Volume 36 Number 31 • November 23, 2024
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The Weekly News Source for Ranchers, Farmers and AgriBusiness Community • www.wylr.net
A Look Inside Importance of agriculture to the Thanksgiving holiday highlighted in this week’s guest column........................ Page A2 President-Elect Donald Trump begins selecting new administrative leaders.............. ................................... Page B1
Leaders convene at Governor’s Business Forum The Wyoming Business Alliance (WBA) hosted the 2024 Governor’s Business Forum at the University of Wyoming (UW) in Laramie on Nov. 12-14, where over 500 state leaders gathered
to network and share their devotion for Wyoming’s successful future. The WBA serves as Wyoming’s premier business advocate, providing a unified voice and advocat-
ing for polices to help grow Wyoming. This year’s theme, “Wyoming on the Move,” was kicked off with a policy and prosperity summit, where Wyoming Secretary
of State Chuck Gray facilitated a meaningful conversation between industry leaders and legislators on policies. Emceeing the three-day Please see FORUM on page A8
Legislative leaders discuss the future of Wyoming at annual forum.......................... Page B3
Unique origins
Top Angus sires recognized by the American Angus Association ................................... Page B7
Wild turkeys prove to be one of Wyoming’s greatest wildlife management success stories
Quick Bits Office Closed
The Wyoming Livestock Roundup Office will be closed Nov. 27-29 in observance of the holiday. We wish all of our friends, families and dear readers a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving.
Favorite Pie
With Thanksgiving on the horizon, Holiday Calendar delved into data to uncover the most popular Thanksgiving pie by state. Winning the hearts of 15 states, pecan pie received the most votes across the nation, followed by apple pie winning in 14 states as the runner up. The top five favorite pies of residents in the Cowboy State, listed in order, include sweet potato, coconut cream, cherry, blueberry and pecan.
ACEP Signup The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced a second round of nationwide Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) signup for the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Wyoming NRCS is currently accepting applications for enrollment into ACEP-Agricultural Land Easements. Applications for the current IRA funding cycle must be submitted by Dec. 20. For more information, visit nrcs. usda.gov.
Lease Sale
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is seeking public comment on its supplemental analysis for an environmental assessment completed for the June 2022 oil and gas lease sale in Wyoming. The lease sale offered 122 parcels totaling 119,565 acres. The sale was challenged and remanded to BLM by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for further National Environmental Policy Act analysis. Comments may be submitted at eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2034198/510. The comment period ends on Dec. 19.
Adobe Stock photo
Hearty Holiday Feast America’s Thanksgiving menu continues to evolve from the original 17th century feast For many Americans, Thanksgiving is marked by a spread of roast turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. However, today’s feast doesn’t necessarily reflect that of the original Thanksgiving in 1621, and the holiday menu continues evolving to include global dishes representing the diversity of today’s America. “Regardless of what is on the menu, for many people,
State orders breach of the failing LaPrele Dam Gov. Mark Gordon issued a press release on Nov. 1, stating following ongoing monitoring and a recent thorough inspection of the condition of LaPrele Dam, Wyoming State Engineer Brandon Gebhart issued an order to breach the 115-year-old dam to avoid catastrophic failure. According to the governor’s press release, the recent discovery of a new large crack above the dam’s outlet works, the deterioration of previously identified structural deficiencies and the operational limitations of the existing dam led to the decision. “I want to commend Gebhart and his staff for recognizing the significant risks of a potential dam failure and proactively addressing them before a disaster occurred,” Gordon says. “This decision was not made lightly, and we recognize the impact this will have on those who rely on this water for irrigation.” However, farmers who rely on the dam for irrigation and runoff control say this breach could leave them with no good options. The dam serves roughly 100 irrigators, but it will be more than $118 million to replace and will be demolished before the spring runoff season, according to recent reports. The LaPrele Dam Currently, the LaPrele Dam is owned and operated by the LaPrele Irrigation District and is located on LaPrele Creek southwest of Douglas. The 135-foot-high LaPrele Dam stretches over 325 feet and was constructed between 1906-09 by the Ambursen Please see BREACH on page A7
the holiday is a testament to the power of food as a tool for unity and celebration,” states Kelsey Bartlett in a Nov. 17, 2023 Virginia Tech University publication. Original Thanksgiving In the same article, Virginia Tech Food Studies Program Director and Associate Professor of History Anna Zeide notes much of what Americans are taught about Please see THANKSGIVING on page A10
Nothing symbolizes Thanksgiving quite as much as a turkey does, and Wyoming is home to one of the largest wild turkey populations in the West. Wild turkeys are not native to the Cowboy State, but with current numbers reaching over 7,500 birds, they are now considered one of the state’s greatest wildlife management success stories. History Abundant in the mixed forest, woodland edges, riparian corridors and pine stands wild turkeys prefer to call home, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) brainstormed a plan to introduce wild turkeys to the Cowboy State almost a century ago. In 1935, WGFD swapped sage grouse – which were abundant at the time – for 15 Merriam’s turkeys from New Mexico, including nine hens and six toms. The birds were released at the George Waln Ranch on Cottonwood Creek in Platte
Please see TURKEYS on page A4
Rural water issues discussed at meeting The Wyoming Association of Irrigation Districts held its second annual meeting at the Hilton Garden Inn in Casper on Nov. 11-12. The meeting agenda featured a lineup of esteemed speakers, educational breakout sessions, several networking opportunities and the election of new officers. On the second day of the program, Wyoming Association of Rural Water Systems (WARWS) Executive Director Mark Pepper offered an update from the association and outlined several top-priority issues regarding rural surface and groundwater. Surface water issues Pepper started by highlighting three
surface water issues WARWS has recently been focused on. “The biggest one we have in the municipal world is per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – the forever chemicals,” he stated. “Unfortunately, we have been battling the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a number of years, and they have now issued a new maximum containment level (MCL) regulation for PFAS and various compounds.” On April 10, EPA issued the National Primary Drinking Water Regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act, which set an MCL of four parts per trillion (ppt) for six PFAS compounds in drinking water.
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Please see WATER on page A6