News Update
February 13, 2015
Download Foot-scoring Spreadsheet
American Angus Association members can now download a spreadsheet to submit foot scores via their AAA Login account. Details of the Association’s new foot-scoring system were outlined in the February Angus Journal in the “By the Numbers” column (see page 142) and the article “Solid Footing” (see page 162).
To download the spreadsheets in AAA Login, click the “Spreadsheet Entry” tab. From that menu select the “Foot Score Spreadsheet.” Click the “Instructions” link for step-by-step procedures explaining how to select a group of animals, download the Excel spreadsheet, fill it out and return it to the Association for processing. The instructions also provide a description of phenotypes warranting each score, links to the Angus Journal stories and links to other pertinent information.
The data will be compiled in a data set that could lay the foundation for a genetic prediction tool for foot structure and soundness. Additional educational tools will be available soon. For more information, contact Dan Moser, AGI president, at dmoser@angus.org, or Tonya Amen, AGI genetic services director, at tamen@angus.org.
Ranchers’ Conservation Efforts Positively Impact Sage Grouse
The USDA Feb. 12 issued a report showing that since 2010, USDA and its partners in the Sage Grouse Initiative (SGI) have worked with private landowners to restore 4.4 million acres of habitat for Sage grouse while maintaining working landscapes across the West. USDA also announced that, through the provisions of the 2014 Farm Bill, it will invest in new sage-grouse conservation work during the next four years.
The SGI is a diverse partnership between ranchers, state and federal agencies, universities, nonprofit groups, and private business led by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS).
“We’re working with ranchers who are taking proactive steps to improve habitat for sage-grouse while improving the sustainability of their agricultural operations,” Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Robert Bonnie said. “Thanks to the interest from ranchers and support of our conservation partners, USDA’s NRCS is working to secure this species’ future while maintaining our vibrant western economies. Since 2010, we’ve worked with ranchers to conserve, restore or maintain more than 4 million acres of habitat on private lands — an area twice the size Yellowstone National Park.
Sage grouse are found in 11 states across the western United States and their habitat encompasses 186 million acres of both federal and private land. Public Lands Council (PLC) President Brenda Richards said livestock grazing and wildlife habitat conservation are complementary efforts.
“Ranchers are the original conservationists and they have been the best stewards of the land from the beginning,” said Richards, a rancher from Idaho. “I’m happy to see the hard work and dedication of ranchers is not only being recognized by USDA, but also encouraged to continue. With cooperation from stakeholders on the ground, the species and its habitat will be given the best possible chance to succeed.”
In the past five years, NRCS has invested $296.5 million to restore and conserve sage-grouse habitat, and has pledged to extend these efforts by approximately $200 million over four years through the conservation programs funded by the 2014 Farm Bill. Additionally, NRCS is piloting use of its Conservation Stewardship Program to broaden the impacts of SGI by targeting up to 275,000 acres to enhance sage-grouse habitat in 2015.
Through the SGI, conservation easements have increased across the range to 451,884 acres and have focused on eliminating the encroachment of conifer trees on grassland, which not only benefit the sage grouse, but also improve the forage available on grazing lands. The overgrowth of trees and brush serve as fuel for wildfires and are a significant threat to the rangeland, said Richards.
“The biggest threat to any wildlife population is lack of open space. Ranchers ensure that rangelands remain intact and in good health,” Richards said. “We also know that for the sage grouse, wildfire is another large threat. Due to SGI’s cooperation with ranchers and other stakeholders to remove fuel loads from the range, the risk of wildfire is greatly reduced.”
For more information, please view the full release here.
Look for Delegate Petitions in the Mail
Preparations are being made for the 2015 Annual Convention of Delegates this November in Overland Park, Kan. Forms to nominate delegates to the Annual Meeting will be mailed to every active life and regular Association member during the last week of March.
The nomination period is April 1-June 30. Each member is allowed to nominate one eligible active life or regular member who resides in the same state or district, including himself or herself. The candidate should be highly involved in the Angus business, willing to attend the meeting and able to represent Angus breeders.
Signed nomination forms must be received in the Association office no later than June 30, at which time every qualified nominee will be included on a state ballot. State ballots will be mailed to the membership in July to vote for the final slate of state delegates. When you receive the petition, please return it promptly.
Note These Junior Angus Deadlines
- March 2:
- – Ownership and entry deadline for the Western Regional Junior Angus Show
- – Nomination deadline for Advisor of the Year and Honorary Angus Foundation induction
- May 1:
- – Gold Award applications
- – Outstanding Leadership Award applications
- – Ownership and entry for the Northwest Regional Preview Junior Angus Show
- – Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) and Angus Foundation scholarship applications
- – Ownership and entry deadline for the Eastern Regional Junior Angus Show
Visit www.angus.org/njaa for more information and deadlines. Please note there are no exceptions to any of the ownership and entry deadlines.
Cattle Industry Coverage available online
The 2015 Cattle Industry Annual Convention & National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Trade Show was hosted in San Antonio, Texas, Feb. 4-7. Full event coverage by the Angus Journal editorial staff is available at www.4cattlemen.com.
Coverage includes general session business; keynote speakers, including internationally recognized graffiti artist and best-selling business author Erik Wahl and FOX News journalist Bret Baier; Cattlemen’s College® summaries; CattleFax outlook summaries; policy updates from NCBA, the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB), the Federation of State Beef Councils and American National CattleWomen Inc. (ANCW); and much more. Visit www.4cattlemen.com.
New Initiative to Engage Future Cattle Producers
To meet the needs of future cattle producers, the American Angus Association in March 2015 will launch a new program called Future Angus Stockmen. The intent is to impact the next generation through learning opportunities, while building a bond with the Angus breed and its member-driven organization.
The program is aimed toward college-age or recent graduates who want to raise high-quality Angus-based cattle. The program will offer educational opportunities that teach participants how to thrive in the cattle industry, social networking to connect them with fellow producers, and leadership development to instill an entrepreneurial spirit and drive to improve their businesses.
Participants will learn how to use proven information such as expected progeny differences (EPDs) and dollar-value indexes ($Values), while incorporating DNA technology to make data-driven decisions. Additional program benefits include enrollment in either AngusSource® or AngusSource Genetic, and access to Beef Record Service (BRS) or MaternalPlus® at a reduced cost for submitting data.
Young people who enroll in the program will have the chance to apply for scholarships if they are or will be enrolled in a two- or four-year college majoring in agriculture. Scholarship winners will be announced at the 2015 National Angus Convention & Trade Show Nov. 3-5, 2015, in Overland Park, Kan.
For more information, contact Ginette Kurtz, director of commercial programs at 816-383-5100 or gkurtz@angus.org.
Editor’s Note: The articles used within this site represent a mixture of copyrights. If you would like to reprint or repost an article, you must first request permission of Angus Productions Inc. (API) by contacting the editor at 816-383-5200; 3201 Frederick Ave., Saint Joseph, MO 64506. API claims copyright to this web site as presented. We welcome educational venues and cattlemen to link to this site as a service to their audience.