By Kerin ClarkThe US Fish and Wildlife Service

(FWS) announced June 22, 2017 that grizzly bears in the Greater Yellow-stone Ecosystem (GYE) have suffi -ciently recovered and will be returned to state management. According to a news release from Wyoming Gov-ernor Matt Mead, there are approxi-mately 700 bears in the GYE which includes Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.

The Wyoming Farm Bureau Fed-eration (WyFB) is pleased to see the FWS take this action.

“The number of grizzly bears have long since reached recovery goals in the area and by taking this action we feel it will provide the management fl exibility that can help ranchers in the area better cope with the impacts of these large carnivores,” said Ken Hamilton, WyFB Executive Vice

lab

ella

bel

WY

OM

ING A

GR

ICU

LTU

RE Hyperbole should not drive discussions .................... Page 2

County and state meetings ......................................... Page 2

Consumer protection for hiring contractors ............ Page 4

Understanding carbon dynamics in soil .................... Page 7

County news .........................................................Pages 8, 14

See ‘Grizzly bear management’ page 15

VOL. 35, No. 1 July/August 2017PUBLISHED BY THE WYOMING FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

By Brett MolineA new law went into effect July

1, 2017, that affects Wyoming Farm Bureau members and all farmers and ranchers in Wyoming. Now farm-ers and ranchers can haul their own products, with their own trucks and trailers throughout the State. They may also haul out-of-state within 150 air miles of their residence. These loads will have to meet the weight limits allowed for specifi c roads and states. This new law was passed by the 2017 Legislature. The Federal Motor Carrier Act allows states to

set these limits for agricultural pro-ducers. This new law makes the “Z” endorsement obsolete.

The new law allows hired labor to operate the trucks and trailers for their employers. This new law also allows sharing labor. For example, a producer can haul grain to town for their neighbor, as long as the pro-ducer is not being paid. One very important requirement is the vehi-cles being used must be marked as agricultural vehicles. In Wyoming, this is having the FARM sticker on the license plate.

New law changes ag requirements for driver’s license

By Kerin ClarkThe Wyoming Farm Bureau Fed-

eration (WyFB) applauds the En-vironmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) June 27, 2017 proposal to rescind the Waters of the U.S. (WO-TUS) rule. “The proposal to rescind this fl awed rule is a step in the right direction,” said Ken Hamilton, WyFB Executive Vice President. “This rule was a land grab that put property rights of Wyomingites at risk and would have done nothing to benefi t water.”

“We are hopeful the EPA will keep in mind the uniqueness of each state and work with the states rath-er than continuing to dictate rules with the goal of controlling property rights,” Hamilton continued.

American Farm Bureau Fed-eration President Zippy Duvall also welcomed the announcement. “Farmers and ranchers across this country are cheering EPA’s pro-posal to ditch its fl awed Waters of the U.S. rule,” Duvall said. “We know the importance of clean wa-ter, and farmers and ranchers work hard to protect our natural resourc-es every day.”

“But this rule was never really about clean water. It was a federal land grab designed to put a straight-

jacket on farming and private busi-nesses across this nation. That’s why our federal courts blocked it from going into effect for the past two years,” President Duvall continued. “Today’s announcement shows EPA Administrator Pruitt recognizes the WOTUS rule for what it is—an il-legal and dangerous mistake that needs to be corrected.”

On June 29, 2015, the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers fi nalized one of the most signifi cant environmental regulations in our na-tion’s history. The fi nal WOTUS rule expanded the agencies’ regulatory footprint far beyond what they his-torically regulated or are authorized to regulate. The rule has never been implemented because it was stayed by both a federal district court and a federal court of appeals. In issuing its nationally applicable stay of the rule on October 9, 2015, the Sixth Circuit found that the rule’s chal-lengers had “a substantial likelihood of success” in proving the rule was illegal. According to AFBF, the rule was challenged in multiple courts by all sides (31 states and 53 non-state parties, including environmental groups, state and local governments, farmers, landowners, developers, businesses, and recreation groups).

Farm Bureau Applauds EPA Move to Ditch Flawed WOTUS Rule

“Farm Bureau looks forward to supporting Administrator Pruitt’s proposal,” Duvall concluded. “EPA should ditch this rule once and for

all, go back to the drawing board, and write a new rule that protects water quality without trampling the rights of businesses and the states.”

Grizzly bears returned to state management

Page 2 July/August 2017

By Ken Hamilton, WyFB Executive Vice President

It is said that politics is the art of compromise and that may have been true, but in recent years politics appears to be the art of hyperbole. The truth is stretched to the breaking point in order to characterize a position. With the advent of social media, we see hyperbole as the tool that drives the conversation. Look at the posts on Facebook and then you’ll see what I mean.

Unfortunately, with this type of political discussion the issues get lost in the effort to create a sound-bite. When EPA director Scott Pruitt came out with the announcement that he was withdrawing the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, the posts that popped up were pre-dictable. AFBF praised the move as well as several groups which had opposed the original WOTUS rule. On the other side, we saw a lot about

how the action was going to result in corporations being free to pollute

the water and some even predicted people would die.

Of course, the WOTUS rule only was an interpre-tation of a section of the Clean Water Act that was passed in the early 70’s. The fact is water quality in the US has continued to improve long before the creation of the WOTUS

rule. That alone puts the hyperbole being created that pollution is now going to run rampant and people are going to die into a different picture.

The argument about WOTUS be-ing about allowing pollution or not is a red herring. States, who have been on the front line in water quali-ty regulation since the passage of the Clean Water Act, are the ones who are writing the permits, sampling the water and reviewing the results. The problem with WOTUS all along has been the action by the EPA to uni-

Calendar of Calendar of EventsEventsJuly22 .......... Carbon County Farm Bureau Picnic at noon—Riverside Park

in Riverside26 .......... Sweetwater County Farm Bureau Ice Cream Social at 5 p.m.—

Eden Park31-August 2 AFBF Western Region Presidents & Administrators

Meeting Hosted by WyFB--LaramieAugust2-3 ........ Joint Legislative Interim Revenue Committee Meeting--

Thermopolis15 .......... Laramie County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting at 6 p.m.—

Farm Bureau Insurance Offi ce in Pine Bluffs29-30 .... Joint Legislative Interim Travel Committee Meeting—Lander30 .......... Select Federal Natural Resources Management Committee

Meeting--CasperSeptember11-12 ..... Joint Legislative Interim Agriculture Committee Meeting—

