Montana: Agricultural Innovation Center Funds Value-Added Agriculture Proposals 09/14/2005
The Montana Agriculture Innovation Center decided to fund three Montana value-added agricultural producer business enterprises. The businesses receiving the grants are Timeless Natural Foods of Conrad, Fort Peck Water Users Association and Peaks and Prairies Oilseed Growers LLC. With the funding, Timeless Natural Foods will study options in expanding its current operations. The Fort Peck Water Users Association will study a barley based micro-ethanol facility. Peaks and Prairies LLC will develop marketing materials and provide further testing of its line of biobased oils and lubricants developed from local oil seed crops. Montana agricultural producers who have a value-added project requiring additional technical or financial support should contact the nearest regional center or visit www.maic.montana.edu.
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National Bioenergy Center Receives Technology Development Awards 09/14/2005
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's National Bioenergy Center was honored with two "Notable Technology Development" Awards. The first award recognizes Clean Fractionation, an innovative technology that separates organic materials such as corn, wheat, oat hulls, and waste from cotton, and other lignocellulosic material, into products such as lignin, cellulose and dissolved sugars that can be used to produce chemical products for a variety of industries such as pulp and paper, chemical, food, and packaging. The second awards was for developing key innovations to cultivate the world's first fully integrated "biorefinery." Biorefineries can produce a range of fuels, chemicals, and value-added products from a variety of low-cost plant-material or biomass feedstocks.
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Utah: Department of Environmental Quality, EPA to Study Agricultural Emissions 08/29/2005
The Utah Department of Environmental Quality will work with the EPA to develop and implement the Utah Animal Feeding Operation Air Quality Strategy. The purpose of the strategy is to gather air emissions information from animal feeding operations and implement programs to reduce emissions. “This strategy places a higher focus on local input and local solutions, allows an evaluation of best management practices for reducing air emissions and helps maintain a viable agriculture industry in Utah,” said DEQ Executive Director Dianne Nielson.
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Colorado: Rancher Turns Waste into Energy 08/16/2005
Teague Diversified, Inc., a Fort Morgan cattle feeding business, is generating electricity from manure with cutting-edge technology. Instead of a covered pit used by several other waste-to-energy operations, Gary Teague will use an above-ground, stainless steel tank that processes waste in a quarter of the usual time making the process more profitable. Teague has been making high quality compost from manure and animal carcasses for the past 10 years. After several years of phased development, the completed system could produce as much as 8 MW of electricity, and up to $2.5 million in annual income from energy and compost sales.
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Thousands Sign Up for Animal Feeding Operations Air Compliance Agreement (EPA) 08/15/2005
More than 2,000 animal feeding operations (AFOs) have signed agreements for EPA's air compliance initiative. Sign-up ended Friday, but the agency will continue to process agreements postmarked with Friday's date. Many of the companies that signed up have several farms that will come under the agreement. Applicants originate from more than 37 states across the United States and include representation from the pork, egg layers, meat birds, and dairy industries. After EPA makes an official determination as to whether all types of animals are adequately represented, the agency will request approval from EPA's Environmental Appeals Board (EAB). Once the EAB approves the agreements, the monitoring study can begin.
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Wyoming Launches New Solar- and Wind-Powered Stock Pump Project 08/05/2005
Wyoming ranchers will soon have access to new solar and wind technology to provide water for their livestock. A new state pilot project plans to deploy solar- and wind-powered stock watering pumps at selected ranches in each Wyoming county, with the goal of promoting renewable energy and eventually providing pumps to all ranchers who qualify for the program. The pumps, developed by the University of Wyoming Electric Motor Training and Testing Center, can help improve rangeland health by providing more watering locations in more remote areas of the ranches. Since livestock usually stay close to watering locations, more dispersed pumps can reduce livestock concentrations on the range and resulting impacts on the land. Applications are being considered by a committee of conservation districts, rural electric cooperatives, UW Cooperative Extension and rural ranching organizations, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture.
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Colorado: Parks and Resorts Company Expands Sustainable Cuisine Offering 08/01/2005
Xanterra Parks & Resorts is expanding their use of sustainable seafood through an aggressive program that includes a wide variety of new innovations in sustainable cuisine. Xanterra has made sustainable seafood a company policy for four years in all of its restaurants as well as its catering and employee dining operations.
