The White House on Tuesday backed Florida’s effort to secure federal funding for a reservoir intended to move water away from Lake Okeechobee and reduce discharges that residents blame for repeated toxic algae outbreaks spreading on both coasts. The request by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to include funding for the roughly $1.6 billion Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir, approved …
EPA Proposes Biofuel Requirements for 2019; On Track to Meet Congressional Deadline
WASHINGTON (June 26, 2018) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt issued a proposed rule under the Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS) program that would set the minimum amount of renewable fuels that must be supplied to the market in calendar year 2019, as well as the biomass based diesel volume standard for calendar year 2020. “I’ve traveled …
EPA Considering Dicamba Registration as Injury Reports Climb
Herbicide injury reports are mounting in the South and the Midwest. A DTN report says state regulators and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are looking at the situation carefully. Most of the damage reports revolve around dicamba. However, there are 2,4-D damage reports coming out of the southern states. Most of the dicamba injury complaints are coming out of the …
Two Mosquito Species Can Transmit New Chikungunya Virus in the Americas
Yellow fever and Asian tiger mosquitoes from Florida and Brazil can transmit an Asian strain of chikungunya virus that’s emerging in North, South and Central America, a University of Florida scientist says. The Asian strain of the virus is not currently circulating in Florida, and Barry Alto, associate professor of entomology at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, …
Judge Sides with Environmentalists in Land Conservation Dispute
Striking a blow to the Legislature, a Tallahassee judge said state lawmakers failed to comply with a voter-approved constitutional amendment to buy and preserve environmentally sensitive lands. Ruling from the bench Friday, Leon County Circuit Judge Charles Dodson sided with environmental groups in the lawsuit centered on whether lawmakers “defied” the 2014 Florida Water and Land Conservation Initiative by improperly …
Federal Judge Rules Against California’s Glyphosate Labeling Requirement
The national agriculture coalition fighting against California’s false and misleading Prop 65 labeling requirement for glyphosate picked up another win in court. U.S. District Court Judge William Shubb upheld the preliminary injunction prohibiting the state from enforcing the requirement until the court issues a final ruling on the matter. The California Attorney General had filed a motion to lift the …
Agri View: Staggering Food Waste
Everett Griner dives into the world of statistics as he talks about the staggering waste of food in today’s Agri View. Food is not the only thing wasted. He tells us what other precious resource we use which is also wasted. Staggering Food Waste I don’t know how many research organizations there are in America. There is one to study …
APHIS Wildlife Services Conducts First Field Trial of Feral Swine Toxic Bait
Plans Modifications to Mitigate Hazards to Non-Target Species USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently conducted the first of two field trials of a sodium nitrite toxic bait on free-roaming feral swine. Feral swine are an invasive species causing extensive and costly damage and disease threats to crops, property, native ecosystems, livestock health, and human health. Feral swine …
Conserving Working Lands and Wetlands Through ACEP
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) wants to remind landowners that NRCS can provide financial and technical assistance to conserve working lands and wetlands through its Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). There are two components to this program, Agricultural Land Easements and Wetland Reserve Easements. NRCS Acting Chief Leonard Jordan says ACEP offers a lot of opportunities. Conserving Working Lands and …
USDA Resumes Continuous Conservation Reserve Program Enrollment
One-Year Extension Available to Holders of Many Expiring Contracts through Continuous Signup As part of a 33-year effort to protect sensitive lands and improve water quality and wildlife habitat on private lands, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will resume accepting applications for the voluntary Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Eligible farmers, ranchers, and private landowners can sign up at their local Farm Service …