More Emails Needed In Contacts With U.S. Senators
We appreciate the number of Farm Bureau members who have sent their emails to the two Nevada U.S. Senators, urging them to oppose the Build Back Better Act. For those who haven’t sent their emails…We Need You! It requires more than what we have to cause the type of attention that is being given.
We also appreciate the individuals who have been communicating back with us and sharing the form email responses that at least one of our Senators is replying with.
Following the recent news that the Congressional Budget Office has reported that the Build Back Better Act will add another $3 trillion to the federal deficit, we have tweaked the base message (which you can edit and include your own wording) that is provided in the Action Request platform. The December 10th news release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, offered these comments on the Consumer Price Index… “The all items index rose 6.8 percent for the 12 months ending November, the largest 12-month increase since the period ending June 1982. The index for all items less food and energy rose 4.9 percent over the last 12 months, while the energy index rose 33.3 percent over the last year, and the food index increased 6.1 percent. These changes are the largest 12-month increases in at least 13 years in the respective series.”
If you haven’t sent your email to Senator Cortez Masto and Senator Rosen, please take Action here: https://www.nvfb.org/take-action/#/11
Wage Rate Requirements For H-2A Announced
The United States Department of Labor has published the Adverse Effect Wage Rate for the coming year, which covers the required payments for H-2A workers. This American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Market Intel report (https://www.fb.org/market-intel/reviewing-2021-h-2a-participation-and-potential-2022-h-2a-wages) gives an outstanding overview of these most recent adjustments that will be taking effect.
For Nevada H-2A employers, the effective rates will be $1,807.23 per month for all Range occupations and $15.58 per hour for all non-Range Occupations. The rates for Range Occupations take effect January 1, 2022 and the rates for non-Range Occupations kick in on December 29, 2021.
Status Update On Emerging Nevada Brands Program
Over the past couple of weeks next steps have been completed in an overall journey of bringing into place the updated system for Nevada’s livestock brands/inspection program. On December 8th, the Nevada Board of Agriculture held a hearing and approved the remaining portion of the brands regulations that fell to their ability to adopt those limited portions of the overall package of regulations. These elements focused on horse brand inspections and associated fees. The Department had earlier held a hearing and gave approval to the rest of the regulations/fees.
This full regulation package will be going to the Nevada Legislative Commission on Tuesday, December 21st for final agreement and then moving forward to implementation.
On December 9th the Nevada Legislature’s Interim Finance Committee gave their approval for funding authorization to also advance the business plan for the program. These concepts include the use of the brand funds for paying half the salaries of four Agricultural Enforcement Officers as well as three full time brand inspectors and 30 part-time inspectors. Plans also include the implementation of a central dispatch system which will eventually establish a system for those needing brand inspections to contact this central location and brand inspectors would be scheduled and dispatched from this central location.
When the Nevada Board of Agriculture met, this resolution: https://files.constantcontact.com/ce74815a701/94a6831d-b666-4f8b-82cb-7d3c3db6279c.pdf which was presented by Demar Dahl, seeking further changes and restructuring of the brands program. In spite of assurances from the Department’s financial projections, there were concerns expressed during the Interim Finance Committee over whether the proposed changes would be sufficient to cover the necessary cost of the staffing levels. Of particular contention is whether the half funding that is going to the four Agricultural Enforcement Officers, paid for by fees that livestock producers pay for services is justified (and affordable) given the intention that these officers will have only a minor role (if any) in performing brand inspections.
To a certain degree the Interim Finance Committee’s approval came on the recognition that while there may be outstanding questions – not approving the proposal would have resulted in no funding authorization for going forward.
It hasn’t been firmly established, but there seems to be some possibility that the Board of Agriculture will further consider the proposed resolution that was made in the public comment period of the December 8th meeting.
BLM Sage Grouse Planning Process Update
In their virtual meeting December 15th the Nevada Sagebrush Ecosystem Council gained a little more information on the anticipated planning process the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has in mind. Nada Wolff Culver, Deputy Director, Policy and Programs for the BLM presented a rough outline of what the process will be as well where the next round will be starting from.
Matt Preston, also with the national BLM, added some information on the data assembled to be included in the mix for considering the future plans.
Deputy Director Culver indicated that a 75-day scoping window is the current phase, seeking public input on what should be included in the process for developing the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) which will form the basis for decisions as potential amendments to the BLM District Land Use Management Plans. Working from the basis of the 2015 Land Use Amendments, the Federal Register Notice included the notation that where existing planning decisions are still valid, those decisions may remain unchanged and be incorporated into the amended land use plans. It also includes the parameters that this set of land use plan amendments will be limited to making land use planning decisions specific to the conservation of Greater Sage Grouse and sagebrush habitats (although there will also be consideration of the impacts of climate change).
During the meeting’s public comment process, Nevada Farm Bureau made the request for an information workshop to be offered by the Nevada Sagebrush Ecosystem Technical Team, along with others knowledgeable of the information presented in “The Greater Sage-Grouse Plan Implementation – Range wide Monitoring Report for 2015-2020.”
New Entry-Level Driver Training Required For CDL Licenses In February
Our friends with the Nevada Truckers Association have reported a new development taking shape for individuals seeking to obtain a Class A or Class B Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), for the first time. This new federal requirement will become effective February 7, 2022. The piece, “Entry-Level Driver Training” (full article/pdf found here: https://files.constantcontact.com/ce74815a701/590e3018-f377-45bd-8b9b-c4900c901352.pdf) offers more details to explain the overview of what will be required for those who are seeking to obtain their first CDL. It also covers some of the “Myths and Facts” related to the upcoming changes.
Thanks For Those Who Joined The Meat Processing Round Table Meeting
The December 14th Meat Processing Roundtable, which Nevada Farm Bureau and the Nevada Department of Agriculture jointly hosted, drew 42 participants and offered great conversation around ideas for moving forward to establish greater opportunities for meat processing. There are currently two Nevada-based meat processing facilities with federal inspection by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Several additional facilities are in various stages of planning/development.
We greatly appreciate those who joined the virtual roundtable discussion and offered their thoughts and insights for potential further considerations. Nevada Farm Bureau is seeking to bring together interested participants to sort through possible alternatives and better understand what is needed for establishing opportunities for meat processing in Nevada.
This effort is guided by Nevada Farm Bureau policy, which states:
Nevada Meat Inspection Program: 141
- We propose that Nevada have a state meat certification program with necessary inspections and a functional Nevada Department of Agriculture program which allows for state inspected meats to be sold through in-state commercial channels.
- We also support a program that will allow a meat processor to operate with a custom-kill facility or a mobile facility.
- Nevada needs to pursue increased opportunities for expanding United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspection.
We welcome inquiries from Farm Bureau members and others who wish to become active in meeting to identify steps for making progress and interested in the necessary regulation development required to accomplish more Nevada-based meat processing options. Contact us by email – doug@nvfb.org.
Contacting Nevada Farm Bureau Office
Nevada Farm Bureau’s office will reopen from the holidays on Monday, January 3rd. Office phone lines will be monitored remotely and members needing service will be asked to leave a message for follow-up return phone contact. We would also welcome emails directed to doug@nvfb.org if you have need to have communications on a matter. On behalf of Nevada Farm Bureau’s staff and organization’s leadership, thank you for your support in 2021. We wish you all the best for 2022!