Dubois12-13 ..... Joint Legislative Interim Revenue Committee Meeting—

Buffalo18 .......... Niobrara County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting at 5:30 p.m.—

Fairgrounds in Lusk18-19 ..... Joint Legislative Interim Corporations Committee Meeting--

Lander19 .......... Goshen County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting with guest

speaker Harriet Hageman—Bucking Horse Steakhouse near Torrington

21 .......... Platte County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting at 6 p.m.—Country Club in Wheatland

23 .......... “Wyoming Needs Agriculture” event at UW Football Game—Laramie

27 .......... Sweetwater County Farm Bureau Annual MeetingNovember16 .......... WyFB YF&R Collegiate Discussion Meet—Cheyenne16-18 ..... WyFB Annual Meeting—Cheyenne18 .......... WyFB YF&R Regular Discussion Meet--CheyenneJanuary5-10 ....... American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention—

Nashville, Tenn.19-20 ..... WyFB Young Farmer & Rancher Conference—ThermopolisFebruary16-19 ..... American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmer & Rancher

Conference—Reno, Nev.Visit wyfb.org for calendar updates

Zippy Duvall

Ken Hamilton

Wyoming Agriculture, ISSN 10710272, is the offi cial publication of the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation, 931 Boulder Drive, Laramie, WY 82070 and is published monthly, except for combined July/August and December/January issues. $1.00 subscription rate is deducted from Farm Bureau membership dues. Paid subscriptions are available to Wyoming Farm Bureau members only. Periodicals postage paid at Torrington, Wyoming 82240. Postmaster send change of address to: Wyoming Agriculture, Box 1348, Laramie, WY 82073. The Wyoming Farm Bureau toll-free number is 1-800-442-8325. www.wyfb.org

EDITOR - KERIN CLARK 307.532.2002• kclark@wyfb.org

WyFB Offi cers TODD FORNSTROM—PresidentCOLE COXBILL–Vice PresidentKEN HAMILTON–Executive Vice President

TIM PEXTON, Central DistrictDAVID GARBER, Northeast DistrictGLEN REED, Northwest DistrictKEVIN BAARS, Southeast District

JUSTIN ELLIS, Southwest DistrictBYRON YEIK, Director-at-LargeSTACY BERGER, YF&R Chair

See ‘Free to Farm’ page 5

See ‘Hyperbole’ page 5

By Zippy Duvall, American Farm Bureau Federation President

You’ll be hard pressed to fi nd folks with more patriotic spirit than America’s farmers and ranchers. We love this country and take great pride in working around the clock to grow the fi nest products in the world. From sea to shining sea, farmers know fi rsthand the beauty of our nation’s prairies, forests, valleys and plains, because that’s where our “offi ces” are. For many of us, our families have been farming and ranching in our communities for decades—and even centuries—long before hous-

ing developments began to spring up. A good day in American agriculture brings millions of jobs and nutritious

meals to our nation.As most Americans en-

joy their summer cookout they probably won’t give much thought to where the meal came from. They don’t have to worry about whether the meat is safe to eat or whether there’s enough corn-on-the-cob. Thanks to the hard work of U.S. agriculture, our safe

and affordable food supply is the envy of the world. But that wouldn’t be pos-sible without strong and supportive

Free to Farm from Sea to Shining Sea Hyperbole should not drive political discussions

Wyoming Farm Bureau mem-bers will gather Nov. 16-18, 2017 at The Radisson Hotel in Cheyenne to set the Federation’s policy for the coming year. Delegates vote on pol-icy decisions from resolutions that

are formed at the local level. Elec-tions, speakers and Young Farmer & Rancher events also highlight the meeting. Watch future issues of Wy-oming Agriculture for more infor-mation. Make plans to attend now!

Save the DateWyFB 97th Annual Meeting—Nov. 16-18, 2017

Page 3July/August 2017

CallCall

www.call811.com

Call

www.kindermorgan.com/public_awareness

CMF-710 VERTICAL MIXERFind us on Facebook and view products in action on our YouTube channel!

• Mixing capacity of 710 cubic feet (23.5 cu m)• Holds up to 18,340 lbs (8,314.88 kg) of TMR• Dual augers are equipped with 14 self-

sharpening knives

MIX IT UP WITH A REAL CHAMP.

“THE BLADE” AKA: THE CMF-710 VERTICAL MIXER

• 36 inch (91.44 cm) unloading conveyor can discharge on the right or left

• Rear discharge door option• Oscillating axles provide smooth, even travel

through rough feed lots

New! Haybuster CMF 710 vertical mixer ...................................................................................................................... $2,500 Rebate!New! Speedrower 160 Windrower, HS 16 Header ................................................................................................... $117,000+2.9%NH TG255 4WD, 210 HP, Duals, Loader/grapple .........................................................................................................................$69,9002012 Massey 2856A round baler, low bale count ....................................................................................................................$19,650TYM T353 4WD,35HP, with Loader-only160 hrs! .......................................................................................................................$15,000 New! NH H7150 swing tongue w/HS16 16’ head ......................................................................................................................$39,450New! Haybuster 2650 Bale Processor ...........................................................................................................................................$19,900New! RB560 Specialty Crop, Net/Twine ..........................................................................................................................$45,000+2.9%New! Kodiak 3615 15’ Wing Mower, Chain Guards ...................................................................................................................$16,900New! T4.110, Cab, 95 HP, 4-WD, w/665TL Loader ......................................................................................................................$64,772NEW! NH T6.180, 4WD, 125 HP, Loader, Grapple .................................................................................................................... $115,000New! NH L200 Skids In Stock! L221, L228, L230 ........................................................................................................ Rebates + 2.9%

Lingle, WY(307) 837-2261

www.rosebrosinc.com

By Kerin ClarkConverse County Rancher Tim

Pexton shares why he values Farm Bureau membership. “Member-ship in Farm Bureau is valuable because it connects me to a lot of really great people who share the same goals and ideals, who face the same trials and tribulations, and who speak the same language. This is true at the local level as well as on a national level,” Pex-ton said.

Pexton was recognized at the June 1 Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation Membership Commit-tee Meeting for his 20 years of service as the state chair of the committee. Pexton is passionate about serving agriculture through Farm Bureau.

Pexton recalled how he got started in membership work: “My Uncle Charles served as State Membership Chairman for nearly 20 years before me. He and his wife, Aunt Gilberta, handled the membership duties at the county

level as well, sending in the hand-written transmittals and keeping count of the number of members needed to reach quota,” he ex-plained. “When the computer program Microsoft Access came available I took over the submis-sion of the transmittals for several years. When he retired from the Board I was elected to his spot and was subsequently appointed to be Membership Committee chair-man.”

