Newsletter for April 21, 2023 | |
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This Issue:
- Farm Bureau Water Bill SB 113 Passes Senate
- Review And Preparation Of Response To Interior Proposed Regulations Continues
- Farm Bureau Continues Effort To Push Back Against Tying Farmers & Ranchers To SEC Regulations
- Proposal For A Tax Study Works Through Nevada Assembly
- Senate Passes Wild Horse Bill – SB 90
- Reminder Of Western Agricultural & Environmental Law Conference – May 4-5
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Agriculture producers to gather at the Nevada Small Agriculture Conference
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Farm Bureau Water Bill SB 113 Passes Senate | |
The Nevada Farm Bureau Senate gave their approval for SB 113, as amended on April 19th with a 21-0 vote. It now heads to the Assembly for referral to the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.
Other water bills that were brought forward at the same time (SB 112 and SB 176) are going to the Senate Finance Committee for consideration of the financial ramifications.
Click here for the Reprint of SB 112. This bill works to deal with groundwater basin assessments that are levied in certain cases for designated basins.
Click here for the Reprint of SB 176. This bill seeks to create a program for the State of Nevada to purchase water rights in over-pumped groundwater basins, from voluntary sellers, and retire those water rights.
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Review And Preparation Of Response To Interior Proposed Regulations Continues | |
Throughout the West those who depend on the use of federally managed lands for their livelihoods are working through the proposed package that the Department of the Interior believes will make management of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) “balanced.” Along with the agency giving themselves the authority to create “conservation” as an equal “multiple use” the proposed rule also set the stage for an aggressive uptick in designations of “Areas of Critical Environmental Concern” (ACEC).
Nevada already has 54 designated ACECs across portions of the State, covering just under 1.5 million acres. As part of the research being worked on is determining what progress had been made on these designated areas, since they were brought into existence by Resource Management Plans.
“Conservation Leasing” is another interesting concept the agency is heralding as a tool “to facilitate restoration work on public lands.”
Earlier this week we had the opportunity to review an Opinion piece that attorney Karen Budd-Falen developed in response to her review of the proposed rules. We appreciate her willingness to let us reprint the piece and for those interested in submitting comments during the 75-day public comment period (which ends June 20th), the points raised could serve as a good foundation for building good input.
Nevada Farm Bureau is planning to work with other interested parties in Nevada as well as coordinating with our fellow State Farm Bureaus in the West. This link takes you to the Federal Register Notice regarding the proposed rules and also offers the connection for submitting comments.
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Farm Bureau Continues Effort To Push Back Against Tying Farmers & Ranchers To SEC Regulations | |
Government in all forms is working overtime to save the world from climate change through bureaucratic decrees and requirements. The purpose for the proposed Interior Department’s rules, noted above, has the notion that through government’s action to restrict citizens using federally-managed lands in the name of “conservation” the climate will stabilize, improve or not get any worse.
The Nevada Assembly Legislative Operations and Elections Committee stopped a horrible proposal to include an environmental guarantee to be added to our State Constitution. AJR 3 was not passed out of committee at the deadline for passage from the committee and it died.
Then there is the proposed rule that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) dreamt up to require publicly traded companies to report on the emissions related to their operations – including Scope 3 level emissions that were connected down through their value chain. This degree of tracing emissions would reach down to farmers and ranchers even if they didn’t directly link to anything associated with the corporations. The American Farm Bureau Federation and six other agricultural groups have sent another communication to the SEC that Wall Street rules should not extend to family farms and ranches.
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Proposal For A Tax Study Works Through Nevada Assembly | |
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With last week’s deadline for passage from the Committee of the First House in the rear-view mirror there’s been some free time for digging into things that haven’t gotten as much attention as they ought to have gotten earlier. On such “lost” item is a resolution proposed by Assemblywoman Natha Anderson of Sparks. ACR 7 calls for the Interim Standing Committee on Revenue to conduct a study in the 2023-24 interim on the possibility of Nevada establishing a “wealth tax.” The troubling (at least in the minds of some) problem that Nevada faces is there are limited ways to tax Nevadans and according to at least one of the “Whereas” statements – “The State must ensure that its wealthiest residents are sharing equitably in the responsibility of funding government services;”
The model that the Nevada Interim Tax Committee is supposed to check into is Washington State (although others which have come up with wonderful ideas like this could also be worked in for evaluation).
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Senate Passes Wild Horse Bill – SB 90 | |
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On a vote of 18-3 the Nevada Senate passed the amended version of SB 90 advances through the legislative process for consideration in the Nevada Assembly. If it gains passage and the Governor’s signature, Wild Horses will be designated as the official horse for the State of Nevada.
While Nevada Farm Bureau testified in opposition to the legislation before it was amended, that opposition was mostly based on the reclassification of the feral/estray horses that are located in the Virginia Range area. This triangle of land is “home” for horses that fall under the jurisdiction of the Nevada Department of Agriculture and are not qualified to be “Wild” Horses.
