SARL Members and Alumni News
Montana senate advances bill banning drones above private property
The Missoulian | Posted on March 9, 2017The Montana Senate on Wednesday advanced a bill to limit where drones can fly, after a lengthy debate on whether the legislation would actually protect property rights.Senate Bill 170, carried by Sen. Steve Hinebauch, R-Wibaux, would establish a civil penalty if a person flies a drone over private property below 500 feet. It also would change the minimum fine from $500 to $2,500 if a drone flew over a critical infrastructure facility.The bill would require drones to follow public roads and land, unless the user had permission to fly over private property.
Top-ranking Georgia House leader seeks ‘creative’ approach to rural issues
Macon Telegraph | Posted on March 9, 2017A state House committee has unanimously endorsed an idea to take a close look into how Georgia lawmakers could help struggling rural communities. “I want this council to look at the big picture and recommend legislative actions that can empower our rural areas,” said House Speaker David Ralston, explaining House Resolution 389 to a House committee on Tuesday. The legislation would create the House Rural Development Council, a group of 15 lawmakers to be appointed by Ralston.
REAP Tax Credits Available to PA Farmers for Conservation and Nutrient Plans to Improve Soil, Water Quality
Pennsylvania Press Room | Posted on March 9, 2017With more and more farmers interested in protecting and improving local water quality, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding today reminded producers of a tax credit program that can help them develop plans and install measures that reduce nutrient and sediment runoff. Farmers can use Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) program tax credits to help offset the cost of writing conservation plans and nutrient management plans, purchasing conservation equipment, and implementing best management practices (BMPs) for their operations. “Pennsylvania’s clean streams law dates back to 1972,” Redding said. “Improving the ecology of our farm operations makes sense, and the REAP program can help make those improvements a reality. Healthy farms and healthy waterways are a concern for all of Pennsylvania, not just the Chesapeake Bay watershed, so I encourage all producers, regardless of where you farm, to take advantage of this opportunity.”
Oregon considers limiting limiting tax credits for processing livestock manure into energy in biodigesters
Capital Press | Posted on March 9, 2017Oregon’s anticipated budget shortfall has prompted lawmakers to consider limiting tax credits for processing livestock manure into energy in biodigesters. Biodigesters break down manure, releasing methane gas which is used to generate electricity. The remaining solids have many uses. They are expensive, and farmers have used the tax credits to offset the costs. Under House Bill 2853, tax credits would only be available for manure processed in biodigesters that were operational before the end of 2016. The credit effectively costs Oregon about $4 million a year in foregone tax revenue and has the potential to grow more expensive due to the proposed construction of a large dairy, said Rep. Phil Barnhart, D-Eugene, during a March 7 hearing on HB 2853.
Wildfires burn more than 1 million acres
CNN | Posted on March 8, 2017Wildfires across the country had consumed more than 1 million acres, taking at least 7 lives. The Oklahoma Forestry Service told CNN the fires burned 400,000 acres, and prompted Gov. Mary Fallin to declare a state of emergency for 22 counties.Officials in four other states said that 400,000 acres were destroyed in Kansas, 325,000 in the Texas Panhandle and 30,000 in Colorado -- not to mention the 6,000 acres burning in the Florida swamps near Naples that resulted in mandatory evacuations.
Six Dead, Thousands Evacuated After Strong Winds Fan Wildfires in Four Plains States
Weather Channel | Posted on March 8, 2017Destructive wildfires broke out in the Plains on Monday and grew quickly in size, forcing thousands to evacuate and contributing to the deaths of six people. The fires were fanned by strong winds on the western side of the same storm system that spawned an outbreak of severe storms in the Midwest. Crews battling the blazes may get a bit of a break as winds are forecast to die down to about 10 to 20 mph Wednesday. "These conditions will make it somewhat easier for firefighting efforts, but far from perfect," Storm Prediction Center forecast operations chief Bill Bunting told the Associated Press. "The fires still will be moving. The ideal situation is that it would turn cold and rain and, unfortunately, that's not going to happen." Parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado and the Texas Panhandle were the hardest hit by the wildfires, which were so intense and large that they could be spotted by satellites.
Oregon’s wetlands system full of surprises
Capital Press | Posted on March 6, 2017Jesse Bounds thought the worst was over after a fire destroyed two barns, his machinery and $500,000 worth of straw last summer. In all, it was a loss of about $1 million. Then he tried to rebuild, and found his troubles had only begun. He dealt with the insurance company and got the necessary county building permits. But then a neighbor complained, and Bounds was told by the Oregon Department of State Lands that the 12 acres that had been farmed for years was actually a wetlands — a wetlands that didn’t appear on the State Wetland Inventory and had gone unnoticed. A permit to mitigate the damage to the wetlands would cost $57,000 per acre, a $684,000 extra bill to restore the family’s livelihood. Oregon landowners don’t have a simple, reliable method to find out whether their property is considered a wetland. House Bill 2785 takes the narrow approach, by exempting the replacement of a farm building “destroyed by fire or other act of God” from state wetlands mitigation laws. House Bill 2786 is more expansive, creating an exemption for any property that’s not designated as a wetland under the State Wetland Inventory.
WDFW cites threats as reason to tighten release of wolf records
Capital Press | Posted on March 6, 2017Legislation to shield Washington wildlife managers and ranchers from death threats also could bar the public from learning where wolves are attacking livestock and what steps are being taken to prevent depredations. The House State Government Committee has unanimously endorsed withholding public records that name ranchers who report and state employees who respond to depredations. House Bill 1465 also would bar releasing “any information regarding the location of the depredation” that “reasonably could be used” to identify any person. The names of ranchers who sign agreements to use non-lethal measures to deter depredations also would be exempt from disclosure. The bill stems from unspecified threats last summer as the Department of Fish and Wildlife shot seven wolves in the Profanity Peak pack in the Colville National Forest. One producer told the Capital Press that the ranch was receiving daily death threats.
South Carolina House backs $60-a-year tax hike to repair SC’s ragged roads
The State | Posted on March 6, 2017The S.C. House voted 97-18 Wednesday to increase the state’s gas tax and other driving fees to raise about $600 million a year to repair the state’s crumbling roads and bridges. Under the plan, the state’s gas tax would increase by 2 cents a gallon each year for the next five years. When fully phased in, the 10-cent-a-gallon increase would cost the average S.C. driver $60 a year. The state Department of Transportation estimates it needs an added $1 billion a year to repair and maintain S.C. roads. “We’re at crisis point when it comes to roads in South Carolina,” said House Majority Leader Gary Simrill, R-York, who has championed the bill.
Advocates renew push for legalizing raw milk in Hawaii
Hawaii News Now | Posted on March 6, 2017Hawaii locavores are pushing for more options, including the sale of raw milk. Currently, raw milk is legal in 42 states in some form or another. Hawaii law prohibits the sale of it, but advocates like Monique Vanderstroom, owner of Naked Cow Dairy Farm in Waianae, say it's long over due. "There's enough people here that want it," she said. "Anytime we can produce our own food here, I think it adds to the sustainability of the islands as a whole." Vanderstroom said when she first opened her farm in 2008, she wanted to sell milk. But with all the rules and permitting required to bottle milk, the small farmer couldn't compete with mainland production, so her inventory only consists of cheese and butter. "We can't really afford the costs of the regulations right now," Vanderstroom said. Naked Cow is one of three dairy farms in Hawaii and the only one on Oahu. It's operation is small - with only 14 cows - but Vanderstroom wants to expand the business by adding to her herd and starting the sale of raw milk.