Navy Backs Biofuels & ESA Hearing

Navy Backs Biofuels & ESA Hearing

Navy Backs Biofuels & ESA Hearing plus Choosing the Right Tree. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.

Once again the U.S. Navy has backed biofuels. In a press conference Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack and Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus said USDA and the Navy's joint "Farm-to-Fleet" venture will now make biofuel blends part of regular, operational fuel purchase and use by the military. Farm-to-Fleet builds on the USDA / U.S. Navy partnership inaugurated in 2010. Secretary Mabus says the program will get underway with a bulk fuels solicitation in 2014, and deliveries expected in mid-2015.

MABUS: This effort marks the start of a new norm. We will see purchase biofuels blended from 10 to 50 percent with conventional fuels.

The House Natural Resources Committee held an oversight hearing Thursday. Chairman of the committee, Congressman Doc Hastings

HASTINGS: Nobody has ever testified that they think the Endangered Species Act should be terminated. In fact most of the testimony from people that are concerned about the Endangered Species Act is that it needs to be modified in some way.

He points out that a big part of the problem is just in how things are done such as making one side of a highway protected while the other isn't.

Now picking the right Christmas tree. Rod Bain has more.

(USDA Report)

Thanks Rod. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.

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