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Reminder Of Western Agricultural & Environmental Law Conference – May 4-5 | |
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On May 4-5, the National Agricultural Law Center (NALC) is hosting its inaugural Western Agricultural & Environmental Law Conference at the Peppermill Resort Spa Casino in Reno. The program is designed for attorneys and non-attorney agricultural professionals (i.e., lobbyists/government affairs, policymakers, farm managers and rural appraisers, lenders, students) who work in the agricultural industry western states. The program is approved for 14 hours of Continuing Legal Education (CLE) (including 2 Ethics) as well as 14 hours of Continuing Education (CE) by the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. The May 4-5 program will be livestreamed for those unable to attend in person. Three hours of free online CLE/CE will be available as part of the “Early Bird special” for those who register by April 18.
Presenters include Christine Birdsong, Undersecretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture (keynote, moderated by Sara Wyant, Founder and Editor, Agri-Pulse Communications); Therese Ure Stix, Managing Attorney & Shareholder, Schroeder Law Offices, P.C. (Reno); Karen Budd-Falen, Senior Partner, Budd-Falen Law Offices L.L.C.; and Dennis Nuxoll, Vice-President, Federal Government Affairs, Western Growers. Sessions topics include the Endangered Species Act for lenders, landowners, and lawyers; legal and political update on the Colorado River Basin; foreign ownership of agricultural land; advising farmers, landowners, and lenders regarding Waters of the United States; and states’ approaches to dividing groundwaters.
The NALC is headquartered in Fayetteville, Arkansas and serves as the nation’s leading source of agricultural and food law research and information. The NALC is a key ally and resource to the nation’s agricultural community, including the Nevada Farm Bureau and other states’ farm bureaus, producers of all commodities, agribusinesses, legislators, departments of agriculture, federal and state policymakers, commodity and trade organizations, farm managers and rural appraisers, students, attorneys, and many others. The American Farm Bureau Federation, Nevada Farm Bureau, Colorado Farm Bureau, and California Farm Bureau are among the sponsors of this event. All net proceeds from the conference will be dedicated to supporting partnerships and outreach in the western states, specifically including the Western Resources Legal Center.
The inaugural conference is part the NALC’s high priority effort to expand its partnerships and outreach to agricultural industry stakeholders in the Western states. In addition to the conference, the NALC has established the Western Ag Industry Advisory Board. For questions about the conference, contact NALC Director Harrison Pittman at hmpittm@uark.edu.
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Agriculture producers to gather at the Nevada Small Agriculture Conference | |
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Nevada Farm Bureau and Extension team up to provide latest information to producers May 5-6 in Las Vegas
Those with smaller agricultural operations in the state, or considering getting into the business, can get a wealth of information on the newest techniques and resources at the Nevada Small Agriculture Conference, May 5-6, at the Santa Fe Station in Las Vegas.
The event is being coordinated by the Nevada Farm Bureau and University of Nevada, Reno Extension, a unit of the University’s College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources. The USDA’s Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (WSARE) is also assisting with the event. Small-acreage producers will be able to network with one another, as well as get the latest information on research, production and resources from experts, such as those from the Farm Bureau, Extension, WSARE, Nevada Department of Agriculture, USDA Farm Service Agency, the University’s Desert Farming Initiative and more.
On May 5, there will be sessions to discuss marketing tools and an evening social and trade show, followed by dinner with a keynote speaker. Tentative breakout sessions that day may include:
- Honey Bee Production, Poultry Production, Vegetable Production
- Time and Stress Management
- Enterprise Budgets, Business Planning, Taxes
- Hydroponic Fodder for Water Conservation, Farming in the Desert and Organic Certifications
On May 6, the lunch session will feature success stories using WSARE funds, and the day will end with a panel discussion with agriculture leaders in the state. Tentative breakout sessions that day may include:
- Opportunities in the Farm Bureau, WSARE Grant Programs
- Food Sovereignty and Food Security
- USDA, Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Services Programs Available
- Value-Added Ag Producer Programs and Requirements
Those planning to attend are encouraged to register online by April 25 at https://NVsmallagconference.eventbrite.com. For those who register online by April 25, fees are $80 (or $55 for Nevada Farm Bureau members). Late registration at the event will be limited, and prices will go up.
For more information, contact Kaley Chapin, Extension outreach specialist, 702-467-2668, kaleys@unr.edu; or Kyle Reber, Nevada Farm Bureau Federation field representative, 775-870-0079, kyle@nvfb.org.
Persons in need of special accommodations or assistance should contact Paul Lessick, Extension civil rights and compliance coordinator, at plessick@unr.edu or 702-257-5577 at least five days prior to the scheduled event with their needs or for more information.
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