“Uncle Charles firmly believed in our quota system and was not afraid to ask anyone, anywhere, or anytime if they would consid-er paying their dues or to join if they weren’t already a member,” Pexton concluded. “I also believe that the Wyoming Farm Bureau membership quota system keeps us the number one agriculture organization in the state. It is important to me to work to pre-serve and improve that system of membership acquisition and re-tention.”

WyFB Membership Committee Chair Tim Pexton receives an appre-ciation gift from WyFB President Todd Fornstrom for his 20 years of service as state committee chair. Kerin Clark photo.

WyFB recognizes Tim Pexton

Page 4 July/August 2017

damage repair services. 3. Contractors can NO longer pay, advertise, or

promise to pay back or rebate deductibles. 4. Contractors will not be able to pay any

compensation directly to an individual un-less disclosed in writing.

5. Contractors will not be able to accept mon-ey from anyone else in order to use their company’s name.

6. Contractors will no longer be able to of-fer to exclusively represent any individuals with respect to the claims process. This is for the contractor that says “they will deal directly with the insurance company.”

7. Contractors cannot claim to be, or act as, an adjuster or insurance consultant with re-spect to any insurance claim.

8. Contractors will now be required to state in writing what specifically is and is NOT damage and where on the property the dam-age exists.

Additionally, and possibly the most impor-tant, the consumer now has three (3) business days to cancel a contract in the event the insur-ance company denies their claim in whole or in part. The protection that comes from this is that anyone who signs or enters a contract be-fore an adjuster is able to inspect their property now has the chance to exit the contract. Even though this bill was put in place for storm-re-lated damage, it will be a great help to the con-sumers who may fall victim to the out-of-state contractors who always seem to show up right after the storm hits.

By Bill Bergmann, Mountain West Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company

With the completion of this year’s legisla-tive efforts, there are several new bills that have been passed into law. There is one in particular that brought a big victory to our in-dustry and will provide another layer of con-sumer protection. Insurance fraud including contractors who do shoddy work or don’t do the work costs consumers millions of dollars in increased premiums. Unfortunately, this bill was necessary because of unscrupulous con-tractors taking advantage of natural disasters and cheating companies and homeowners.

Senate File 0127 became effective July 1, 2017. This new bill requires more disclosures and requirements from contractors when it comes to performing storm damage repairs. It also provides a window of time for the in-sured to cancel a contract in the event our as-sessment of the damage is different than the contractor’s. Without going too deep into technical wording, the requirements for exte-rior storm damage repairs, solicitations, and advertisement regulations are now stricter and are summarized as follows: 1. Anyone claiming to be a contractor will

now have to provide their business name, their general liability insurance, and any other licensure required by the local au-thority.

2. The contractors will need to provide their license number on all estimates, bids, and advertisements involving exterior storm

Exterior Storm Damage Repair ContractsConsumer protection provided by SF127

Page 5July/August 2017

From page 2 From page 2

& YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

oin a 4-H program that grows youth into the caring and confident adults who advance our

state into the future. 4-H educators work with local volunteers to offer fun and exciting programs with a “learn-by-doing” emphasis. Opportunities for young people include:

• Clubs, camps, clinics, competitions

• Setting goals and creating lasting friendships

• Learning citizenship, leadership, and life skills

• Character development

• Positive relationships with adults and other youths

Visit www.uwyo.edu/uwe/county to contact a UW Extension educator in your county.

EXTENDING KNOWLEDGE | CHANGING LIVES

policies and programs and common-sense regulations that give farmers and ranchers the fl exibility they need to manage their businesses—and stay in business. As farmers, we know what’s at stake, and we have an added responsibility to protect the freedoms we need to preserve both our liveli-hood and our nation’s food security.

We’ve faced some tough battles on the road to regulatory reform. Agricul-ture has come together with one voice to call for common-sense reform, and I’m proud of the progress we’ve made. We must remember though that we haven’t reached our destination just yet. You can be sure that our team in Washington will continue to fi ght until the reforms we need are law, but lawmakers still need to hear from each of you on how these regulations affect your livelihood. Farmers and ranchers often get labeled as “anti-regulation” when we call out what’s not work-ing in our system. In fact, we’re for common-sense regulation. Keeping our water and air clean makes good sense and is a top priority for agricul-ture. In fact, farmers have cut environ-mental impacts in half across major crops, while production has increased, thanks to strides in technology and in-

novation backed by our innate ethic of stewardship.

Finally, if farmers and ranchers are going to have the freedom to do what we do best, we need a robust 2018 farm bill. There’s lots of talk in Wash-ington these days of trimming the fat, but farm programs are about as lean as they come. Farmers and ranchers care about fi scal responsibility and we know how to stretch a dollar. Farm bill spending is an investment in the security of our nation’s food supply and the 21 million jobs agriculture supports. Tools like crop insurance can make the difference for a farmer struggling to hold on through a tough season or to secure a loan to get the next crop in. Anyone who still thinks the farm bill is about handouts has never met a farmer. America’s farm-ers and ranchers are some of the most innovative, hard-working people our country produces.

I can’t help but be overcome with thankfulness to live in a nation that celebrates liberty and opportunity for all. The freedoms we enjoy in our country were not easily won, and it’s the solemn duty of every citizen to protect those privileges for the next generation.

Free to Farmlaterally develop rules without in-put from the states. It always struck me as disingenuous that you would claim to want to address water qual-ity issues without fi rst asking those on the front line for input.

EPA’s actions on this were not about water quality. Initially, the WOTUS rules were proposed as “guidelines” which would not have required any input from the public, but soon after their attempt to go down that path, they were told they had to do this through the rule mak-ing process. This would have been the perfect opportunity to solicit in-put from the states, but that wasn’t

done. Judging from the number of lawsuits that were fi led shortly after the rule was adopted; it would ap-pear there were a number of states who objected to being left out.

Hyperbole can be a powerful force for public opinion. Political leaders, however, must look beyond the hyperbole as should the public. Real solutions to real problems can seldom be accurately described by a few statements. When people use hyperbole in a statement, then it generally means they don’t want people to fi nd out what’s really go-ing on but instead react on an emo-tional level.

Hyperbole

Page 6 July/August 2017

Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company*/West Des Moines, IA. Mountain West Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company/Laramie, WY. *Company provider of Farm Bureau Financial Services MC035 (9‐16)

We make insurance simple.®Call today to see how we make it simple to protect your family, home, car and business.

