05/31/07 Burn ban; beef symposium

It would appear that Idaho field burning is out of the question this year and the foreseeable future. The US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has told the EPA to abandon its approval of Idaho's field burning laws. The court clarified its January 30th ruling on field burning's environmental and health impacts. The Idaho congressional delegation weighed in last month by asking the Environmental Protection Agency to allow the state to issue burning permits, something north Idaho bluegrass seed growers say they need for healthy and productive fields. SAFE, the environmental group that sued EPA in the first place asked for and got the clarification this week. Feed costs are cow-calf producers' single greatest annual expense. That's why the American Society of Animal Science will include a beef symposium during its June Western section meetings at the University of Idaho in Moscow. It will cost 65 dollars for the all day session but beef producers will hear five university experts give the pros and cons of lifetime beef nutrition programs. University of Idaho Extension beef specialist Benton Glaze says the June 20th symposium offers producers an opportunity to learn how nutrition affects various phases of the beef production cycle and how they can manage nutrition for optimum efficiency. You can register at the University of Idaho website. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott