INDEPENDENT BEEF ASSOCIATION OF NORTH DAKOTA
Your state wide voice in the cattle industry!
PO Box 123
Menoken, ND 58558
www.i-band.org March 2016
Lee Pitts asks: Why Do Ranchers Support the NCBA?
Lee Pitts Opinion:
I don’t get it. Admittedly, there are a lot of things in life I don’t understand, but on of the more puzzling phenomena is ranchers’
support of the NCBA while the organization is doing everything possible to hurt American ranchers, including killing COOL (Country
of Origin Labeling). At the same time, those ranchers seem to despise R-CALF who has had the cattlemen’s back every step of the
way. People will flock to an NCBA convention in San Diego in droves while R-CALF could hold theirs in a meeting room at the Ramkota Best Western in Rapid City. Is it the pursuit of the swag bag full of free stuff at the NCBA Trade Show that sucks cattlemen in?
Or, is it just a social club whose members want to party like there’s no tomorrow in a good-time town? Sadly, for NCBA’s cattlefeeding members, there will be no tomorrow because they went from boom times to bankruptcy faster than you can explain the
convoluted and complex relationship between the NCBA and the Beef Board. It can’t possibly be NCBA’s policies that keep people
coming back for more.
Curious Coincidences:
I’m not a big believer in coincidence. For example, I don’t think that the two most profitable periods in the cattle business during
the last 40 years occurred, first, during the time that R-CALF got our northern border shut to incoming Canadian cattle while Canada dealt with her Mad Cow issues. The second boom occurred during the time period after R-CALF led the effort to get Country of
Origin Labeling (COOL) made mandatory for beef so that the American consumer might know, for instance, that the hamburger
they bought at Walmart came from a dozen different countries. When both of those R-CALF supported measures ended, we witnessed major market meltdowns and in the latter case, cattle futures at the end of last year when COOL was cooked, suffered their
biggest drop in 34 years. Beef futures dropped 16% at the end of 2015, a percentage decrease not seen since 1981. Oh, and after
COOL was killed in cold blood and the NCBA was worshipping at the alter of globalization, our exports of beef went down 12%
while at the same time, our imports were increasing by another 20%.
Ask an NCBA supporter why cattle prices were high and they’ll point to exports as the reason. I don’t know if they’re just gullible
or they really don’t know that the money we bring home through beef exports is dwarfed by the dollars we pay out to producers in
32 different countries we have graciously let tap into the richest beef market in the world. That would be us…….as in the U.S.
If you don’t believe me about R-CALF and their role in helping ranchers pad their wallets, get a calendar and your checkbook and
see for yourself. It’s fact, not coincidence.
(Continued on page 2)
Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway.
…..John Wayne & I-BAND
Lee Pitts: continued:
Bolder than Bandits:
While the NCBA was busy selling trade-show booths and giving sustainability speeches, R-CALF was asking a Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate the 2015 cattle price collapse. Specifically, R CALF asked the Committee, "to investigate 13 specific issues
including the cause for the dramatic, unprecedented collapse of U.S. cattle prices in 2015; whether there are structural problems
in the U.S. cattle market that contributed to the price collapse in 2015; and whether dominant meatpackers or other major market participants engaged in unlawful conduct that adversely influenced the cattle futures market and cash cattle market in 2015."
If you haven’t read a market report from your local auction market recently, let us bring you up to date on just how bad the carnage was.
• R CALF provided documentation to the committee showing that independent cattle feeders lost more than $500 per head on
cattle sold during the collapse and, consequently, "the very foundation of the U.S. cattle industry’s feeding sector – its independent cattle feeders – was irreparably damaged."
If you are sitting with a full feedlot of over-ripe cattle it doesn’t take much of that action before you’re broke and weeds are growing in your former feedlot.
• According to John Nalivka, President of Sterling Marketing, feedyards lost a cumulative unhedged $4.7 billion in 2015. Add the
$1.1 billion they also lost in 2013 and that’s almost two billion more that they made in the glorious year that was 2014. A year
when we had country of origin labeling, I might add. Even more galling, while feeders were losing two billion, consumers saw
little, if any, reduction in the price at the grocery store because multi-national meatpackers were making unprecedented profits.
• At the end of 2015 the average price for yearling cattle was $1.66 per pound. A year earlier the same weight cattle were worth
$500 more per head.
• Even after the big up in the market that followed the HUGE DOWN, Sterling Marketing reported that cattle feeders were still
suffering a $383 per head loss on a cash price of $1.32 per pound. I suppose that’s better than losing
$500 per head but once you’re broke does it really matter to what degree your level of "brokeness" is?