BUFFALONICK SMITH LUTCF

307-684-1300

CHEYENNEJASON BELL307-632-9008

CODYJEANNA KENNEDY

307-587-9669

CODYLUKE HOPKIN307-587-9669

GLENROCKDOMINIC MADIA

307-436-8402

KEMMERERTAMEY PETERNAL

307-877-5582

LANDERJAKE HUHNKE307-332-3295

NEWCASTLECLYDE BAYNE ALSO CROP INSURANCE

307-746-4471

PINEDALELAUREN STELTING

307-367-2141

TORRINGTONCHUCK CURRY

307-532-3610

WHEATLANDSALLY HOUX307-322-3791

WORLANDTOM ALLRED307-347-3583

Page 7July/August 2017

By Caitlin Youngquist, University of Wyoming Extension Educator, Agriculture

Lawns are the largest “crop” in the US. In 2005, NASA estimated that lawns covered over 40 million acres of US soil. Most lawns in Wyoming are some combination of Kentucky bluegrass and fescue. We spend a lot of resources fertilizing, watering, and mowing our lawns. Is there any value in all of that grass?

Many people successfully feed grass clippings to their cattle and sheep, either fresh or ensiled. How-ever, this is not without risk.

Horses should never be fed grass clippings. Because of the short fi ber length, most lawn grass clippings will pass through the digestive sys-tem very quickly. A pile of fresh grass clippings is too tempting to resist, and most horses would gorge themselves given the opportunity. Both of these factors can lead to ex-cess fermentation in the hind gut, and colic. Horses are also susceptible to botulism which can develop in an-aerobic conditions (i.e. a pile of grass clippings).

Cattle and sheep have a different digestive system and are not at risk

of colic or botulism. However, that does not mean throwing grass clip-pings into the feed bunk is always a good idea.

Nitrate toxicity is a risk with many forages, including grass clippings. Bacteria in the guts of ruminants con-vert the nitrate in forage into ammo-nia which is used to make protein for bacterial growth and reproduction. Nitrite is produced as an intermedi-ate compound created in this pro-cess, and can inhibit the ability of the blood to transport oxygen. Toxicity depends on the nitrate concentration of the forage and rate of consump-

tion. For example, an animal that consumes high nitrate forage quickly is more at risk of poisoning than an animal that consumes this same for-age over a longer period of time.

Excessive nitrates will most often accumulate in the stalks or stems of plants under stress. Stressful condi-tions include drought or cold weath-er, herbicides, and disease. While levels of nitrogen in the soil are also a factor in nitrate accumulation, it is not as important as plant stress.

Allowing fresh grass (i.e. green chop or grass clippings) to heat up

By Caitlin Youngquist, University of Wyoming Extension Educator, Agriculture

Carbon is an often overlooked, but very important component of the soil. We know how to manage nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassi-um for maximum production, and that micronutrients play a critical role in crop yield and disease re-sistance. Any defi ciencies can usu-ally be corrected relatively quickly through the addition of soil or foli-ar fertilizer applications. While soil nutrient status can change quickly, changes in soil carbon status are generally much slower, and effects are less obvious in the short term.

Soil is a living system and has both inherent and dynamic proper-ties – land managers work within the constraints of the inherent prop-erties to change the dynamic prop-erties. Changes in type and amount of soil carbon is one of our biggest opportunities for soil improvement,

Soil health can be defi ned as the capacity of a soil to function in the areas of biological productivity (ie. plant growth and decomposition), environmental quality (ie. water fi l-tration and erosion resistance), and plant and animal health. It is also one of the best indicators of long-term sustainability in land manage-ment. The primary unifying factor in all of these areas is soil carbon, the major component of soil organ-ic matter. It is what gives healthy soil that dark brown color and rich, earthy smell.

Soil organic matter encom-passes all organic components of the soil system. This includes liv-ing and dead plant and animal tis-sue, as well as excretions, and soil microbes. Soil organic matter is typically a small percentage of the soil but has a very important role

to play in soil health, disease sup-pression, drought resistance, water quality and quantity, and long-term agricultural viability.

The terms soil organic mat-ter and soil carbon are often used interchangeably, and while one is a component of the other, they are not the same thing. Carbon is the primary component of soil or-ganic matter, accounting for ap-proximately half of the molecular weight. Nitrogen, phosphorus, cal-cium, magnesium, iron, zinc, other plant nutrients make up the rest. While plants do not take up any signifi cant amount of carbon from the soil (instead they get it from the air), organic matter is the food and energy source for soil bacteria, fungi, worms, and the rest of the soil food web. When it comes to managing for soil health, it is ac-tually the organic soil carbon that is of interest. Soil organic carbon was once a part of a living organ-ism, and will be again someday. In contrast, soil inorganic carbon in-cludes things like charcoal and cal-cium carbonate (lime) and does not provide the same benefi ts to soil health.

Soil micro-organisms (nema-todes, bacteria, fungi, etc) rely on organic matter as a food and en-ergy source. These microbes break down complex carbon-based mol-ecules in crop residues and manure like cellulose, lignin, fat, and pro-tein, into smaller components. As a result, nutrients are made available to plants and carbon dioxide is re-leased as a byproduct. The bacte-ria responsible for the most rapid organic matter decomposition are aerobic (require oxygen). Tillage introduces oxygen into the soil, stimulating microbial activity. This burst of microbial activity leads to

increased rates of organic matter metabolism in the soil, and subse-quent loss of soil carbon as carbon dioxide. This is why tillage is a pri-mary factor in loss of soil carbon and declining soil health.

Plants cannot use the nitrogen or many of the other nutrients in organic matter until the microbes break it down. The process of re-leasing nitrogen from organic mat-ter is “mineralization.” Bacteria in the soil are also responsible for the conversion of ammonia to nitrate, the preferred form of nitrogen by most plants. Both processes require oxygen and warm temperatures. This is why plant available nitro-gen may be limited in saturated or cold soils.

Looking a little closer at carbon in the soil, there are actually sever-al different pools that serve differ-ent purposes. The active pool (also called labile carbon) is composed primarily of living organisms, crop residues, and manures. It turns over in seasons to years, as soil mi-crobes break it down and convert it into more stable forms. This pool plays an important role in structur-al stability (resisting erosion) and as a food source for soil microbes. Because it is made up of primarily “fresh” materials, nutrient release from this pool is relatively rapid. Levels of active soil carbon change relatively quickly with tillage prac-tices and cropping systems.

