Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Environment”
Pollinator Week 2017 is the tenth consecutive year of the program that unifies the nation around the vital issue of pollinator conservation. June 19 through 25 has been designated National Pollinator Week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of the Interior. More than 160 events across North America have also been organized to support Pollinator Week. …
from USDA Agricultural Research Service A scent that petunias and snapdragons release to attract pollinators may be an environmentally friendly control for pests like the spotted wing drosophila fly (SWD) and the brown marmorated stink bug. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) chemist Aijun Zhang discovered the fragrant chemical methyl benzoate, which is also a popular ingredient approved by the U.S. Food and …
Sand County Foundation, the California Farm Bureau Federation and Sustainable Conservation are accepting applications for the $10,000 California Leopold Conservation Award. “We encourage others to apply for this opportunity to tell their stories of the entwined relationship between working landscapes and conservation,” said Dina Moore, owner of Lone Star Ranch, the 2016 recipient. The award honors California farmers, ranchers, foresters …
American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall has asked the leadership of a Senate committee to approve the nomination of Susan Bodine to Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assistance of the Environmental Protection Agency. Duvall’s letter to Chairman John Barrasso and Ranking Member Tom Carper of the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works praised …
Ask Public to Help Boost Pollinator Population Second Lady Karen Pence and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue today unveiled a newly-installed beehive on the grounds of the Vice President’s residence, drawing attention to the plight of pollinators whose numbers are in decline. Together, the two urged Americans to do their own part to help reverse the population trend among the creatures, …
“President Trump promised that he would put America first and he has rightly determined that the Paris accord was not in the best interests of the United States. In addition to costing our economy trillions of dollars and millions of jobs, the accord also represented a willful and voluntary ceding of our national sovereignty. The agreement would have had a …
Candidate Donald Trump vowed to get rid of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in virtually every way, leaving only tidbits of what it once was. A Washington Post article says his budget proposal aims to follow through on that campaign promise. The proposed budget from the White House hits the EPA with a 31 percent budget cut, down to $5.65 …
Just weeks away from the deadline, counties, irrigation districts, farmers and other entities are finalizing agreements to form locally controlled groundwater sustainability agencies in affected basins across the state.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Public Lands Council filed comments this week to the EPA calling for immediate action on several burdensome regulations the agency put forward under previous Administrations. The groups said that the regulations, “inhibit job creation, are ineffective, are unnecessary, or impose costs that exceed the environmental benefits. Often, these regulations impose federal requirements on …
After a week in which the Trump administration turned its attention to policies that affect farmers and ranchers, California agricultural leaders said they’re encouraged by much of what they heard. Soon after Sonny Perdue was confirmed as U.S. agriculture secretary last week, President Donald Trump met with farmers, signed executive orders and introduced a tax plan that includes repeal of …
Whether you are a longtime advocate of cover crops—or have never even considered using them—the Soil Health Partnership is encouraging all farmers to participate in the USDA’s 2017 Cover Crop Survey. In its fifth year, the survey helps the USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program understand why farmers choose to use cover crops, or the reasons that they don’t. …
Congress is expected to pass an appropriations bill this week that for the remainder of this fiscal year would provide strong support for many of the voluntary conservation programs that millions of landowners nationwide utilize to protect and improve America’s water quality, soil health, and wildlife habitat. “NACD is very pleased that House and Senate appropriators have finally reached an …
Sand County Foundation, the California Farm Bureau Federation and Sustainable Conservation are accepting applications for the $10,000 California Leopold Conservation Award. The award honors California farmers, ranchers, foresters and other private landowners who demonstrate outstanding stewardship and management of natural resources. “Receiving the Leopold Conservation Award is an honor and a legacy that we value today and hope inspires our …
The National Dairy FARM Program has released its Environmental Stewardship Continuous Improvement Reference Manual in cooperation with the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. Released in celebration of Earth Day, the guide provides a comprehensive suite of on-farm management practices to reduce a farm’s environmental footprint and improve its profitability. Specifically, the manual features a detailed explanation of the FARM Environmental …
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt last week promised a back-to-basics agenda approach for the federal agency. While visiting a Pennsylvania coal mine, Pruitt announced the agenda, saying the new focus “means returning EPA to its core mission: protecting the environment by engaging with state, local,and tribal partners to create sensible regulations that enhance economic growth.” In his speech to …
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced separate settlements with two companies over the improper storage and labeling of agricultural pesticides. J.R. Simplot Company, one of the largest privately-held agribusiness companies in the nation, and Gar Tootelian, Inc., a long-time distributor of chemicals and fertilizers in the San Joaquin Valley, have agreed to pay a total of $131,920 in civil penalties. …
More than 220 agriculture, wildlife, and conservation organizations from across the country sent a letter urging the House and Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittees to protect farm bill conservation funding in fiscal year (FY) 2018. The groups, which included the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD), the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation …
Many Californians looked at the recent EPA budget cuts announcement as positive news regarding current regulation. Agriculture leaders say those cuts probably aren’t going to ease constraints, however.
April is Awareness Month for Invasive Plant Pests Each year, harmful invasive plant pests and diseases cost the United States about $40 billion in crop losses, damage to forests and vulnerable ecosystems, and expensive eradication and control efforts. It only takes one person who moves one piece of infested firewood, one infected plant, or one piece of infested fruit to …
The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District produced a long list of measures that would be needed to meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) air quality standards. The list was very aggressive, including replacement of all almond harvesters with low-emitting upgrades and the possibility of “no-farm days”.