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Montana: Land Sale Protects Ranch for Public Use 07/29/2005
Dolly and her brother, James "Bud" McMaster have sold their 5,636-acre ranch to the nonprofit Conservation Fund who then will sell it to the Bureau of Land Management. The ranch has long been coveted by developers who have wanted to subdivide the land. Now the ranch will become public property where people can ride bikes and horses, and be able to hike and hunt. The plan also calls for a portion of the Ranch, along with the 1,900 acres that abut the Missouri River between Eagle Bay Drive and Keir Road, to be managed as a grass bank. This will allow that during times of drought, wildfire or other difficulties, ranchers who run out of forage for their cattle can ask to graze their animals there.
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Utah: Funding Opportunities From Western SARE 07/26/2005
Western SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education), a program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will have grant funds available for competitive proposals. The grant program areas include: Research and Education (R&E) grants, calls for preproposals are issued in April and following the scrutiny of a technical review, the best preproposals are asked to submit full proposals, due in November; Farmer/Rancher (FRG) grants, the technical review is held in January, and the grant awards are announced early the next year; Professional + Producer (APP) grants, the technical review of proposed projects is held in January, and the grants are announced early the next year; and Professional Development Program (PDP) grants, whose proposals are reviewed in January and chosen early the next year.
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Montana: Blackfeet Tribe Creates Successful Composting Project 06/30/2005
The Blackfeet Indian Reservation has been featured in EPA's Tribal Waste Journal for their effort in using an EPA grant to reduce waste. The grant has helped the tribe to get their vermicomposting program started. According to Gerald Wagner,director of the Tribal Environmental Office, vermicomposting is a great way to get tribal members into a recycling mindset and into the habit of separating wastes.
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NEW TOOL: Find E-85 Gas Stations, Save Money 06/29/2005
E-85 is a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline that can be used in flexible fuel vehicles. Costing 30 to 60 cents less per gallon at the pumps, it's generating big interest in the Midwest where much U. S. ethanol is produced. The National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition keeps an updated E85 refueling location map on their web site and also lists makes and models of vehicles that can burn it. In EPA Region 8, North Dakota, South Dakota and Colorado are tied for having the most E-85 gas stations.
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Animal Feeding Operations Air Compliance Agreement Signup Period Extended 06/24/2005
The EPA is extending the deadline for the Animal Feeding Operations (AFO) Air Compliance Agreement signup period to July 29, 2005, in order to provide more time for the AFOs operators to make informed decisions
about participation. The agency has not changed the agreement since it was published in the Federal Register Jan. 31, 2005. The agreement is part of EPA's ongoing effort to minimize air emissions from AFOs and to ensure that they comply with the Clean Air Act and other laws.
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Intertribal Agriculture Council Publishes Newsletter 06/24/2005
The Intertribal Agriculture Council publishes a quarterly newsletter (on-line and hard copy) with reports from each region about agriculturally related success stories. The spring 2005 issue includes information about the Wampanoag Aquinnah Shellfish Hatchery, the Indian Nations Conservation Alliance, and a 4-H youth program in Texas to plant, grow and eventually sell Christmas trees. Site visitors can sign up to receive notification when new newsletters are posted.
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Montana: Powell County Receives Recognition for Being Nature Friendly 06/24/2005
The territory around Deer Lodge won recognition for its innovative wildlife overlay zone that reduces home-building impacts on elk, moose and deer. In Powell County, a grass-roots movement formed around the desire to preserve both its ranching heritage and big-game populations, according to county planner Ron Hanson. Other areas listed in Chris Duerksen's "Nature-Friendly Communities," include Fort Collins, Colorado, and Teton County, Wyoming.
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Colorado: $8.2 Million in Grants Help Open Space and Outdoor Recreation 06/17/2005
The Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) board has awarded $8.2 million in grants to help protect more than 7,000 acres of open space and fund outdoor recreation projects in 31 Colorado counties. GOCO began with a citizen's initiative passed in 1992. Under a constitutional formula, GOCO receives up to half of all lottery proceeds in Colorado, including proceeds from multistate games such as Powerball. They then use this money to fund various projects.
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Montana: Community-owned Forests Conference 06/15/2005
A national conference will be held in Missoula, Montana, June 16-19, 2005 in response to a surge of interest in community forests in the U.S. The target audience is people from communities facing forest land conversions and either considering the possibility of a community forest or already involved in one.
