Volume 35 Number 47 • March 16, 2024
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The Weekly News Source for Ranchers, Farmers and the Agribusiness Community • www.wylr.net
A Look Inside Prop 12 moves forward... Page A9 Grazing management strategies discussed following a wildfire......... ....................................... Page A20 Frost-free nose pumps allow cattle to pump their own water............ ......................................... Page B1 Early chick care tips offered......... ...................................... Page B11
Quick Bits Snow Report
In the 13th snow report for Water Year 2024, the state’s snowpack telemetry data reads 97% of median, with a basin high of 122% and a basin low of 52%. Last year, the state was at 120% and at 84% in 2022. The report and a map displaying basin snow water equivalent percentages of median for the state may be found at wrds.uwyo.edu/ wrds/nrcs/nrcs.html.
Recommendations to improve H-2A Program released On March 7, the House Committee on Agriculture’s bipartisan Agricultural Labor Working Group (ALWG) published its final report of policy recommendations on how to
improve the H-2A Visa Program for temporary workers and relieve labor shortages which have seriously impacted America’s farmers and ranchers. ALWG’s report includes
over 20 recommendations – 15 of which received unanimous approval – to streamline the H-2A program and make labor more affordable for ag producers. “The agricultural sec-
tor is currently facing urgent challenges caused by producers’ lack of access to an adequate workforce,” reads the report. “This has been a problem for decades, and it Please see H-2A on page A13
Government Shutdown Averted
Celebrating agriculture ACA encourages individuals to celebrate National Agriculture Week
Water Meeting The Wyoming Water Development Commission (WWDC) will hold a public meeting at the Wyoming Water Development Office in Cheyenne on March 20. To view the livestream, sign up for public comment or to access the most recent agenda, visit wwdc.state.wy.us/.
Job Opening The Wyoming Water Association is seeking a highly motivated and dedicated individual to oversee the administration, programs and strategic plan of the organization. This parttime executive director will work closely with the board of directors and interact regularly with membership. Interested individuals can e-mail their resumes and cover letters to office@wyomingwater.org. Apply by March 31 for full consideration.
WAIC Position
Wyoming Agriculture in the Classroom (WAIC) is looking for a fundraising professional from Wyoming to fill the position of director of philanthropy, who will lead WAIC’s major fundraising efforts. For more information, visit indeed.com/ job/director-philanthropy4f099940842f5921.
Sheep Show The 2024 National Rambouillet Show and Sale will be held in conjunction with the National Junior Show June 17-22 at the Tarleton State University Animal and Plant Sciences Center and Arena in Stephenville, Texas. For more information, contact Robbit Eckhoff at rambouilletassn@gmail.com or 409-256-3687 or Lee Munz at tsumunz@yahoo.com or 254-379-6857.
WYLR photo
Congress passes Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations Bill On March 8, U.S. senators approved a $460 billion spending package by a vote of 75 to 22, with 21 Republicans and one Democrat voting in opposition, in time to meet the midnight deadline for avoiding a government shutdown of key federal agencies, sending it on for the president’s signature. The six bills are part of an equation Congress must solve before the next funding deadline of March 22, when the other six bills, which are much more challenging and include a higher price tag, come due. Within the spending package, lawmakers secured
more than $900 million in Community Project Funding – formerly called earmarks – while the remaining spending measures include Defense, Homeland Security, Financial Services, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, the Legislative Branch and State-Foreign Operations, which are still operating under a continuing resolution but are anticipated to be fully funded by March 22. Lawmakers speak out Senate debates transpired over the spending package, arguing earmarks in the bill should be removed, although Please see SHUTDOWN on page A16
The Agriculture Council of America (ACA) commences March 17-23 as National Agriculture Week, acknowledging the agricultural industry and the role it plays in stabilizing the U.S. economy. The council also announced March 19 will be National Ag Day with the theme of “Agriculture: Growing a Climate for Tomorrow.” National Agriculture Week commends the ag industry as a whole for being a source of abundant food, fiber and renewable products and celebrates efforts made by those involved in providing the U.S. with the necessities most take for granted. “American farms remind us of the beauty and generosity of our nation. They feed the country and the world, and with each new planting season, they embody the most American of things – possibilities,” states the U.S. Census Bureau. Please see ACA on page A17
March water supply reported The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) published the March 2024 Wyoming Basin and Water Supply Outlook Report on March 1. This report analyzes snowpack, precipitation, streamflow and reservoir storage across the state of Wyoming. The report also assesses the water supply outlook for the entire state of Wyoming, as well as individual basins including the Snake River, Madison Headwaters, Yellowstone River, Wind River, Big Horn River, Shoshone River, Powder River, Tongue River, Belle Fourche River, Cheyenne River, Upper North Platte River, Lower North Platte River, Laramie River, Sweetwater River, South Platte River, Little Snake River, Upper Green River, Lower Green River and Upper Bear River basins. Snowpack and precipitation As of March 1, snow water equivalent (SWE) across the state was 68 percent of median, which remains unchanged from the February report. The highest SWE was reported in the Upper Bear River Basin at 113 percent of median, and the lowest SWE was reported in the Belle Fourche River Basin at 35 percent of median. According to NRCS, the Belle Fourche River, Cheyenne River, South Platte River, Powder River, Tongue River, Yellowstone River, Lower North Platte River, Big Horn River, Shoshone River, Upper Green River, Laramie River and Madison Headwater basins were below 90 percent of the median SWE recorded from 1991 to 2020. Additionally, the report notes the Sweetwater River Basin had the highest precipitation for the month at 203 Please see WATER on page A9
Administration set to release sage grouse plan A recent article published by E&E News on March 7 reports the Biden administration is expected to release a plan to save the Greater sage grouse, which would impose most of the Obamaera restrictions to block oil drilling and other activities near the bird’s habitat, according to people familiar with the plan. The Greater sage grouse has been one of the most controversial issues in the West, as many believe protecting the bird’s sagebrush habitat means limiting drilling, renewable energy projects, mining and livestock grazing. According to the article, “After years of negotiations with environmentalists,
state leaders and industries operating on federal land, the Obama administration in 2015 came out with its plan to safeguard the most sensitive grouse habitat across 10 states, and in 2019, the Trump administration rewrote those regulations, giving states more leeway to green light projects near grouse breeding grounds.” Now, it’s reported the Biden administration is set to offer its compromise affecting conservationists, state leaders and industry advocates. “The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) latest proposal returns to the Obama plan but incorporates some of Trump’s flexibility, said an Interior
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Please see SAGE GROUSE on page A7