Volume 33 Number 45 • March 5, 2022
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The Weekly News Source for Wyoming’s Ranchers, Farmers and AgriBusiness Community • www.wylr.net
A Look Inside
Wyoming Legislature's 2022 Budget Session begins to wind down
Cat Urbigkit voices concerns with wolf relisting........Page A2
Cheyenne – After 155 House Bill, 144 Senate Files, eight House resolutions and two Senate resolutions were drafted, the 66th Wyoming Legislature’s 2022 Budget Session is scheduled to adjourn on March 11 by 12
Producer Partnership sheds light on agriculture......Page B3 Green River Valley cattlemen and cattlewoman celebrate annual events.............Page C1 USDA Economist reports 2022 Farm Sector Income Forecast...................Page C11
Quick Bits Bee College Learn about bee nutrition, queen bees, swarm management and so much more at Wyoming Bee College. The event will take place March 11-13, LCCC Pathfinder Building, Cheyenne. For more information and to register, visit wyomingbeecollege.org.
Winter Wheat Wyoming winter wheat farmers planted an estimated 100,000 total acres in Wyoming during the fall of 2021 for harvest in 2022. Cowboy was the most popular variety planted, with 15.3% of the reported acreage, followed by Warhorse, at 10.6%, SY Monument, at 6.8%, Crescent AX, at 6.2% and SY Wolf, at 6.0%.
midnight. Of the bills filed, 148 remain active, with 91 numbered bills either not being considered or failing introduction votes. March 4 marked the 15th day of the Wyoming Legislature.
“March 1 marked the crossover period for the body, meaning it was the last day for third reading in the house of origin,” said a news release from the Wyoming Legislature. “Any legislation that did not successfully pass third
reading in the primary house will not go on for further consideration in the opposite chamber.” Moving through the process Moving forward, several Please see SESSION on page A6
Wyoming Weather Forecast
local wyoming meteorologist shares weather forecast predictions Cheyenne – The majority of the state has experienced little snowpack and increased drought conditions. This has left many wondering what is in store for the spring of 2022. Don Day, president and meteorologist at DayWeather, Inc., shared his predictions for summer 2022 and his insight on what can be expected from current weather cycles. Upcoming weather conditions “The outlook for Wyoming and this region for March and April is expected to be colder than normal,” shared Day. In the next couple of weeks, the state is expected to experience a colder and stormy pattern, he noted. “When I talk cold, I’m not talking as cold as it was previously when it was below zero, but this time of year is when the average temperatures start to go up,” he continued. “The state is going to experience some colder, more winter-like episodes in the next eight weeks.” “The bad news is we should plan on a little bit more of a chilly spring at the start of it, the good news is more storms are expected to pass through – bringing precipitation to much of the state,” he said.
Day predicts snowpack around Wyoming will be getting a boost in the coming weeks, as there hasn’t been much precipitation in the last couple of months. In addition to snowpack in the mountain regions, the plains are expected to see increased precipitation, said Day. “Some of the precipitation will be in the form of white stuff which never makes anyone happy, but in the spring you kind of have to live with the bad coming with the good,” he joked. Expected planting season With the colder weather patterns predicted this spring, Day suggests farmers plant a week later than previous years. “If the state does trend colder than normal and gets the precipitation coming with it, this will keep soil temperatures down, so for planting and germination, expect this to be a little bit later this year,” he noted. “This year’s planting season will also depend on what part of the state producers are from and will be dependent on types of crops being planted, but as a whole, the planting season will be a week Please see WEATHER on page A8
Beef Prices As of March 1, U.S. beef cow slaughter has averaged 12.6% higher and last week was 20.5% above 2021. Summarizing prices: Bred heifers appear to be about 15% higher, bred cows medium and large one are mixed with later trimesters commanding only a slightly higher price than last year. Stock cows are averaging across all age groups, about $2 per cwt higher. Open stock cows are up 35% across all types.
NILE Position The Northern International Livestock Exposition (NILE) is now accepting applications for the next general manager. Applicants should be available to start on or before June 1. If interested in applying for the general manager position, apply through written application by mailing or e-mailing a resume, references and a typed summary of experience relating to the job requirements. Applications can be submitted to rick@thenile.org or sent to PO Box 1981, Billings, MT 591031981. Applications will be accepted until March 24.
WYLR photo
30x30 Plan Public Lands Council executive director details conservation policy “The 30x30 effort is the administration’s goal to conserve 30 percent of America’s lands and water by the year 2030,” shared Public Lands Council (PLC) Executive Director Kaitlynn Glover. “When President Biden issued the executive order, it wasn’t clear what they meant by conservation and America’s lands and waters – whether this was private, state or federal land.” Definition of conservation Very early on, PLC was active in having conversations with the administration and requested a clear and concise definition of conservation, because “conservation is not preservation,” explained Glover. “Conservation is not designation or acquisition,” she continued. “Conservation is the work ranchers do every day.” She noted, the administration has transformed the 30x30 conservation policy into the effort now called, America the Beautiful. “Essentially this 30x30 conservation goal has been wrapped into a much larger effort to bring outdoor green space to communities to create more resilience in natural resources, conserve lands and waters and make all of Please see PLAN on page A5
SRM awards individuals Several individuals from Wyoming, North Dakota, Nebraska and Idaho received awards during the 75th Annual Society for Range Management (SRM) Meeting in Albuquerque, N.M. earlier this February. W.R. Chapline Research Award Dr. Justin D. Derner received the W.R. Chapline Research Award. This is the highest honor bestowed to a research scientist by SRM. The award is presented in recognition of his major research accomplishments in the areas of grazing management and grazing systems, stakeholder engagement in collaborative rangeland research and long-term climate impacts on forage and livestock production in the Great Plains. His peers consider his research to be exemplary in both quantity and quality – continually challenging traditional rangeland management paradigms with innovative experimental approaches to strengthen the scientific basis for rangeland management. Among Derner’s greatest research accomplishments is the design and implementation of the Collaborative Adaptive Rangeland Management project, which addresses multiple management objectives in collaboration with diverse regional stakeholders. This accomplishment founded on the recognition of scientific evidence, in the absence of relevant stakeholder engagement, is often insufficient to produce effective solutions to rangeland management challenges. Derner is the Research Leader for the Rangeland Resources and Systems Research Unit in the Center for Please see AWARDS on page A11
National Ag Day focuses on climate National Ag Day is taking place on March 22 this year and the theme is “Growing a Climate for Tomorrow.” The Agriculture Council of America has been promoting National Ag Day annually since 1973. This year’s theme comes at a time where farmers and ranchers are facing more scrutiny than ever before on the environmental impact and carbon footprint of agriculture. Environmental stewards Wyoming Department of Agriculture Director Doug Miyamoto hopes this year’s National Ag Day theme illustrates “net benefits of agriculture in climate.” He feels promoting agriculture
nationally helps those who are removed from agriculture understand how ranchers care for the environment. “There seems to be a prevailing opinion presenting agriculture as something bad – this needs to change,” Miyamoto adds. He says this opinion is an unfortunate misunderstanding impacting farmers and ranchers. “When we really look at the numbers, agriculture is one of the most beneficial industries when it comes to protecting the environment,” Miyamoto says. Wyoming Farm Bureau Executive Vice President Ken Hamilton adds by
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Please see AG DAY on page A4