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Colorado: University Heads Forest Restoration 06/14/2005
Colorado State University has been selected to develop the Colorado Forest Restoration Institute, as a result from the passage of the Southwest Forest Health and Wildfire Prevention Act enacted by Congress in 2004. Their purpose, is to restore the health of Colorado forests and reduce catastrophic wildfires by providing the best available science in forest ecology, restoration and management.
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2005 National Small Farm Conference 06/10/2005
The 4th annual National Small Farm Conference will be held October 16-19, 2005 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Solicitations are currently being accepted through June 30, 2005 for topic presentations, speakers, poster presentations, exhibit displays, and success stories. The conference will focus on six tracks: Alternative Enterprises; Risk Management; Professional/Program Development; Marketing, Risk Management and Bridging Gaps in Programs and Services.
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South Dakota: Conservation Districts Receive Project Funding 06/10/2005
The State Conservation Commission awarded a total of $577,447 to 15 conservation districts from the state's Coordinated Soil and Water Conservation Grant Fund. The grants will be used to provide a variety of conservation practices to improve range and pastureland, reduce soil erosion and improve water quality. A complete listing of receipients is posted on the website.
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Montana: Social Entrepreneur Highlights Mexico's Sustainability Movement 06/07/2005
Hector Marcelli Esquivel will be speaking at the Stensrud Building in Missoula June 16 at 7:00 pm about linking fair trade producers and global consumers related to sustainable development in Mexico, and Central and South America. Marcelli created the Bioplaneta Network in the late 1990's to help rural communities compete in sustainable agricultural development and eco-tourism.
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Sustainable Agriculture Funds Available 06/02/2005
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8 requests
proposals for the Strategic Agricultural Initiative Grant Program.
Funding will support efforts of the agricultural community to transition to using less pesticides and lower risk pesticides in food production. Projects much take place in Region 8
(CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY). $92K expected to be available. Responses are due 6/24/05. For more information contact Peg Perreault at perreault.peg@epa.gov. Sol# EPA-GRANTS-042905-002.
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Colorado: Boulder Listed in Green Cities Top 10 05/17/2005
The Green Guide has put together a list of the top ten green cities that list Boulder as number two. The criteria they used included: good water and air quality, efficient use of resources, renewable energy leadership, accessible and reliable public transportation, and green building practices. In addition, they also used parks and greenbelts, access to locally-grown fresh food through farmers' markets and community supported agriculture groups, and affordability in their criteria.
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New Report Released on Biomass for Bioenergy 05/10/2005
A new report titled Biomass as Feedstock for a Bioenergy and Bioproducts Industry: The Technical Feasibility of a Billion-Ton Annual Supply study was recently released. The report was a collaboration between DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Environmental Science Division, the USDA Forest Service, and the USDA Agricultural Research Service. The purpose of the feedstock study was to determine whether United States land resources are capable of sustainably producing the estimated one-billion dry tons of biomass resources that would be needed to meet the goals set for the contribution of future energy needs.
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Colorado: New Plant Choices for 2005 04/29/2005
Colorado State University and Denver Botanic Gardens announced the new Plant Select choices for gardeners to consider in 2005. These seven plants are able to endure the dry climate of the high plains. As a result, the amount of water needed for the plants growth and survival are reduced.
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Montana: Farmers Cope With Tough Career Decisions 04/27/2005
Perspective: Farmers in Montana are facing difficult decisions as they try to maintain their family farms. With land prices at a premium, and family farms struggling to maintain a standard of living, pressure is building to sell. A recent study by the American Farmland Trust predicted that 11 percent of all prime ranchland in the Rocky Mountain West is threatened by conversion to residential development by 2020. Some farmers have come up with innovative ways to stay in business, while others are selling off acres at a time in order to survive and provide for eventual retirement.
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NEW TOOL: Local Harvest Search 04/27/2005
A website that has a map showing the locations of farmers' markets, family farms, locally grown produce, grass-fed meats, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area and throughout the United States. The interactive map lets you zoom in to your area and pick out locations near you and get more information about them.
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Montana: Extension Forest Service Offering Mini-College 03/31/2005
The Montana State University Extension Forest Service is offering a one day workshop dealing with forestry health. The event is being held in Missoula on April 23, 2005. Some of the one hour topics will include wildfire hazard reduction strategies, tips for enhancing wildlife populations and other topics.
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Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Funding Available 03/31/2005
USDA announced the availability of $22.8 million to support investments in renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements by agricultural producers and rural small businesses.