The passive pool of soil carbon turns over in hundreds to thousands of years. It is very stable, and phys-ically protected from the activity of soil microbes because it is bound up in organic-clay complexes. This pool of organic carbon is the ma-jor contributor to cation exchange capacity (the ability of the soil to

Grass and legume roots sequester carbon and help increase soil organic matter levels. Note the dark color that surrounds the large alfalfa root. This is caused by root secretions (poly-saccharides) and resulting microbial activity. Caitlin Youngquist photo.

Understanding Carbon Dynamics in the Soil

These two soils came from neighbor-ing fi elds separated only by a fence. This Wyoming ranch recently con-verted half of the irrigated hay ground into pastures and implemented a rotational grazing system. The soil on the right is from the fi eld that re-mained in hay production. The soil on the left is from the fi eld that was converted to well managed pasture. Note the change in color (soil carbon) and rooting depth after only one year. Caitlin Youngquist photo.

Feeding Lawn Clippings to Livestock

See ‘Lawn Clippings’ page 11

See ‘ Carbon Dynamics in the Soil’ page 13

Page 8 July/August 2017

On June 9th, the Carbon County Farm Bureau awarded its annual scholarships to high school seniors. Pictured (l to r) are: Stephanie Webster of Rawlins, Mabel Raymond of Rawlins, Katie Loose of Saratoga, and President G.G. Kortes. Not pictured are: Konnar Knotwell of Encampment and Jocelyn Martinez of Baggs. We congratulate these graduates and are excited for their futures!

Katie Shockley was also awarded a Platte County Farm Bureau continuing education scholarship.

Johnson County Fair Board

July 29—August 6, 2017

METZ BEVERAGE METZ BEVERAGE

MCDONALDS OF BUFFALO

WYOMING BEVERAGE

BIG HORN BEVERAGE

Saturday, July 29th: Rodeo Royalty Competition

Bull Riding—Mini Bull Riding

Sunday, July 30: Dog Show Horse Show—Halter Classes

Monday, July 31: Horse Show—Performance Cat Show Pocket Pets

Tuesday, August 1: Sheep Show

Johnson Co. Woolgrowers Lamb Feed, Sheep Lead & Stock Dog Trials

Wednesday, August 2: Goat Show

Rabbit Show

Swine

Team Penning

Thursday, August 3: Beef Show

All-County Roping

Poultry Show

Team Roping Slack

Friday, August 4: Youth Rodeo

Pie Contest

Rodeo Slack

Dance—Prosinski Park

Saturday, August 5: Rodeo Parade—Main Street

Jr. Livestock Sale

Saturday and Sunday, August 5 & 6 RODEO

Feature acts by Ryan Bulkley Free concert Sunday following the Rodeo

Fair Office: 307-684-7357 www.johnsoncountyfairgrounds.com

JOHNSON COUNTY FAIR & RODEO Buffalo, Wyoming

8:00am

7:00pm

8:00am 5:00pm

8:00am 1:30pm 2:00pm

8:00am

5:00pm

11:00am

2:00pm

6:00pm

7:00pm

8:00am

9:00am

3:00pm

6:00pm

9:00am

10:00am

5:00pm

6:00pm

10:00am

7:00pm

12:30pm

Platte County Farm Bureau awards college scholarshipsSubmitted by Sandy Dovey

Matt Britton receives his scholarship award from Platte County Farm Bureau President Dick Dovey.

Platte County Farm Bureau President Dick Dovey (center) pres-ents continuing edu-cation scholarships to Brittony Rietz (left) and Pryce Milllkin (right).

Carbon County Farm Bureau awards college scholarshipsSubmitted by Chalsey Kortes

Hot Springs County Farm to Table Ag Expo--Hot Springs County Farm Bureau Federation News

News from the County Farm Bureaus

Submitted by Ray ShafferThe Hot Springs County Pioneer

Association in cooperation with the Hot Springs County School Dist. #1 hosted the 2017 Farm to Table Ag Expo at the Hot Springs County Fairgrounds, May 25th.

The event was sponsored by the Hot Springs County Farm Bureau Federation; providing the funding for the food, prizes, and give-a-ways.

Nearly 300 meals were served to 3rd & 4th grade students from the Ralph Witters Elementary and 5th & 6th grades from the Thermopolis Middle School, as well as 2 class-es from the Risen Son Christian School.

Becky Martinez, the main or-ganizer at Thermopolis Middle School, shared some of the particu-lars: “There were 11 different sta-tions at the Ag Expo with volunteers talking about different aspects of agriculture. They had 10 minutes at each station. Middle school students

Hot Springs County Farm Bureau Member Ray Shaffer presenting at the Farm to Table Ag Expo. Thermop-olis Independent Record photo.

The Hot Springs County Farm Bu-reau provided the lunch for the Farm to Table Ag Expo. A potato bar was served and students even used the butter they made at one of the sta-tions. Becky Martinez photo.See ‘Hot Springs’ page 14

Page 9July/August 2017

Can We Lease Your Land for Our Solar Farms?

Transmission Type Power Lines on Your Land? Lease to Us Today!

Large Power Lines on Your Property? Lease Us Your Land!

We Will Pay Up to $1,250 per Acre per Year

20 to 40 Yr. Lease We Require Large Tracts of Land currently clear clean land (Over 150 Acres) w/ 3Phase Transmission Type Power Lines on the land for Our Solar Farms

Land Cannot be in Flood Zone or Have Wetlands Issues – Owner Must Retain Mineral Rights both above and below surface or have Executive Rights

No underground utilities including oil and gas lines within the proposed solar site

Long Term Land Leases Needed-(20 – 40 Years Up to $1,250 per Acre per Year)

CALL (828)-817-5400 or (828)-817-9101 Email Us at InnovativeSolarFarms@gmail.com

Visit our website at www.InnovativeSolarFarms.com

Page 10 July/August 2017

FOR SALE-2012 TOYOTA SE CAMRY V6. Low mileage. $17,000. 307-277-3473.

FOR SALE-2015 ALUMINUM POLARIS 8’ ATV TRAILER. $2,200. 307-277-3473.

1981 MF 245 Tractor. Hours 1638, Engine heater, Front and rear wheel weights, New seat & cush-ions, adjustable spring seat, Runs

any errors. Contact: Email kclark@wyfb.org or call 307.532.2002. Paid ads must be mailed, typed or neatly printed, together with any payment due, to Wyoming Agriculture, Farm Bureau, P.O. Box 685, Torrington, WY 82240. Free ads must be resubmitted by mail or e-mail after running three months. Ads for which there is pay-ment due will run according to agree-ment between Wyoming Farm Bureau and the advertiser. Advance payment is preferred for fi rst-time advertisers.

