Residents in southern Utah asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday to hear their case claiming federal safeguards for Utah prairie dogs have prevented them from doing what they want with their private property.The rules block residents from building homes, starting businesses and even protecting playgrounds, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Property Owners argue in their case.“Some own lots in residential subdivisions where they planned to build homes, but prairie dogs moved in first and the regulation forbids permits for their property,” attorneys wrote. [node:read-more:link]

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife won’t kill any more wolves from the Smackout Pack, because the predators haven’t attacked any cattle for two months. Under the state’s wolf plan and protocols, department director Jim Unsworth can authorize “an incremental removal of wolves,” said Donny Martorello, wolf policy lead for WDFW. [node:read-more:link]

These volunteers spend their time and money to rescue dogs from municipal shelters by shuttling them to fosters or adopters in other parts of the country. They see it as a win for everyone – it eases overcrowding at shelters, keeps dogs from being euthanized and loving families get pets. But there are no laws in the U.S. about tracking dogs moving across state lines. Rescue groups say they self-police and emphasize transparency, but critics say the lack of regulation may put adopters at risk if they unwittingly take in dogs with behavioral problems. [node:read-more:link]

“Just wow,” Peggy and Mark Kennedy said to each other last week in Montgomery, Ala. On the TV, Roy Moore had just pulled a little pistol from a pocket of his cowboy costume to show his love for the Second Amendment. The next night he won the Republican nomination in the race to be their next senator. Peggy, née Wallace, braced for a new round of interviews, having often been asked during the presidential campaign to compare Donald Trump with her father, the segregationist governor George C. Wallace. [node:read-more:link]

Anne Hazlett, assistant to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on rural development, came under pressure Sept. 28 from several senators on whether she will push for money for programs President Donald Trump proposed eliminating and on whether the USDA will formally weigh in with the Federal Communications Commission on fixed versus wireless broadband internet access. [node:read-more:link]

New Zealand’s egg producers have branded as “unfair” the recent decision by two of the country’s leading supermarkets to sell only cage-free eggs in future. Producers face financial ruin, and consumers will lose their preferred option for eggs.Around six months ago, national retailer, Countdown, announced plans to sell only cage-free eggs by the end of 2024 in the North Island and by a year later across the rest of the country. The move followed criticism that it’s undertaking to sell only its own egg brand as cage-free from 2022 did not go far enough. [node:read-more:link]

In order for broiler producers to become GAP certified, one area the producer must address is the flock’s stocking density. While all five steps of certification for stocking density call for chickens to have enough space to express natural behaviors – including standing, turning around and preening – without touching another chicken, the requirements differ at different steps.For purposes related to the GAP 5-Step certification program, stocking densities are calculated based on the final target weight of all chickens per flock per area at the time of catching. [node:read-more:link]

A stagnant farm economy that has slowed Nebraska and Iowa's income growth to the lowest levels in the nation is also contributing to state budget problems that could linger through next year, officials said. Key lawmakers from both states said they're concerned the agricultural downturn will persist, ripping through other sectors and putting additional strain on their budgets.Declining farm income was the leading cause of the slowdown in many states, including Iowa and Nebraska, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. [node:read-more:link]

The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit has held that the First Amendment is applicable to a Wyoming statute that prohibits crossing private property to collect resource data.  The statute, which would prohibit a variety of acts such as photographing, videoing, sampling, or otherwise gathering data on water, soil, and animals, was challenged by several plaintiffs who claimed it violated their free speech rights.  The trial court dismissed the case, finding that the collection of data was not “speech” such that the First Amendment was implicated.  The Tenth Circuit reversed, [node:read-more:link]