The disaster also added urgency to calls for Congress to pass the farm bill, which includes the disaster program that the ranchers need.

State officials estimate that after last weekend’s blizzard, 10,000-20,000 cattle were killed, a figure that amounts to about 5% of the state’s cattle herd. So many cattle died because they didn’t yet have their winter coats, and they were on summer pasture, where they didn’t have much shelter.

Because of the high cost for small- to mid-size size ranchers to buy insurance on their own, ranchers are looking to the federal government to help them recover from their losses.

The deadly blizzard came at a time when the ranching industry as a whole has been weakened.

• Last year brought a devastating drought that is continuing in parts of the southern Plains.
• As a result of high crop prices, ranchers have seen rising costs for both feed and land rents, which makes it harder for ranchers to compete with farmers for pasture.

Cattle grazing can be a sustainable use of grasslands, which evolved with grazing by ungulates like bison. But the same cannot be said of the croplands that replace grasslands. Compared to grasslands, annual crops like corn or beans leave the soil more exposed to erosion and provide precious little habitat for wildlife, like the waterfowl and grassland birds that nest in the Prairie Pothole Region.

The disaster assistance that ranchers need is in the expired farm bill. Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) was included in the 2008 farm bill, but funding for it has expired with the lapsed farm bill. LIP covers up to 75% of fair market value of livestock killed directly by disasters such as blizzards. Producers don’t have to pay premiums but can receive up to $100,000 for their losses.

NWF’s Ag and Forestry team has been pushing for the farm bill to be reauthorized and for it to include a national Sodsaver provision and to link conservation compliance to crop insurance subsidies.

But until congress passes the farm bill, ranchers can only expect cold comfort from Washington.

The budget proposal says that the role of the federal government is to protect our communities and our families from “many dangers: rising health-care costs, a stagnant economy, a massive debt, an uncertain world,” and that “the first job of the federal government is to secure the safety of its citizens from threats at home and abroad.” We agree, and NWF works every day to better protect people, property, and the environment. However, NWF believes that certain policies outlined in Rep. Ryan’s budget proposal put Americans at greater risk.

Climate change and extreme weather impacts – wildfires, droughts, floods, superstorms, all of which are intensifying – are some of the greatest threats facing Americans today. According to the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office, continuing to ignore the impacts of climate change puts to federal government—and the country—at high risk of financial loss.

The budget plan focuses on aiding the vulnerable and their communities, yet this budget, by ignoring and potentially worsening the effects of climate change, puts millions of vulnerable Americans at risk. NWF agrees that we need to seek a balanced approach to deficit reduction; however, we cannot ignore the direct public health and safety impacts of a federal budget that turns a blind eye to the reality of climate change.

Specifically, NWF is concerned that the House Budget Resolution:

• Proposes increased investment in fossil fuels while gutting support for developing clean energy sources.  It recommends increased drilling on federal lands and on the Outer Continental Shelf, something that will increase our dependence on dirty fuels, endanger critical habitats, and jeopardize the robust outdoor recreation economy dependent on public lands.  The plan also proposes eliminating incentives for clean energy development, undermining our progress towards a clean energy future and energy security.  No mention is made of oil and gas subsidies, despite the fact that eliminating them could raise billions of dollars in revenue.  Continuing to invest in fossil fuels while cutting incentives for developing clean energy sources puts Americans at incredible risk from extreme weather and other climate impacts.
• Discredits the importance of strong protections for clean air and water, such as the current proposed Environmental Protection Agency limits on industrial carbon pollution. A clean environment is critical for both economic growth and public health. Between 1970 and 1990, actions to reduce air pollution, at a cost of $523 billion, saved the nation $22 trillion in health care expense and lost productivity—a 40-1 benefit-cost ratio. These regulations are crucial to reducing carbon pollution and ensuring public health and safety.
• Proposes selling off public lands and diverting revenue from public land sales away from the Department of the Interior.  In addition to undermining our rich national conservation legacy and restricting the revenue-generating activities of millions of outdoor recreationists, this removes land acquisition as a key tool the Department of the Interior can use in mitigating damage from future natural disasters.
• Urges approval of the Keystone pipeline.  This would dramatically increase production of the Canadian tar sands—a fuel that emits 14-20% more greenhouse gases than typical crude oil—and would endanger property, ecosystems, and wildlife all along the 2,000 mile pipeline.   In the words of NASA scientist James Hansen, building the Keystone pipeline would mean “game over” for the climate.

At the same time that the budget proposal undermines national progress towards reducing the impacts of climate change, it slashes funding for programs that safeguard our communities, ecosystems, and wildlife.  Many of these programs not only protect the clean air and water and public lands enjoyed by millions of Americans: they also mitigate the effects of natural disasters by protecting and enhancing natural barriers.

These cuts came on top of decades of underfunding for conservation programs, and under the proposed budget this scenario gets even worse. The budget would extend the Budget Control Act caps on spending for another two years—until 2023—and making huge cuts in discretionary spending.  By 2023, the plan funds discretionary programs at $47 billion less than current projected spending levels. Although the current plan does not go into detail about the distribution of discretionary cuts, past budget proposals issued by Chairman Ryan strongly suggest that conservation programs will bear a disproportionate amount of these cuts.

By cutting programs that reduce carbon pollution and mitigate the effects of climate change, this budget fails to invest in the future health and safety of Americans.

Disaster Assistance Bill’s Cuts to Conservation Are Short-Sighted

August 1 – The House of Representatives is expected to vote this week on a bill to provide disaster relief to ranchers who have been hit hard by the drought. Unfortunately, the bill is paid for entirely by cuts to conservation programs.

Julie Sibbing, director of agriculture and forestry at the National Wildlife Federation, said today:

“Although it is critically important that those ranchers who have been affected by the devastating drought get the disaster assistance that they need, this bill offsets the aid through steep, disproportionate cuts to the conservation title. We need Congress to act now to provide aid to ranchers in need, but this should not be a choice between robbing Peter and paying Paul.

U.S. Coal Industry Export Plans Carries Heavy Risk for Northwest Communities and Nation

July 31 – A new National Wildlife Federation report concludes that a massive buildup of U.S. coal exports through the Pacific Northwest would threaten public health and cause serious environmental degradation to the region’s natural resources. As coal continues to decline as a source of power in the U.S., the report warns that the industry’s plan to expand markets abroad will harm fisheries, endanger communities, and increase global warming pollution. Because of a decline in demand in the U.S. for coal, this fight over port expansion in Washington and Oregon will determine the immediate future of the coal industry in the United States.

“Sending more coal to Asia carries almost no benefits for the U.S., but we pay the price,” said Felice Stadler, Director of Energy Campaigns at the National Wildlife Federation.  “Degraded fisheries, damaged communities, medical costs, harms to wildlife, and a continued burning of high carbon fuel will cost us dearly for decades.”

And here are highlights from NWF in the News:

• UPI: NWF: Risk of coal exports outweigh gains
• The Columbian: Report adds to debate over coal exports
• The Oregonian: Coal export foes to request National Academy of Sciences review
• KPLU: New voices in debate over Northwest coal export terminals
• E&E News: NWF warns against increased exports (subscription required)
• Farm Futures: Disaster Assistance Presses On Alone
• TV and Radio: Frank Szollosi and Beth Wallace teamed up  to handle interviews to support the Enbridge pipeline safety report.  They made news on 7 radio stations in Michigan and Wisconsin, plus 2 stations in British Columbia wanted to know about the dangers of their pipelines.    Both Beth and Frank where invited on the air for a long interview on WGVU-TV in Grand Rapids.   The report was also covered by WXMI in Grand Rapids.

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