• Industry observer Stephen Anderson says, "Ranchers and private feedlots are poised for vertical integration, about like hog people were in 1998. When they eliminate the private independent cattle feeders, the “competitive markets” for feeder cattle will go
too. Then the packing cartel will have the cowman by the throat and will dictate: genetics, delivery date, weight, vaccinations, I.D.
policy, and price. The Walmartization of the cattle industry is just around the corner. NCBA calls it Sustainable Beef!"
• To illustrate just how crazy the cattle market was in the last quarter of 2015, live cattle were worth $132 per cwt. on the first day
of December. Two weeks later they’d dropped to $117 and then another week later it had jumped back to $131. One trader said
the market was akin to catching a falling knife and many got bloodied in the process.
• I have big stocker friends who paid four dollars per pound for 350-400 pound calves and fed them to fat who are now selling
ranches and giving up leases in hopes of avoiding bankruptcy. At next summer’s big video sales don’t be surprised if many of those
four dollar-per-pound-players are no longer participating. And just like that, another chunk of the U.S. cattle business is gone.
• According to R CALF, "As cash cattle prices plummeted and cattle futures prices fluctuated with extreme volatility, dominant
meatpackers were benefiting from what one industry commentator referred to as gangbuster profits."
• R-CALF’s Bill Bullard says, "Analysts are characterizing the 2015 price collapse with nondescript phrases such as ‘market meltdown’ and ‘psychological upheaval,’ indicating that they either do not know, or they will not say, what actually caused the catastrophic price collapse."
• There was one little item that may have had something to do with the market collapse. Just prior to the calamity, the U.S. Congress, buckling to pressure from Canada, Mexico, the World Trade Organization, and the NCBA, killed COOL so that packers no
longer had to keep the foreign cattle separate from domestic ones and they were then free to bring in cheaper beef from around
the globe without the consumer knowing it.
Lee Pitts: continued:
• I had to laugh at one commentator who wrote, "Packer margins have improved dramatically along with the higher beef prices.
As a result, packers have plenty of room to bid more aggressively for fed cattle." Charitable packers?
That’s the very definition of an oxymoron. If you believe that, you are a moron.
• R CALF further briefed the Congressional committee "that extremely tight cattle supplies and growing beef demand were among
market fundamentals cited by analysts to support projections for strong cattle prices throughout 2015 and for up to three years
beyond. During the first half of 2015, those projections were spot-on. But then something went awry. Cattle prices collapsed farther and faster than during any time in history and the unprecedented volatility in the cattle futures market rendered it useless for
price discovery purposes."
• What did your friends, the NCBA, have to say about R CALF’s request for a Congressional investigation into the market calamity?
NCBA officials said there "was no merit in R CALF’s request for a Congressional investigation." Although they did host a meeting in
December and wrote a letter on January 13, to Terrence A. Duffy, President of the CME Group to express their member’s concerns.
Gee, would that be the same Chicago Mercantile Exchange that’s listed as a major sponsor of NCBA’s convention, is an NCBA Allied Industry Partner and has had an "ongoing partnership with the National Cattlemen’s Foundation" to sponsor CME Beef scholarships since 1989?" Editor’s note: CME used to be called the Chicago Mercantile Exchange until they started using just the initials.
No doubt to be more transparent.
I wonder if the NCBA-belonging big stocker operators who are busy going broke feel as comfy and cozy with the CME and NCBA
now?
Needless to say, for ranchers, feeders and stocker operators taking turns going broke is no way to run a business, let alone an industry. Neither is giving your money in the form of a checkoff tax to an organization that seemingly doesn’t care what country the
beef comes from because they get paid no matter what.
NAFTA On Steroids:
While the NCBA was busy leading the cheers for the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement, R CALF was presenting testimony to the U.S. International Trade Commission to recommend its rejection.
If you liked NAFTA you’re going to absolutely love the TPP.
R-CALF CEO Bill Bullard testified, "The TPP adopts the mantra of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, who told a federal
court that "beef is beef, whether the cattle were born in Montana, Manitoba, or Mazatlán."
Read that sentence again and then tell me that the NCBA is your BFF. (That’s "best friends forever" for you non-texters and tweeters.) "Under the TPP’s product-specific rules of origin," said Bullard, "the origin of beef is wherever the animal was slaughtered.
This renders the origins of cattle irrelevant. It relegates U.S. cattle producers to nothing more than an undifferentiated global supply chain for meatpackers.