This program was initiated by the 2002 Farm Bill and to date has funded nearly $45 million in projects in 32 states. The $22.8 million announced today will be made available in two stages. One-half is available immediately for competitive grants. Applicants can request from $2,500 to $500,000, but requests are not to exceed 25% of the total project cost. Applications must be submitted no later than June 27, 2005. The other half of the $22.8 million will be set aside through August 31, 2005 for renewable energy and energy efficiency guaranteed loans.
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Nisqually Tribe Overcomes Economics to Protect Environment 03/28/2005
(Indian Country Today) The Oregon Nisqually Tribe has fought a long battle to protect salmon habitat with limited resources. Recently their efforts have started paying a modest return. Nine years ago the tribe scraped together enough cash to buy a 310-acre farm at the mouth of the Nisqually River to take out dikes and allow the agricultural land to return to its natural marshy state. Now the tribe has agreed to a 25-year co-management deal on their land with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service which will help them recoup some of their investment and continue restoration efforts.
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DOE Seeks Public Comment on New Greenhouse Gas Reporting Guidance 03/23/2005
The U.S. Department of Energy is seeking public comment on revised guidelines for voluntary reporting of greenhouse gas emissions. The revised guidelines in the program will allow the DOE to recognize participants who provide an accurate and complete accounting of their greenhouse gas emissions and their activities to reduce, avoid and sequester their greenhouse gas emissions. The guidlines also provide tools and guidance for estimating emissions. The public can comment on the guidelines for a 60-day period. Afterwards, the guidelines are expected to become effective 180 days after publication.
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Montana: University Offers Free Publication on Forest Management 03/18/2005
Montana State University Extension Service is offering a brochure on managing forests for healthy trees and fire resistance. The brochure titled, "Management Practices for Forest Health and Catastrophic Wildfire Resistance" offers information for landowners and natural resource personnel on how to manage forest during Montana's drought.
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Utah: University to Host 2005 Sustainable Landscapes Conference 03/07/2005
Utah State University will host the 2005 Sustainable Landscapes Conference April 5, 2005. The theme of the coference is Landscape Cycles: Connecting People to Place Through Agriculture. The conference is sponsored by Sustainable Landscapes at Utah State, a student-led organization that seeks to provide a forum for discussion of sustainable issues.
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USDA Requests Applications for Integrated Organic Program 03/02/2005
The request for applications are for projects that will help solve two critical organic agriculture issues: 1) the development and implementation of research, extension and higher education programs to improve the competitiveness of organic producers, and 2) research and extension programs that enhance the ability of producers and processors who have already adopted organic standards to grow and market high quality organic food, feed, and fiber. The total amount of funding is estimated at $4.7 million.
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Colorado: Bioterrorism, Risk Management Focus of Agricultural Outlook Forum 02/18/2005
Local and national experts on plant, animal, water and financial security, and international issues will speak at this year's annual Colorado Agricultural Outlook forum. The focus of the forum, called "Safegarding Our Future" will be on bioterrorism and other risk management issues. The forum is from 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Feb. 24 at the Renaissance Denver Hotel.
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Montana: Peck Hired to Work on Agriculture Economic Development Projects 02/18/2005
Montana State University has hired Ralph Peck as the interim assistant dean for special projects at MSU. Peck had been the director of the Montana Department of Agriculture for nine years. He was hired to enhance Montana's economy by helping create bio-based economic development activities.
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NNRG And Soil Association Join Forces on Program 02/17/2005
The Northwest Natural Resource Group and the Soil Association’s Woodmark program announced a new initiative to make it easier and more affordable for commercial timber growers and family forests in the Pacific Northwest to connect to markets for ‘green’ certified wood products. The program will allow landowners with smaller family farms to join with other landowners to form a group forest management certificate, which will dramatically reduce fees.
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Study Suggest Need for Water Conservation on Farms 02/04/2005
A professor at Cornell University conducted a study which shows that a combination of a growing population and diminishing water supplies would force farmers to study ways to conserve water when watering their crops. Farms currently use about 70% of the worlds fresh water supplies every year. Because of this data, Professor David Pimentel believes that farming should be the focus of intense conservation efforts. Some methods recommended in the study would include different irrigation methods combined with water and soil conservation practices to minimize run-off.