NOTE:The appearance of any ad in Wyo-

ming Agriculture does not constitute an endorsement or approval of the product or service offered. The ad-vertiser is liable for content of the advertisement and any claims arising therefrom against this publication. The Wyoming Farm Bureau Federa-tion reserves the right to refuse any advertising not considered in keeping with its publication’s standards.

2011 JOHN DEERE 7430 PRE-MIUM $98,000. 1420 hours, 166 hp, IVT Transmission, 165 PTO hp Like new condition, stored indoors Contact Manu Delaunay @ 307-851-9219.

JOHN DEERE 1947 RE-STORED. New rear tires. Like new. With original operators manual. 307-629-0871.

CLASSIFIED POLICY: 1) Wyoming Farm Bureau mem-

bers are entitled to free classifi ed ad-vertising in this publication for the purpose of selling items they grow or make themselves, selling used ma-chinery or household items, for post-ing wanted advertising. Real estate sales not included. Each member fam-ily is entitled to two (2) free ads per month, for 3 months, of up to 40 words each. Member ads will be accepted by mail at PO Box 685, Torrington, WY 82240 or e-mail to kclark@wyfb.org. Please include member’s name and county.

2) Non-Wyoming Farm Bureau members and WyFB members acting as agents or dealers of products pro-duced outside the member’s family may purchase commercial classifi ed advertising at $0.50 per word, at a minimum of $5.00 per ad. Discounts: 5% for 4 to 9 insertions, 10% for 10 or more insertions. Commercial ads must be submitted in writing, and an agreement regarding payment must be made between Farm Bureau and the advertiser.

DEADLINE:Ads should be received by the 3rd

Tuesday of the month in order to appear in the next month’s issue. Advertisers are asked to check your ad and report

NOTICE

Wyoming's only weekly publication devoted to agriculture, the Wyoming Livestock Roundup

reaches the majority of the state's agricultural producers. We have subscribers from Jackson to

Pine Bluffs and from Hulett to Evanston. Every major livestock auction and implement dealer

in the state regularly advertises in the Roundup. Advertising rates and subscriptions can be

obtained by calling 800-967-1647 or 307-234-2700.

ROUNDUPWYOMING

LIVESTOCKWyoming's only weekly publication devoted to agriculture, the Wyoming Livestock Roundup

reaches the majority of the state's agricultural producers. We have subscribers from Jackson to

Pine Bluffs and from Hulett to Evanston. Every major livestock auction and implement dealer

in the state regularly advertises in the Roundup. Advertising rates and subscriptions can be

obtained by calling 800-967-1647 or 307-234-2700.

ROUNDUPWYOMING

LIVESTOCK

good, Includes Operators Manual. Ready for work with fresh oil & fi l-ter, lube, fuel fi lter, air cleaners, and a full tank of fuel. $7000 more info @ KSL.com. Clay 307-701-4628.

FOR SALE: FRUEHAUF FLAT-BED SEMI TRAILER, 48 ft. x 102 inches with 5 ft. hay extension, tandem axle with air ride. $4,500. 307.575.9388.

Wyoming Classifieds

EQUIPMENT

New MembersALBANY

Erin Bush, LaramieBIG HORN

Paul Anderson, ByronCROOK

Linda Cooley, Sundance; Colter Ells-bury/ Ellsbury Ranch LLC, Sundance

FREMONTWilliam Vacek, Lander; Patricia Bass, Ri-verton; Cade Mortenson/ Cade Warner Mortenson Trust, Park City; Justin Mi-nard, Riverton; Mark Medow, Shoshoni

HOT SPRINGSSam Ray, Worland

LARAMIESteven Gienapp, Cheyenne; Peter Farner/ Farner Cattle LLC, Cheyenne; Trista Ostrom, Cheyenne; Kevin Mar-quardt, Cheyenne

LINCOLNShawna Fagnant, Kemmerer

NATRONAClayton Tanner, Casper; Jennifer Berg,

Casper; Kevin Huber, Casper; Robert Clark, Casper; Craig Marsh, Casper; Tammy Myers, Casper; Mark Curry, Casper; Carolyn Genzler, Casper

PARKRobert Divaccaro, Cody; Andrew Di Pi-azza, Cody

PLATTEHaley Besneatte, Wheatland

SHERIDANEric Eisenman, Sheridan; Getty Bab-bitt, Sheridan

SUBLETTEMark O Kampman, Rock Springs

TETONSusan Mortensen, Wilson; Zachary McDermott, Jackson; Fred N Lam-ming, Jackson; Rolf Belden, Jackson; Debra Leeper, Jackson

WASHAKIEJonathon Williams, Worland; Elizabeth Becher, Worland; Clayton Douglas, Worland

• Flatbed Trailers• Low Profi le Equipment Trailers• Flatbeds For Pickups & 1 Ton Trucks

• Livestock Trailers• Horse & Stock Combo Trailers• Multipurpose Trailers

“American Made Since 1987”Hillsboro, KS 67063

Call for a dealer near you!800-526-0939

www.circle-dtrailers.com

Page 11July/August 2017

From page 7

307.262.4647307.262.4647

RANGESOLARWIND.COMRANGESOLARWIND.COM

Grid-Tied

Off-Grid

Battery

Residential

Commercial

Agriculture

YOUR LOCAL

SOLAR EXPERTS

YOUR LOCALYOUR LOCAL

SOLAR EXPERTSSOLAR EXPERTS

Th e Cannonball Bale Bed is a pick up truck mounted bale bed that lets you work quicker and easier. With our feature rich truck bed, you gain much more value for your dollar.

Features Include:• Patented dump feature - handle hay and dump materials from the comfort of your cab• Independent arm action - move the arms separately or in tandem for easier bale retrieval

when stacked end to end• Free-fl oat arm system - unroll hay while maintaining full contact with the ground over

rough terrain, allowing even distribution of feed and reducing waste

Skyline Implement2012 Skyline Dr.

Sheridan, WY 82801(307) 672-0966

The Cannnonball The Cannnonball Bale Bed, a bale Bale Bed, a bale

bed like no other.bed like no other.

