Arizona

The Biden administration's version of the Waters of the U.S. rule went into effect Monday, but not for everyone.  Over the weekend, a Texas federal judge put the updated WOTUS on hold in Idaho as well as the Lone Star State.  The Court’s order Sunday granted a preliminary injunction halting the Biden WOTUS rules only for Idaho and Texas, who co-led a lawsuit.  The suits argued that E...

Last week, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack announced his agency is expanding efforts to reduce the risk of wildfires in the western U.S.  Funds will be invested to directly protect at-risk communities and critical infrastructure in 11 additional landscapes in Washington Oregon, Idaho California, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah.   “...

Dairy operators looking to improve production, expand marketing and distribution, or looking to develop dairy products, funding to help is available.  Dairy farmers and processors in Washington, Oregon, as well as California, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico are encouraged to apply for funding through the Pacific Coast Coalition Dairy Business Innovation Initiative.  It’s ex...

Americans are paying up to 40% more for their vegetables than in 2021, and drought is a big reason for the price hike.  A new report from Daily Mail says the increase is due, in large part, to states that grow fresh produce getting hit with water cuts because of droughts and storms destroying some crops as well.   ...

Legislation recently introduced seeks an excise tax on the sale and export of water-intensive crops grown in the U.S. by foreign governments.  Arizona Democrat Representative Ruben Gallego introduced the Water Protection Act of 2022, as Arizona and other states face prolonged drought. ...

Smithfield Foods said it will stop all harvest and processing operations in Vernon, CA, in early 2023 due to the rising cost of doing business in the state. At the same time, the company will align its hog production system by reducing its sow herd in the western region ...

The state of Idaho has a new Bureau of Land Management director. In her new role, Karen Kelleher will oversee approximately 12 million acres of public lands, representing nearly one-fourth of the state's total land area, for multiple uses including livestock grazing, mining, conservation and recreation ...

According to Politico, the White House and the EPA target February for the administration’s WOTUS debut. The Waters of the United States Rule continues its seesaw reputation since first announced during the Obama administration. The Trump administration overhauled the rule, and now, the Biden administration is doing the same. The ...

Chicago-Based Evans Food Group is recalling approximately 10,359 pounds of pork pellet products that were not presented for import re-inspection into the United States. The pork pellet products were imported on September 15th and further processed into pork rind and chicharrones items ...

The USDA has provided $12 million for Hispanic-serving Institutions of higher education. Last week’s announcement was part of a launch of the first in a series of virtual roundtable engagement sessions with Minority-serving Institutions and Land-grant Universities serving underrepresented students. The ...