NFB: Grassroots Newsletter

June 16th Joint Meeting Of Legislative Committees To Meet

The interim legislative session meeting involving the Joint Interim Standing Committee on Natural Resources and the Joint Interim Standing Committee on Health and Human Services are meeting together. This meeting will be held Thursday, June 16th, starting at 9 a.m. The meeting will be held in room 4401 of the Grant Sawyer State Office Building in Las Vegas and the room 4100 in the Legislative Building in Carson City. The agenda is here: https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/ InterimCommittee/REL/Interim2021/Meeting/24237

Nevada Supreme Court Upholds

Diamond Valley Groundwater Management Plan

In a split decision the majority of the Nevada Supreme Court ruled in favor of approving the State Engineer’s Order 1302 for implementing the Groundwater Management Plan. The four-member majority, with Supreme Court Justice James Hardesty writing the opinion, indicated that they believe that because of the adopted legislation (NRS 534.110 (7)) the State Engineer is able to designate over-appropriated basin as a Critical Management Area and then under NRS 534.037 water right holders are authorized to consider and possibly approve a Groundwater Management Plan to replace the Critical Management Plan by bringing the basin back into balance of being over-appropriated. In doing this process, prior appropriated water rights are dealt with by requiring all water pumpers to reduce pumping and not only junior water right under the adjusted management approach.

Drought Information Being Collected

The continuation of drought conditions has caused the start of request for input on the latest developments and consequences, impacting farmers and ranchers. The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) has developed a new drought survey as part of their on-going monitoring approach. We strongly encourage you to participate in this survey project, which will not only be developing state-level information, but will also be accumulated into a regional over-view of drought conditions and impacts. Take the survey here: https://tinyurl.com/AFBF-

DroughtSurvey

The Nevada Regional Drought Impact Task Force is also collecting statelevel information and from the input of participating partners are able to prepare reports for the Governor as well as keeping other policy makers up-todate. A sample of the data they would like to have submitted is available here: https://tinyurl.com/NV-RDI-Report Along with feedback and input to these collection points, we hope that you will also keep Nevada Farm Bureau posted, letting us know of specific challenges in your area and whether you have thoughts/input for ways Nevada Farm Bureau will be able to assist in dealing with your situation.

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June 15 Nevada’s Heat Illness Regulations Take Effect

Following the lead of the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Nevada has adopted the National Emphasis Program (NEP) in a modified form to reflect local factors. Nevada’s OSHA is also in the process of adopting a set of regulations for the state, aimed at requiring duties on employers who have employees who are exposed to certain high temperatures. On June 15th, Nevada’s OSHA are putting in motion the NEP. Based on communications from Nevada’s OSHA, they intend to “proactively initiate inspections in over 70 high-risk industries prescribed by Federal OSHA and additional industries identified by Nevada OSHA.” Agriculture in on the list of targeted industries, covering “Cattle ranching and farming” as well as “Support activities for crop production.” For good measure “Vegetable and melon farming” and “Fruit and tree nut farming” is on the list OSHA will be concentrating on. Heat priority days are defined by the Nevada OSHA as days where the heat index is expected to be 90 degrees (Fahrenheit) or greater. On these “heat priority days” Nevada OSHA will be: • Initiating compliance assistance in the targeted high-risk industries • Inspecting any alleged heat-related fatality/catastrophe, complaint or referral regardless of whether the worksite falls within a targeted industry • Engage in proactive outreach and technical/compliance assistance to help keep workers safe on the job For those who are interested in being prepared for monitoring the signs of heat health problems and also knowing the actions to take, this graphic by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) may be useful to print out and post.

State Farm Bureaus Share Opposition To Mandatory Plans For Cattle Marketing

State Farm Bureaus, including Nevada, have communicated in a group letter (https://tinyurl.com/SFB-Letter) their opposition to proposed Senate plans for a mandatory pricing system for cattle sales. The letter was sent to both of the two-parties leaders in the U.S. Senate (Senator Majority Leader Schumer and Senator Minority Leader McConnell) as well as the Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Senator Debbie Stabenow and ranking Senate Agriculture member, Senator John Boozman. The letter opened, clearly noting that the state Farm Bureaus are “opposed to S. 4030, the Cattle Price Discovery, and Transparency Act (CPDTA), because it would create an onerous government mandate in the cattle market.” Continuing on the letter shared, “many studies and analyses from economists at renowned universities conclude a federal mandate in the market will cost cow-calf and stocker operators anywhere from $50-85 per head, if not more, on the price they receive for their cattle. It is clear the mandate is not the solution to higher cattle prices and profitability for farmers and ranchers.” Beyond the markup of the legislation, Farm Bureau and other cattle industry supporters have been pushing back on S. 4030. Both Nevada’s two U.S. Senators have sent letters to their colleagues indicating their opposition to the concept of including mandatory government mandates.

Farm Bureau Draws Attention To Burden Being Pursued By SEC

The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) has made it clear that plans by the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) are out of line in pursuing their rule for requiring reports on stage 3 level data, supposedly measuring the carbon footprint of business transactions by farmers and ranchers in selling their output.