By Rachel Derner, WyFB InternThe Food Safety and Modern-

ization Act’s (FSMA) fi rst effec-tive compliance deadline is ap-proaching next January. Farms who are affected by this Act are those with more than $25,000 in sales of fresh produce for human consumption. Most Wyoming farms, if any, won’t be impacted by this law. The FSMA does not apply to food grains, produce that is used for personal or on farm consumption, produce that is not raw, or select produce that has been identifi ed as rarely being eaten raw; including many variet-ies of beans, potatoes and nuts.

The rule sets standards for fruits and vegetables grown for

human consumption, including safe growing, harvesting, pack-ing, and storing. The FSMA has six main objective areas of regulation to achieve the safety standards. These areas are: ag-ricultural water, biological soil amendments, sprouts, domesti-cated and wild animals, worker training and health and hygiene, and equipment, tools and build-ings. Exemptions are available to each compliance date based on farm size, farm income, and other progressive actions taken. FSMA also permits suppliers of imported foods to apply for exemptions. For more information or assistance, visit http://www.regulations.gov/ or www.fda.gov/FSMA.

Food Safety and Modernization Act changes--Impacts to those with more than $25,000 in sales of fresh produce

before feeding greatly increases the levels of toxic nitrite (due to bacte-rial activity in the pile) and can turn an otherwise safe feed deadly.

Considering this, the highest risk of nitrate toxicity from grass clip-pings would come from a heavily fertilized lawn under stress, that was stored in a pile and allowed to heat up before feeding, and then was con-sumed quickly by livestock and not mixed with other forages.

If you are concerned about the nitrate concentration of your lawn grass, or any other forages, send a sample into a lab for analysis. It will cost you less than $20. If the grass is high in nitrates, you may still be able to feed it as long as it is mixed thor-oughly with other feeds.

Ensiling forages can reduce nitrate levels by 40 to 60%. However, it is still a good idea to test the silage for nitrates before feeding.

Ensiling is a way of storing for-ages in anaerobic conditions (no oxygen) that preserves their nutri-tional value. Bacteria ferment the sugars and starches in the grass and produce lactic and acetic ac-ids. Successful ensiling requires

grass that has a moisture content of 60-70% and a sealed environment that excludes oxygen. After several weeks of fermenting, silage should have a pH below 4.5, a slight vin-egar odor, and be light green to yel-low in color.

Other considerations when feed-ing grass clippings to livestock are pesticides and poisonous plants.

If the area where you are collect-ing clippings has been sprayed with any pesticides be sure and thorough-ly read the label to determine if the grass is safe to feed to livestock.

There are many plants that are poi-sonous to livestock. If you mow an area with heavy weeds, tree leaves, or pine needles it might be best to put that load in the compost pile instead of the feed bunk.

Additional resources: http://www.drcaitlin.us/hot-topics/

feeding-grass-clippings-to-livestock____________________________

Caitlin Youngquist is a Univer-sity of Wyoming Extension Educator based in Washakie County. She can be reached at 307-347-3431 or cy-oungqu@uwyo.edu. Read more at: www.drcaitlin.us

Lawn Clippings

Page 12 July/August 2017

Wyoming Mustang Days2017

blm.gov/programs/wild-horse-and-burro1-866-4MUSTANGS (1-866-468-7826)

facebook.com/BLMWildHorseAndBurro

U.S. Department of the InteriorBureau of Land Management

August 15-17: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.• Halter-started horses and burros available for daily adoptions through silent

bidding• Viewing of saddle-started horses for Saturday adoption

• Bidding will close daily at 6pm

August 18: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.• Opening Ceremonies

• Mustang Days Horse Show• Classes for all riders and horses

• Awards to high point winners of Junior, Youth, Adult, and Open Divisions

August 19: 2 p.m.• 2 p.m. - Preview of saddle-started & remaining halter-started horses available for

adoption• 2:30 p.m. - Wild Horse Adoption by competitive bid

Thank you partners for supporting the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program!For more information, please contact:

June Wendlandt at 307-775-6097 or 307-690-9069 cell

Page 13July/August 2017

From page 7 HAS YOUR ADDRESS CHANGED? Please help us save costs and continue delivering this paper to you by

updating your address.

Options to update your address:

1. Email mdigby@wyfb.org

2. Call 307-721-7719

3. Clip and mail this form to WyFB, ATTN: Address Change, PO Box 1348, Laramie, WY 82073

Member(s) Name:________________________________________________________________

Old Address:_____________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

New Address:____________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

Save energy, save money: energy audits available!

ENERGY AUDITS FOR WYOMING FARMS AND L BUSINESSES are now available through the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality and EnSave, Inc. An energy audit is a customized plan to iden fy energy savings and typically uncovers 10% - 35% savings. Savings opportuni es include:

Ligh ng Motors Pumps Stock waterers Refrigera on Irriga on e ciency measures HVAC More!

Your energy audit may be used to access funding through USDA for energy e ciency improvements, helping to reduce your investment in energy e cient equipment. Call (800) 732-1399 today to reserve your energy audit and �nd out how to cut your energy bills!

Provided by

Par cipants contribute a $100 audit co-payment and the program covers the remaining cost (typically $2,000-$4,000 ). Your customized audit could iden fy thousands in savings per year!

For more informa on or to sign up, contact EnSave at (800) 732-1399.

hold nutrients), and water holding capacity. It is very slow to change, and primarily lost through wind and water erosion of topsoil. Hu-mus is part of this pool, which has been shown to promote root devel-opment and plant growth.

The slow pool of soil carbon is an intermediate pool that turns over in decades. This pool also provides food for soil microbes, and is espe-cially valuable for its slow release of nitrogen and micronutrients. It provides some benefi ts of both the active and passive pools as well. Changes in tillage and cropping systems will also impact this pool but effects may take longer to man-ifest than in the rapid pool.

Think of the active active, slow, and passive pools of soil carbon as a checking account, savings ac-count, and retirement plan. You can add to these “accounts” with cover crops, manure and compost, and by including soil-building crops in your rotation. You can minimize losses by reducing tillage, leaving crop residues in the fi eld, and pro-tecting the soil from erosion.

So, what does this mean for land managers and stewards? There are many soil functions that are di-rectly or indirectly affected by soil carbon.

Soil microbial activity – plant nutrient availability, degradation of pollutants, and disease suppression.

Soil structure – water infi ltration, rooting depth, resistance to erosion and compaction, and oxygen avail-ability for roots and microbes.

Water holding capacity – drought resistance and water storage.

Crop quality and yield – disease resistance, seed germination, root development, and plant growth.

