April 4, 2014

PERSPECTIVE OKLAHOMA FARM BUREAU

®

April 4, 2014

Moesel receives Governor’s Outstanding Achievement Award in Agriculture Oklahoma Farm Bureau District 3 Director Rodd Moesel of Oklahoma City received the Governor’s Outstanding Achievement Award in Agriculture during a special ceremony, March 26, at the state Capitol. Moesel is the 17th Oklahoman to be inducted into the Agriculture Hall of Fame by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.

A native of Oklahoma City, Moesel is the president and co-owner of American Plant Products and Services Inc. American Plant Products and Services Inc. is a wholesale company that raises foliage plants and sells greenhouse structures, equipment and supplies. His knowledge of the horticulture industry is well respected throughout the state and nation and has allowed him to contribute to a variety of agriculture organizations at both the state and national level.

Moesel is extremely well-respected by his peers who have seen his dedication to the industry and to Oklahoma agriculture thrive over his lifetime. From his initial participation in the 4-H program as a

youth where he took to heart the motto “to make the best better”, Moesel has given selflessly of his time to serve on numerous boards and committees over the past 40 years, including Oklahoma Farm Bureau. A few other boards include the Oklahoma State 4-H Foundation and the Council for Agricultural Research, Extension and Teaching. Moesel is also a graduate of the Oklahoma Agriculture Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Leadership Program - Class V Jim Reese (right) presents the Governor's and Leadership Oklahoma Outstanding Achievement Award in Agriculture Class III. to OKFB Director Rodd Moesel during an Ag Moesel has been recognized Day the Capitol ceremony, March 26. with a multitude of other awards including the Green Industry Professional Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association in 1996, of the Year award from the Oklahoma the Oklahoma State Small Business AdvoNursery and Landscape Association in cate Award from the U.S. Small Business 2013, the State Alumni Award from the Administration in 1991 and the Oklahoma Oklahoma 4-H Program in 2007, the State Master Florist Award from the Oklahoma Distinguished Service Award from the State Florist Association in 1991.

Oklahoma Farm Bureau continues support of Oklahoma Youth Expo LEFT – OKFB President Tom Buchanan shows his first hog with Bristow 4-H member Sophie Varner, March 18, at the Oklahoma Youth Expo. Buchanan showed in the legislative and celebrity show alongside OYE participants, legislators and fellow agricultural leaders from around the state.

RIGHT – OKFB helps purchase Chattanooga FFA's Rocky Zeller’s Grand Champion Barrow during the 2014 Sale of Champions, March 21.

OKFB Women’s Leadership Team Chairman Kitty Beavers (left) and OKFB’s Marcia Irvin (right) congratulate the 2014 Oklahoma Agriculture in the Classroom Teacher of the Year Lisa Storm during Agriculture Day at the Capitol, March 26. Storm teaches third grade at Heritage Elementary in Kingfisher.

Member Benefits • Frontier City and Whitewater Bay offer OKFB members a special discount on one-day tickets for $22.76 each.

Visit www.okfarmbureau.org/benefits to locate the login and password required to access the discount website.

OKFB highlights a benefit in each issue of Perspective as a reminder of the savings available to OKFB members.

Find a complete list of savings online at www.okfarmbureau.org/benefits.

OKFB Calendar Farm City Festival April 15 • Oklahoma City Contact: Marcia Irvin (405) 523-2405 YF&R Spring Tour April 25-26 • Northeast Oklahoma Contact: Holly Carroll (405) 530-2681 YF&R Golf Classic May 16 • Choctaw Contact: Holly Carroll (405) 530-2681

Water woes ... what’s the fuss about?

By John Collison OKFB Vice President of Public Policy and Media Relations What is all the fuss over this water issue about? Is it the haves verses the have nots?

Is it Oklahoma verses Texas? Maybe it’s the water consumers verses the water viewers? Is it east verses west?

As I talk to each of you around the state, I hear many different stories about what we should do with our water. That’s right, I said it. The surface water in the state belongs to all the people of Oklahoma. The reason it belongs to you and me, and not just a handful of people, is because we have each paid for it. A little known fact, or at least it seems that way, is that we all paid for the lakes and waterways of Oklahoma. The federal and state governments years ago came together to build lakes for a number of different reasons: hydropower, flood control, irrigation and even

Oklahoma Farm Bureau Online Monitor the latest Farm Bureau and agricultural news and information online at okfarmbureau.org.

