Horses Die & Survey Being Taken

Hopefully the Soda Fire will soon be a memory. Cooler weather has helped crews in containing the fire but not before 27 horses died. The horses were overtaken by the fast moving fire in the Salmon Creek area. Two other horses had to be euthanized. The Bureau of Land management who oversees the horses plan an emergency gather of other horses on the range until conditions improve.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service is contacting farmers and ranchers from now through October 1. The purpose is to measure the environmental benefits associated with implementation and installation of conservation practices on cultivated and non-cultivated agricultural lands according to NASS Northwest Regional Director Chris Mertz.

MERTZ: We want them to be aware that we have a staff of about 135 people across the three states in the northwest. They'll be contacting producers, making phone calls or might be some personal interviews to identify farmers, the correct producers and so then we know who we can talk to at their own schedule to collect this information.

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