Changes in soil carbon can be

measured in the lab or in the fi eld. The simplest method only requires a shovel, while more advanced meth-ods involve laboratory analysis. By digging a small hole and taking note of the color, smell, and structure of the soil you can tell a lot about soil carbon status. A soil with more car-bon will be darker in color, have a stronger earthy smell (humus), and better tilth. You may also notice more earthworms, and deeper roots. Com-pare soil from a cultivated fi eld to soil from a pasture, fencerow, or garden. Observing changes in these three ba-sic characteristics (color, smell, and structure) over time can tell you a lot about the effects of your current man-agement on soil health and carbon status. Laboratory soil tests will typi-cally include soil organic matter (as a percent of soil by weight) along with N, P, K and micronutrients. Watching how this number changes over time can be very informative, especially if you are making any changes to crop-ping or tillage systems. There are also several lab and fi eld tests available for soil microbial biomass and activ-ity. As they say, “if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.”

As you manage soil N, P, and K for maximum crop production, con-sider ways to manage C too. The long-term benefi ts will be well worth the investment. ____________________________

A version of this article with pho-tos and videos is also available at http://www.drcaitlin.us/hot-topics/understanding-carbon-dynamics-in-the-soil

Caitlin Youngquist is a Univer-sity of Wyoming Extension Educator based in Washakie County. She can be reached at 307-347-3431 or cy-oungqu@uwyo.edu. Read more at: www.drcaitlin.us

Carbon Dynamics in the Soil

Page 14 July/August 2017

From page 8

from the Farm to School class put together a scavenger hunt with clues on what their next station was along with a map of where all the stations were. One middle school student (7th and 8th graders) served as a group leader for each group.”

“Give-away items were provided to students from the different sta-tions and to keep the kids engaged at each station, they could earn tick-ets by answering questions. At the end all the tickets were put into a drawing for several prizes that were donated from various people and or-

ganizations,” she continued.“Farm Bureau provided our lunch

and we tried to focus on foods that were available in our area. We served a baked potato bar with the butter that students made at one of the sta-tions. Even though we were not able to get much of the food from local producers (due to the time of year) we still wanted students to learn that these were food items that they can grow themselves and are grown lo-cally,” Martinez explained.

The event was enjoyed by all and provided a great learning opportu-

nity for area students. The Expo received coverage from three newspapers and KCWY television; we love to toot our agrar-ian horn.

Hot Springs

Eleven different stations showcased different as-pects of agriculture. Becky Martinez photo.

News from the County Farm Bureaus

It takes a lot of people working in agriculture to get food on the table for you. One of those is the ranch hand who works hard implementing good conservation practices, cares for ani-mals, and is dependable and knowl-edgeable about agriculture. For nearly 70 years, the Albany County Farm Bureau has recognized the Top Ranch Hand. The purpose of this project is to recognize and thank the ranch hands for their role in maintaining the agri-cultural way of life in Albany County and the State of Wyoming.

The 2017 recipient of the Albany County Farm Bureau Top Hand Award is Lyndi Speiser. Speiser works on the Biddick Ranch for Pep and Kathy Speiser. In the nomination letter, her Uncle Pep wrote: “My niece Lyndi is a young agriculturalist who is hard wording, diligent, neighborly, very thoughtful and excellent with live-stock. She is truly a top hand.”

Albany County Farm Bureau Presi-dent Kyle Berger (right) congratulates Lyndi Speiser for winning the 2017 ACFB “Top Hand” award. Amanda Johnson photo.

Albany County Farm Bureau names Lyndi Speiser as “Top Hand”

The Albany County Farm Bureau presented Lyndi with her award at the June 2017 ACFB picnic held at the Biddick Ranch. As the 2017 ACFB “Top Hand” recipient Lyndi received a plaque, gifts and gift certifi cates. She was also recognized on a fl oat during the Laramie Jubilee Days pa-rade in July.

Page 15July/August 2017

Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company*/West Des Moines, IA. *Company provider of Farm Bureau Financial Services M121 (6-17)

All from one agent. We make it simple to protect your world. Learn more at FBFS.com.

One Agent for Lifeand Annuities

and Farm/Ranch Succession

and Estate Strategies

President. “Wyoming will now be able to provide state management over wildlife that is impacting our state.”

“I’m sure there will be legal challeng-es which will be unfortunate since the goals and numbers have been reached and surpassed to delist the species,” Hamilton continued. “But we recognize there are some well fi -nanced groups who are not necessarily interested in seeing the species del-isted but are instead still anxious to preserve the federal agency’s control of state wildlife.”____________________

Wyoming Governor Matt Mead also praised the decision in a news re-lease issued June 22.

“Grizzly bears have met or exceeded recov-ery objectives since 2003 and have long warranted delisting. In 2013, I asked Secretary Salazar to delist the grizzly bears and much work toward this end has been done. I appreciate that the FWS is proceed-ing now with the delist-ing,” Governor Mead said. “The Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, which includes the FWS and Wyoming Game and Fish, must be commended for its years of great work. Thanks to the team effort, grizzlies will be managed appropriately by our ex-perts at Game and Fish. I thank all involved in the delisting effort.”

The Governor’s offi ce provided a brief history: In 2007, the FWS delisted grizzly bears in the GYE. A federal judge reinstated protections in 2009 after fi nding that the FWS did not adequately consider the impacts of the decline of whitebark pine nuts - a grizzly bear food source. In 2013, the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team determined that the re-duction in whitebark pine nuts did not signifi cantly impact grizzly bears and again recommended del-isting. In March 2016, the FWS published a draft rule to delist grizzly bears in the GYE. States gave additional assurance regarding long-term vi-

ability. Wyoming has adopted a Grizzly Bear Management Plan outlining how management will occur after the bears are delisted. That document is available on the Game and Fish website (https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Wildlife-in-Wyoming/More-Wildlife/Large-Carnivore/Grizzly-Bear-Management) .

Grizzly bear management “The number of grizzly bears have long since reached recov-

ery goals in the area and by taking this action we feel it will provide the management fl exibility that can help ranchers in the area better cope with the impacts of these large carnivores. Wyoming will now be able to provide state management over wildlife that is impacting our state.”—Ken Hamilton, WyFB Executive Vice President

Page 16 July/August 2017

STEEL GRAY TRU SNAP - METAL ROOFA606 TRUTEN WEATHERING STEEL - ROOF ADDITION

NATIONWIDE SHIPPING 1.877.STEEL.MT CREATE LASTING BEAUTY AT BRIDGERSTEEL.COMCREATE LASTING BEAUTY AT BRIDGERSTEEL COM