Currently online: • Agricultural News – Oklahoma Farm Bureau features a new agriculture-related story every day on its site. Read about both AFBF and state Farm Bureau news by visiting the homepage.

www.okfarmbureau.org

• OKFB Harvest Watch Blog – The second annual OKFB Harvest Watch blog season is underway. Visit www.okfarmbureau.org and click on the OKFB Harvest Watch link to follow families from the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee.

recreation. The lakes were funded with taxpayer money and were built for the benefit of all. Over time some lakes and the water rights have been leased for different uses. You might be surprised to know the lake water you boat, swim, fish and enjoy John Collison is generally leased out to an entity for a different use. Let’s look at some facts on water in Oklahoma.

Last year we let 35 million acre-feet of water out of our state. This was 35 million acre-feet of extra water we simply just let flow east. This was not on one lake or location.

To put this number into perspective, you and your household general use about three acre-feet of water per year. If you look at the OWRB statistics, we used 1.8 million acrefeet last year to make the plumbing run and to drink an adequate amount of water.

To look at it a different way, all this dreaded talk about out-of-state water sales amounts to about 450,000 acre-feet of water per year. That leaves us with more than 2.5 million acre-feet of extra water. Lest you think this is an article about selling water out of state, think again; this is an article about how much water we have and how we are misusing it. No lake in the state of Oklahoma ever needs to be dry again. We have so much extra water that if we moved water around every single lake would always be full to the brim. Understand that! Your lake would always be full. It is past time we all understand what is going on. We have an abundance of a natural resource we are wasting and causing billions of dollars worth

(See Update, page 4)

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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists lesser prairiechicken as threatened species The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced March 27, the final listing of the lesser prairie-chicken as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, as well as a final special rule under section 4(d) of the ESA that will limit regulatory impacts on landowners and businesses from this listing.

Under the law, a “threatened” listing means the species is likely to become in danger of extinction within the foreseeable future; it is a step below “endangered” under the ESA and allows for more flexibility in how the Act’s protections are implemented.

The LEPC is a grassland bird that lives in the northwest and panhandle areas of Oklahoma, as well as in portions of Texas, Kansas, New Mexico and Colorado. In Oklahoma, the threatened listing means regulatory authority over the bird transfers from the Department of Wildlife Conservation to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Affected landowners will need to be concerned about “take” of the species. Take can be as little as harassing the LEPC or as much as killing a LEPC. Illegal take of species can result in civil and criminal penalties, but farmers and ranchers have a couple of options for “take” protection.

One option is participation in the Stakeholder Conservation Strategy’s Stakeholder Conservation Plan, which will offer “take” coverage at a minimal cost. OKFB is involved as a stakeholder in the formation of this plan, which can be viewed at http:// lepcstakeholderstrategy.com/.

A second option is participation in the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ Rangewide Plan, also known as the Five-State Plan. OKFB provided comments on the plan as it was being developed. Information on the plan can be viewed at http://www.wafwa.org/html/

Application deadlines approaching Don’t miss these upcoming youth opportunities. More information and applications are available in the online Application Center at www.okfarmbureau.org.

YF&R Scholarships Nine $1,000 scholarships will be awarded, one per OKFB state board district. Applications must be postmarked by April 10.

Oklahoma Youth Leading Agriculture The 2014 OYLA conference will be June 23-26 and is geared toward improv-

ing the leadership skills of the top youth in the state. Oklahoma high school seniors will have the opportunity to learn about new leadership techniques, teamwork skills, Oklahoma agriculture and industry demands, and college opportunities. Applications are due to county offices by April 15.

YF&R Video Contest Oklahoma high school FFA and 4-H members are encouraged to produce creative videos promoting farmers’ care for animals, consumers and the environment. The deadline for submissions is May 15.

Legislative Dinner

Sen. Mike Schulz (front) and Rep. Todd Russ discuss school funding, CDL licensing procedures, effects of the drought and other legislative issues during a legislative dinner hosted by Kiowa and Washita Counties, March 27, in Cordell.

rangewide_lpc_conservation_plan.shtml.

Both plans will provide participating landowners with income opportunities for mediating habitat for the energy industry.

However, the plans are different in many important aspects. OKFB is supportive of both planning efforts and is in the process of reviewing both plans.

The final rule to list the lesser prairiechicken as threatened and the final special rule will be published in the Federal Register and will be effective 30 days after publication. Copies of the final rules may be found at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s website at http://www.fws.gov/ southwest.

