News Update
October 25, 2013
Service Extends Comment Periods for Gray and Mexican Wolf Proposals, Reschedules Public Hearings, Adds Hearing in Arizona
As a result of delays caused by the lapse in federal appropriations, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced Oct. 24 that it has rescheduled dates for the remainder of a series of public hearings on two proposed rules — one to list the Mexican wolf as an endangered subspecies and delist the gray wolf elsewhere, and the other to improve recovery efforts for the Mexican wolf in the Southwest. Comment period deadlines also are extended until Dec. 17 to allow these hearings to take place within the public comment periods on the proposed rules.
The hearings will take place Nov. 19 in Denver, Colo., Nov. 20 in Albuquerque, N.M., and Nov. 22 in Sacramento, Calif. Each will include a short informational presentation. The USFWS has also added a public information meeting and hearing in Pinetop, Ariz., on Dec. 3.
The hearings are part of the USFWS’s continuing efforts to provide an open, comprehensive public process for the two proposed wolf rules and will provide the public a forum by which to register their views.
A formal notice of these hearings and the extension of the comment period will appear in the Federal Register on Oct. 28.
To learn more about the proposed rules, view the draft Federal Register notice with the details of the public hearings, and for links to submit comments to the public record, visit www.fws.gov/home/wolfrecovery.
Runners Fuel Up With Beef at the Runner’s World Half Marathon Festival
The beef checkoff, through the Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative in partnership with the Redner’s Warehouse Markets of Reading, Pa., encouraged runners to “fuel up” with lean beef at the Runner’s World Half Marathon Festival, Sept. 18-20 in Bethlehem, Pa.
An estimated 12,000 runners and their families toured the expo during the two-day event. Visitors to the beef booth received samples of the Roast Beef & Veggie Wrap. Redner’s Warehouse Markets, 41-location retailer in the Bethlehem area donated all of the product for the wraps. Approximately 1,500 samples of the beef wraps were handed out during the expo. Expo attendees were also encouraged to participate in the checkoff-funded fall tailgating beef promotion by visiting the meat department of their local Redner’s Warehouse Markets to pick up fall tailgating beef recipes and www.TailgateWithBeef.com to enter to win the $250 grocery give-a-way. Redner’s Warehouse Markets and Pennsylvania Beef Council staff were on site offering easy ways to incorporate lean beef into the daily diet.
Expo attendees learned the importance of powering up with protein. Lean beef meals provide nutrients such as protein, iron, B-vitamins and essential amino acids to maximize performance and recovery for athletes to be at the top of their game. In addition to lean beef’s nutrient powerhouse, research shows that daily lean beef consumption can be part of a diet that promotes heart health. Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet (BOLD), a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, shows that beef can play a beneficial role in a diet that improves cholesterol levels.
Prescribed Burn Schools Set for February and March
The Academy for Ranch Management will host two Prescribed Burning Schools in February and March at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Sonora Station located on State Highway 55 between Sonora and Rocksprings.
A Prescribed Burning School will take place Feb. 20-22, according to Ray Hinnant, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research senior research associate in College Station and a workshop presenter.
This first workshop will provide an overview of prescribed burning and include information on the history of fire, weather, planning a burn, fuels and fuel moisture, and equipment. The cost for this event is $395.
The Advanced Prescribed Burning School scheduled for March 6-8 builds on the previous school, providing more information on fire behavior, fire effects, and planning and conducting a prescribed burn, Hinnant said. The fee is $395.
In addition, Hinnant said, there will be a $45 facilities-use fee due upon arrival for each school.
The basic course is a prerequisite for the Advanced Prescribed Burning School, which provides information necessary for those who want more knowledge and experience as a member of a burn crew or for those interested in becoming a burn boss, the individual in charge of a prescribed burn, he said.
Successful completion of both courses and a passing grade on the exam will provide the educational component to begin application for either a private, commercial or not-for-profit certified prescribed burn manager through the Texas Department of Agriculture, Hinnant said.
Persons interested in attending either school should go to http://www.ranchmanagement.org/2014.pdf for a registration form, and mail it and payment to Jeanne Andreski. Hinnant also asked those planning to attend to send him an email at ray.hinnant@gmail.com so he can get them on the list.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal’s Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
Canadian Angus Association Office Moves to New Location
The Canadian Angus Association is moving to Angus Central at noon MDT Friday, Oct. 25.
Please do not leave any messages on our phones from noon MDT on Friday, Oct. 25, until the morning of Tuesday, Oct. 29. Any messages left at this time may be lost. Phone calls will be answered Tuesday morning at 7:30 a.m. MDT.
As the office will be closed down from noon MDT on Friday, Oct. 25, until the reopening at 7:30 a.m. MDT on Tuesday, Oct. 29, emails will be unable to be answered during this time. If you have an emergency, please mark your email as priority, and assistance will be offered as much as possible.
Visitors are asked to refrain from visiting on Friday, Oct. 25 and Monday, Oct. 28. Multiple deliveries will be made during this time. Feel free to visit on Tuesday, Oct. 29 upon re-opening. The official opening won’t be until Dec. 11.
Starting Oct. 25, all mail will be received at our new office located at 292140 Wagon Wheel Blvd., Rocky View County, Alberta, Canada T4A 0E2.
Mail will be forwarded by Canada Post from our Calgary address to the new Rocky View County address for one year; however, it is best if you make the change of address sooner rather than later.
They look forward to seeing you at the official opening Wednesday, Dec. 11.
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