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Montana: #1 In Organic Wheat Production 02/02/2005
With research help from Montana State University, wheat growers in Montana led the nation in 2004 in organic wheat production. So far, organic systems seem to be doing better overall in semiarid climates than traditional systems using fertilizers, accoding to MSU researcher Perry Miller. MSU economist Dave Buschena says an important issue in organic production is that organic systems are more management-intensive.
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EPA Announces Air Quality Compliance Agreement for Animal Feeding Operations
01/21/2005
The Environmental Protection Agency announced an air quality compliance agreement to address emissions from certain animal feeding operations. The agreement will ensure that AFOs comply with
environmental requirements and gather scientific data the Agency needs to make informed regulatory and policy determinations. An emissions monitoring program will help provide this information.
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National Tribal Conference on Environmental Managment 01/18/2005
The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (GTB) is sponsoring the 7th National Tribal Conference on Environmental Management (NTCEM) in Traverse City, Michigan June 7 - 10, 2005. The conference theme is "Sacred Ground: Sustainability for Indian Country and the Earth." The conference will be held at the tribally owned Grand Traverse Resort and Spa. The organizing committee is seeking presentation proposals (to be submitted by February 15, 2005).
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Wyoming: New Rule May Affect Coal-bed Methane Industry 01/10/2005
A new ruling eliminating in-channel dam construction under general permits may affect the coal-bed methane industry. A judge ruled that the Corps of Engineers can no longer issue general permits that allow producers to construct in-channel reservoirs that could affect agriculture down stream. Reservoir building for coal-bed methane must now be issued on a site-by-site basis.
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EPA Releases CAFO Permit Rules 01/05/2005
The EPA has released the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) final permit rules. The new rules cover existing CAFO's, newly defined CAFO's, new discharges, and designated CAFO's. There are also documents for permit deadlines and a producers compliance guide.
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Montana: More Than 10,000 Acres Protected 12/24/2004
The Trust for Public Land (TPL) and the Gallatin Valley Land Trust (GVLT) announced that they successfully completed the purchase of three separate conservation easements on almost 10,400 acres of prime farm and ranchland north of Belgrade. These easements will protect critical habitat for a wide range of wildlife to include elk, deer, cougar, and trout.
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Alcan Prize For Sustainability Awarded To The Forest Stewardship Council 12/16/2004
Alcan Inc. and the International Business Leaders Forum announced that the recipient of the first ever $1 million Alcan Prize for Sustainability went to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The FSC has as its core program the development of standards for responsible forest management. In selecting this year’s winner, the panel making the selection said that the FSC has pioneered an innovative, market-based approach to responsible forest management by linking forest management to the market through certification and product labelling.
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Colorado: Creative Technology Combines Personal Digital Assistants and Natural Resource Field Work 12/14/2004
At Colorado State University, PDA's are being incorporated with student's field work at Pingree Park. Electronic flashcards have been developed to help students study plants, animals, fish and other ecosystem information. Students majoring in fishery biology, forestry, natural resources management, rangeland ecology and wildlife biology are required to take a four-week summer field program at Pingree Park. These PDA's and electronic flashcards replace bulky field guides for students use in studying material.
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Montana: Ag Innovation Centers Partner With Regional Growth Groups 11/23/2004
The goal of the Ag Innovation Centers is to help Montana ag producers turn their value-added products into successful businesses. There are five regional offices in Montana to help agricultural producers develop products that return greater profit than traditional agriculture commodities. Projects can include work on hormone-free meat products, vegetable growing and processing, and gluten-free products as well as other products.
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North Dakota: Experimental Forest a Success 11/22/2004
In a state that is known for it's wide open plains, an experimental forest planted 70 years ago has succeeded. The 636-acre Denbigh Experimental Forest was established in 1931 by the federal government in order to test which types of trees would survive the climate and sandy soil of the Midwest. The surviving species of trees have helped create jobs because the nursery sells seedlings throughout the United States and Canada.
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Utah: Characteristics of Successful Manure Management 11/16/2004
John Harrison, a Utah State University agriculture waste management specialist, says that animal feeding operations that successfully manage manure have two things in common. The operations have a manure storage facility designed specifically for the site and the operators proactively manage the manure storage facilities. He also explaned that the best designed waste handling facility without the management to go with it will not function to its full potential.
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Montana: New Clean-Water Regulations Affect Animal Feeding Operations 11/10/2004
Animal feeding operators in Montana face broadened federal and state clean-water guidelines. Depending on the number of animals and how long they’re kept in pens or other enclosures where wastes can accumulate, water-quality regulators may consider the pens to be Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs) or Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). The regulations apply to beef, dairy, swine, poultry, sheep and lamb and horse operations. Permits may be required, costing $2500 plus an additional $1000 per year for five years.
