Happy March everyone! March is one of my favorite times of year with lots of good college basketball and of course, the beginning of calving season for most. It’s been a bit of an unpredictable winter thus far, but my fingers are crossed for decent calving weather.
NCA leadership recently attended the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Convention in Orlando, Florida. As always, there were plenty of issues discussed and a lot of good takeaways. Please check out the President’s Perspective article for more information on the discussion surrounding electronic identificiation devices and CattleFax’s market/weather predictions.
On the public lands front there is certainly no lack of activity. In 2021, President Biden signed an executive order calling for 100% “carbon pollution-free electricity sector” by 2035. In an effort to meet that goal, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is currently undergoing the agency’s Utility-Scale Solar Energy Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement. The proposal is an update of BLM’s 2012 Western Solar Plan, which identified areas in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah with high solar potential and low resource conflicts.
The updated roadmap refines the analysis in the original six states and expands it to include Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. All things considered, the BLM and Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory have determined that approximately 700,000 acres of public lands would be needed to meet those goals. However, BLM’s preferred alternative in the updated Western Solar Plan would provide approximately 22 million acres of land open for solar application, just shy of 7 million of those acres would be located in Nevada. Under BLM’s preferred alternative, solar application areas would consist of “lands within 10 miles of existing and/or planned transmission lines greater than or equal to 100kV.” Exclusions included areas that have a slope greater than 10% or areas designated as wilderness, national conservation lands, etc…
NCA is in the middle of reviewing the proposal in its entirety. Of course, the biggest concern is that solar facilities are placed on prime grazing ground, as opposed to already-degraded landscapes, leading to AUM decreases on grazing allotments. For those interested, the full Environmental Impact Statement can be viewed and comments can be made at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2022371/510. The comment period closes April 18th.
Also, just a quick note on BLM’s Public Lands Rule/Conservation Leasing Rule. The rule is currently being reviewed at the Office of Management and Budget (White House) and is expected to be published at any time now. It’s anyone’s guess what the final version of the rule may look like but whatever it looks like will be the final version with no other comment/engagement opportunities.
Lastly, we are also awaiting the draft of the new Sage Grouse Land Use Plans. Much like the Public Lands Rule, the draft Sage Grouse plans could be released at any time and what the plans could contain is unknown at the moment. In the interim, NCA will be promoting the consideration and inclusion of the recently completed University of Idaho study led by Dr. Karen Launchbaugh. The 10-year study shows that cattle sharing nesting habitat with grouse on federal lands had no influence on grouse nest success. Further, grazed pastures had a greater abundance of insects, especially in the spring when chicks rely on bugs for food. While the study has yet to be peer-reviewed, it will be a major resource as we continue to navigate federal lands grazing in sage grouse habitat.
NCA Seeking Teacher of the Year Nominations
The Nevada Cattlemen’s Association has started their annual quest for “Teacher of the Year” candidates and are asking for your help in soliciting nominations. The deadline for submitting nominations is May 1st, 2024.
Nominees must be an elementary, junior high, or high school teacher who incorporates agriculture into their regular curriculum. For example, a teacher who teaches a one-week segment on agriculture and its importance to Nevada. Current Agricultural Education teachers are not eligible. Nominees may also include teachers considered in previous years but were not selected for the award. Nominations must include a completed NCA Teacher of the Year Application Form and an attached short essay describing why the teacher is being nominated.
The winner of this award will receive a $1,000 school supply stipend courtesy of the Nevada Agriculture Foundation. The award recipient will also be recognized during the 2024 Nevada Cattlemen’s Association Annual Awards Banquet.
Anyone may submit a nomination form which is available at nevadacattlemen.org. For any questions, please contact the NCA office at 775-738-9214. Nominations may be submitted by email to nca@nevadabeef.org with “2024 Teacher of the Year Nomination” in the subject line; faxed to 775-738-5208; or sent by mail to Attn: Research & Education Committee, c/o Nevada Cattlemen’s Association, P.O. Box 310, Elko, NV 89803.
NCA Announces the Walt Leberski Memorial Scholarship
The Nevada Cattlemen’s Association (NCA) is pleased to announce a third 2024 scholarship opportunity in memory of Walt Leberski. The Walt Leberski Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to graduating high school seniors planning to attend a community college or four-year university or students currently enrolled in college. The amount of this scholarship for 2024 will be $5,000!
Eligibility & application requirements for the Walt Leberski Memorial Scholarship include:
- Applicant must be born in Nevada and has or will be graduating from a Nevada High School.
- Applicant must plan to attend or be currently attending a Community College, University, or Trade School.
- Applicant must be pursuing a degree or certificate in agricultural related field.
- Applicant must have at least a 2.8 GPA. A copy of the student’s transcripts is required.
- Students that were previous recipients of the NCA Scholarship or Marvel-Andrae Scholarship will be eligible to apply for the Walt Leberski Memorial Scholarship.
- Applicant must submit a cover letter describing themselves, background, goals, future plans, and how this scholarship may benefit them, etc.
Students and educators interested in the Walt Leberski Memorial Scholarship, NCA Scholarship, or the Marvel-Andrae Scholarship are encouraged to contact the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association. Scholarship application forms can be downloaded from the Nevada Cattlemen’s website at nevadacattlemen.org. Applicants can call the NCA office at 775-738-9214 or send a request to nca@nevadabeef.org for a copy as well. Completed applications need to be postmarked by April 3rd, 2024, and can be mailed to: Attn: Research & Education Committee, c/o Nevada Cattlemen’s Association, P.O. Box 310, Elko, NV 89803; or submitted by email to nca@nevadabeef.org.