USDA announces plan to conserve old-growth forests
In a first-of-its-kind step, the Agriculture Department proposed to amend all of its 128 forest management plans to conserve and steward old-growth forests in its 193 million acres of National Forests and National Grasslands on Tuesday. “This will provide consistent direction across the Forest Service on how to conserve and restore old-growth forest conditions across the nation,” said the White House.
Don’t handcuff SNAP to pay for farm supports
Conservative lawmakers are trying wrongly to constrain SNAP benefits at the same time they want to expand crop subsidies in the new farm bill, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Tuesday. They should use some creativity and look elsewhere, he said.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
EPA allows chlorpyrifos use: Following an appellate court ruling against its ban on the agricultural use of chlorpyrifos, the EPA said it was talking to pesticide makers about modifying tolerances for 11 crops including alfalfa, apples, citrus, cotton, soybeans, and wheat and would try to revoke tolerances for other crops. (EPA)
‘Open up the black box’: USDA reports play an important role “in market price discovery and the reduction of information asymmetry.” To maintain trust among producers and the public, the USDA should offer greater transparency on its survey and forecasting methods, said three academics. (Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy)
California farms grow warehouses: Long an agricultural area, Kern County, 100 miles north of Los Angeles, is on the cusp of becoming the new frontier for the warehouse industry in Southern California, in part due to farmers’ frustration over new restrictions on groundwater access. (Los Angeles Times)
Colorado releases five wolves: Wildlife officials released three male and two female gray wolves in mountainous Grand County in north-central Colorado, the culmination of three years of work to reintroduce the predator to the state. (Denver Post)
Sign Climate Corps memo: The USDA was one of several federal agencies that signed a memorandum of understanding that will serve as the blueprint for the American Climate Corps; at USDA, it will function as the Forest Corps. (White House)