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Montana: Harvesting Clean Energy Conference 11/08/2004
The 5th annual Clean Energy Conference will be held in Great Falls January 20-21, 2005. The conference will be held in conjunction with MAGIE (Montana Agricultural & Industrial Exposition). Discussions will focus on steps to successful project development, financing, and marketing. Technologies covered include utility-scale wind power; biofuels along with associated bio-based products; and energy efficiency and renewable technologies to enhance farm operation profitability.
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Colorado: Policy Paper Aims To Help Decisions On Bio-Pharming 10/22/2004
A new policy paper issued by the Colorado Institute of Public Policy urges case-by-case analysis to determine if and how an emerging agricultural biotechnology, called "bio-pharming," could be used in Colorado. In bio-pharming, crops are genetically engineered to produce special proteins for pharmaceuticals. The paper provides scientific information and decision-making strategies to help Colorado leaders and community residents address bio-pharming.
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New Forest Service Office of Tribal Relations 10/21/2004
(U.S. Forest Service) With the help of American Indian tribes, the Forest Service is working to articulate consistent policies in its government-to-government relationship with American Indians, including policies on consultation, traditional uses of forest products, confidentiality for traditional knowledge and reburial. Creation of the new Office of Tribal Relations is the fruit of this work. Recent legislative actions also provide new ways for collaboration between the Forest Service and tribes. A recent award ceremony honored six American Indians who were instrumental in the development of the Office.
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Colorado: Study Finds Antibiotics for Food Animals Can Make Their Way into Waterways 10/19/2004
A Colorado State University study is the first to show that antibiotic drugs used specifically for enhancing growth, preventing diseases and increasing feed efficiency in food animals, such as cattle, are making their way into public waterways. The results from this study indicate that antibiotics can accumulate in the sediment and potentially impact stream health.
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EPA Releases Latest Estimates of U.S. Pesticide Use 10/15/2004
EPA's report, "Pesticide Industry Sales and Usage: 2000 and 2001 Market Estimates” is now available to the public. It contains the latest estimates of pesticide use in the United States including information on agricultural and nonagricultural pesticides and historical trends over the last 20 years. Also included are data on sales, imports, exports, firms, employment, the number of certified applicators, and the number of pesticides in use.
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South Dakota: Drought Aid Passes Senate 10/12/2004
$3 billion taken from a conservation program will be used to help farmers and ranchers hit by catastrophic weather. The aid will help farmers in the plains states hurt by drought, and farmers in the Mid-West and the South hurt by flooding. Money for the aid will come from an agricultural conservation program created in the 2002 farm bill.
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Montana: Sheep for Grain Growers 10/07/2004
Pat Hatfield has 120 sheep that are used as biocontrol agents for rangeland weeds. Hatfield, a Montana State University sheep researcher, is putting the sheep into grain fields to control leafy spurge and spotted knapweed. Both farmers and ranchers benefit. Crop growers are able to cut the cost of pesticides and fertilizer, while sheep producers can cut the cost of feed for the sheep.
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Montana: Proposed CAFO Rule Revisions 10/01/2004
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has scheduled three meetings in October to discuss incorporating revised federal effluent limitations and guidelines and establish state technical standards for nutrient management. Meetings will be held in Great Falls on October 19th, in Dillon on October 21st, and in Miles City on October 26th. A draft of the new rules is available on the web site.
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Utah: Ecology Team Receives $6 million Grant To Form the National Ecological Observatory Network 10/01/2004
Utah State University biology professor Jim MacMahon and a team of scientists representing the American Institute of Biological Sciences has received a $6 million grant to form the National Ecological Observatory Network, whose purpose is to study ecological issues confronting society. The Environmental Protection Agency and Congress may use the data from NEON when making rules or laws. NEON will be based in Washington, D.C. and not affiliated with just one university, and will be open to all scientists who wish to participate.
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Colorado, Montana, South Dakota & Utah Receive Funding for Endangered Species Projects 09/23/2004
The Department of the Interior has awarded more than $70 million in grants to 28 states and one territory to enable them to work with private landowners, conservation groups and other agencies in conservation planning efforts and to acquire and protect habitat to support the conservation of threatened and endangered species.
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