For additional information about the listing or the conservation plans, contact OKFB Director of Regulatory Affairs Marla Peek at marla.peek@okfb.org or (405) 523-2437.

YF&R Golf Classic is May 16 Register now for the 12th annual YF&R Golf Classic, May 16, at the Choctaw Creek Golf Course in Choctaw.

All proceeds will benefit the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Legal Foundation, which protects private property rights and production agriculture.

The first 36 teams registered will play in a four-man scramble. Participants may register as a team or individually. The cost is $350 per team or $90 per person. Mulligans are available for purchase for $10 each (limit three per person). Several sponsorship opportunities are also available, and each includes green fees for four players.

To register or to become a sponsor, contact YF&R Coordinator Holly Carroll at (405) 530-2681 or holly.carroll@okfb.org.

The registration deadline is Tuesday, May 6. Send checks payable to Oklahoma Farm Bureau to Attn: Holly Carroll, 2501 N. Stiles Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73105.

Check-in is at 10:30 a.m., followed by lunch at 11 a.m. Teams will tee off at noon.

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Published by Oklahoma Farm Bureau Postmaster: address corrections to: Published bySend Oklahoma Farm Bureau

Perspective, P.O. B. 53332, OKC, OK 73152-3332 Postmaster: Send address corrections to: Perspective, P.O. B. 53332, OKC, OK 73152-3332

Staff Directory Staff Directory Monica Wilke, 523-2303

Oklahoma Farm Bureau 2501 N. Stiles Oklahoma City, OK 73105-3126

Non-Profit U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 131 Okla. City, OK.

Executive Director

Traci Morgan, 523-2346 John Collison, 523-2539 Perspective/Online News Editor

VP of Public Policy and Media Relations

Macey Hedges, 523-2346 Sam Knipp, 523-2347 Director of Corporate Communications Vice President of Communications/PR Sam Knipp, 523-2347 Director of Corporate Communications Tyler Norvell, 523-2402

Dustin Mielke, 530-2640 Vice President of Public Policy

Director of Corporate Communications

Karolyn Marla Peek, Bolay, 523-2437 523-2320 Communications SpecialistAffairs Director of Regulatory

The Poultry Federation presents Poultry Spring Symposium The Poultry Federation will hold its annual Poultry Spring Symposium at the John Q. Hammons Convention Center in Rogers, Ark., April 22-23 . The conference is organized by TPF, the Poultry Improvement Committee and the Center for Excellence for Poultry Science.

Producers, suppliers and vendors who support the live production of turkeys, breeders and broilers – specifically growers, service technicians and grow-out managers – will learn about new innovations, technology and problem solving solutions in live production.

Symposium preregistration cost is $60 for

TPF members and $75 for non-TPF members, and onsite registration is available for $100. All university students and growers receive free admission. The preregistration deadline is April 18.

Tabletop booth space for the vendor tradeshow is $100 for TPF members and $200 for non-TPF members. Hotel reservations at Embassy Suites Northwest Arkansas, the sponsored hotel, can be made by calling (479) 845-3271.

For more information on the Poultry Spring Symposium and the vendor tradeshow, contact Joyce Martz at The Poultry Federation at (501) 375-8131 or visit the website at www.thepoultryfederation.com.

The Poultry Federation is a tri-state

Young Farmers and Ranchers visit Capitol for Legislative Day RIGHT – YF&R state committee members Sara and J.T. Bain visit with Sen. Larry Boggs (right), March 26, during the YF&R Legislative Day at the Capitol.

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LEFT – OSU Collegiate YF&R members Grant Hickman (left) and Garrett Reed (right) meet with Sen. Corey Brooks, March 26, during the YF&R Legislative Day at the Capitol.

trade organization representing the poultry and egg industries in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. The purposes of the Federation are to promote and protect all poultry interests relating to production, distribution, merchandising and consumption of poultry and poultry products; to disseminate information relating to the various phases of the poultry industry in order to improve and expand markets; to increase efficiency in production and marketing; to encourage and support research in production and marketing of poultry and to encourage and support youth programs in poultry work.

(Update, from page 2) of economic harm. This absolute obsession to waste or hold onto some theory that you own the water and therefore, it is your right to waste it is inexcusable. We need to have leaders who begin to lead on this issue and who do not listen to the nonsense that we don’t have enough to go around. We have billions of gallons or millions of acre-feet of the people’s water that needs to be utilized. I urge you to call your legislators and government leaders and ask them to take action on this critical issue.

In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing and the worst thing you can do is nothing.

- Theodore Roosevelt