Rangeland Study & Wolf Management Plan

Rangeland Study & Wolf Management Plan plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. The USDA has released results of a new study that non-federal rangelands in the Western states are productive - but that non-native grasses and shrubs pose a potential threat to the rangelands' productivity. Jeff Harrick, a research scientist with USDA's Agricultural Research Service says the study is intended to provide some "baseline" information. HARRICK: We were looking at the types of plants. We were looking at how much bare ground there was. We were looking at whether or not there were a lot of non-native or invasive species on these non-federal lands. The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission has reevaluated the state's wolf management plan, including relaxing guidelines for ranchers to 'harass' wolves causing problems with livestock. Gray wolves have migrated to Oregon in recent years, decades after being killed off. The five-year plan approved Friday attempts to adjust to a growing number of wolves in the state. State officials have agreed on wolf population goals to get the animal off the state's endangered species list. Some ranchers are reportedly not pleased the state is not considering easier guidelines for landowners to kill wolves that hunt livestock. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray. The struggling economy has put major focus on whether or not immigrants are taking jobs from the ever growing number of unemployed Americans. Most of the jobs being referred to are seasonal farm jobs, they are only available during the harvesting season, therefore the majority of these workers are migrant immigrants who follow the harvest season from one state to another. Government researchers and analysts report that Americans don't seem to apply for or want jobs that involve harvesting fruits and vegetables, and that even the few Americans who do get such jobs don't stick around. Are Americans then just lazy? Do the jobs not pay well? Or are there far more factors to be considered. For most Americans trying to support a family and pay their mortgage seasonal farm work sadly is not the answer. While most farmers pay their migrant workers quite fairly and often times supply them with housing, few seasonal workers receive health insurance or other benefits, and the reality is most Americans will not and can not relocate their families for such jobs. Contrary to popular opinion the immigrant work force appears to be a major necessity. Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.