionally misleading consumers, media and all stakeholders, which actually demonstrates a total lack of care about the animals in front of them, it would serve everyone well if they would take a few minutes to learn about our industry’s commitment to animal care. NCBA members are passionately committed to providing the utmost care for our cattle and providing a safe, wholesome beef supply. We prove that each day. We will continue working to improve and address the human element in our diverse industry and never stop educating everyone handling and raising cattle.

— Release by NCBA.

Annual Piney Woods Cow Congress Set May 13 in Pollock

This year’s Piney Woods Cow Congress will feature management strategies for livestock producers to reduce losses from drought, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service personnel. But the programming won’t be just limited to loss reduction and economic-survival issues, said Cary Sims, AgriLife Extension agent in Angelina County. There will also be presentations on helping producers with everything from working cattle better to savvy marketing.

Set for May 13 at the Jim Gordon Bell Ranch, north of Lufkin, the congress will offer three continuing education units for Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide applicator license holders. One unit will be in the general category, one in integrated pest management and one in laws and regulations. Attendees will also earn one beef quality assurance credit, Sims said.

Registration for the congress is $25 at the ranch the day of the conference and will include lunch, refreshments and educational materials. Registration will be from 8-9 a.m. After an overview of the ranch, first up on the program will be a review of alternative summer forages presented by Lane Dunn, AgriLife Extension agent for Shelby County.

“These forage alternatives are annuals that are suited for East Texas that are drought tolerant and can produce high yields,” Dunn said. “Pearl millet, forage sorghums and a few forage legumes are possibilities for our area. Some of these are better suited for grazing, while others are better for hay production.”

The alternative forages presentation will be followed by a talk on grasshopper and armyworm control given by John Toner, AgriLife Extension Agent for Sabine County.

During a drought, infestations by these pests can take what little grass is left, Sims noted.

Chute-side manners will be next, and will cover ways to help livestock producers save money, time and work safely when doing vaccinations and other cattle-working chores. Jason Banta, AgriLife Extension livestock specialist, will give the talk.

After lunch, there will be presentations of marketing cattle and predator control. Texas Animal Damage Control Service representatives will be on hand to talk about predator control.

The meeting will adjourn by about 2:30 p.m., Sims said.

To get to the Jim Gordon Bell Ranch, go 4.5 miles west of the intersection of State highways 69 and 7 (located north of Lufkin) to Farm Road 1819. Turn right (north) and travel 1.7 miles, and look on the left for signage.

To ensure there are enough meals, participants need to RSVP to Sims by May 10 at 936-634-6414 or cw-sims@tamu.edu .

— Release by Robert Burns, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications.

— Compiled by Shauna Rose Hermel, editor, Angus Productions Inc.