"The TPP allows U.S.-based meatpackers to float live cattle from Australia, slaughter them here, and export the duty-free beef to
Japan with a ‘Product of the USA’ label. This extinguishes competition between U.S. cattle producers and cattle producers from
around the world. So not only will the TPP destroy competition, it also allows multinational meatpackers to usurp the good name,
image and reputation of the U.S. cattle producer," Bullard testified.
Bullard also said that non-participating countries will benefit from the TPP at the expense of U.S. cattle producers under the
flawed origin rules. He explained that meatpackers can do this now by slaughtering Mexican cattle in the U.S. and shipping the
resulting beef with a ‘Product of USA’ label under the U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement, even though Mexico is not a party
to that agreement."
Bullard testified that the U.S. has, "Already accumulated a $22 billion trade deficit with the 11 other TPP countries and that the
TPP block represents the third-largest cattle herd in the world; it overproduces beef and its production is increasing while its con-
Lee Pitts Opinion Continued:
sumption is decreasing. "We will become the dumping ground for cattle, beef and lamb," he said.
According to Bullard, the combination of unlimited imports and no safeguards is what caused the severe shrinkage of the U.S. commercial sheep industry.
"Since the U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement, more than half of our domestic lamb consumption is supplied by imported lamb.
The failure to provide safeguards for sheep producers has resulted in the offshoring of our nation’s once vibrant commercial sheep
industry."
"The cattle industry is following in the sheep industry’s footsteps," said Bullard, "with more than half a million U.S. cattle operations exiting the industry since 1980, the liquidation of the U.S. cattle herd was reduced to the smallest size in 70 years! The reduced production output that is now the lowest in more than two decades, since just before NAFTA."
"Treating the trade deficit as lost sales," said Bullard, "it is estimated the U.S. economy experienced an output loss of about $8.7
billion and a loss of more than 97,000 jobs as a result of the $2.2 billion trade deficit increase the U.S. experienced with the TPP
countries from 2013 to 2014."
The TPP would also weaken U.S. health and safety import standards and subject U.S. laws to review by an unaccountable foreign
tribunal inaccessible to most U.S. citizens. That’s not a theory, it’s exactly how the NCBA and their meatpacker buddies got rid of
COOL through the World Trade Organization. Bullard said the TPP requires the U.S. to "unacceptably cede a wide swath of its national sovereignty."
As R CALF supporter Mike Schultz says, "The NCBA does not represent independent cattlemen and there is a BIG difference between the NCBA and R CALF. NCBA wants and supports more consolidation and a flood of global meat imports, less producers,
feeders and packers while only R CALF supports more producers, feeders and we damn sure wish there were a lot more packers for
the simple reason of stopping collusion and increasing competition. Pretty simple and the facts have been on the table for years!
Some people just can’t read," concluded Schultz.
As a writer, I certainly hope that’s not the case, but sadly, I can’t think of any other logical explanation.
Editor’s Note:
Lee Pitts is one of the Founders of R-CALF (Ranchers –Cattlemen Action Legal Fund).
Please know that I-BAND is an Affiliate with R-CALF USA as well as the United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA). Both organizations have played huge roles in trying to keep Country of Origin Labeling on the books. You can reach these organizations at:
R-CALF USA
USCA
PO Box 30715-Billings, MT 59107
Phone: (406) 252-2516
PO Box 339—San Lucas, CA 93954
www.r-calfusa.com
Phone: (831)-385-5316
www.uscattlemen.org
I-BAND and USCA Combine 2015 Conventions in Bismarck, ND
The 2015 Convention was held October 2-3, 2015, in Bismarck, ND. The United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) held their
annual convention in conjunction with I-BAND.
I-BAND held a Range Tour in conjunction with their 10th Annual Convention on October 2nd, 2015. The cool and cloudy day didn’t
deter the 53 participants from making the journey to each of the scenic ranches on the agenda.
The tour started at Kenny Miller’s ranch near Huff, ND, where he explained some of his “work smart, not hard” principals to feeding his cattle. Instead of starting the tractor every day in the winter and hauling round bales from the hay pen to the pasture, Kenny does some pre-planning in the fall and places his round bales on tame-grass pasture or hayland. He figures out how many bales
on average his herd would consume per day and strategically places temporary single-wire electric fences across the pasture for
portion control. When it is time for his cows to move, he just starts his pickup or hops on his four-wheeler, drives out to the pasture and opens up another paddock. Kenny says that there are multiple benefits to winter feeding his cows in this manner; cost
savings on fuel, less time spent doing winter chores, and improving soil health without the added input costs. The livestock manure and extra carbon from the hay residue has significantly improved Kenny’s hay yields without adding commercial fertilizer.
The next stop on the tour was Allen Lund’s ranch, near Fort Yates, ND. Allen’s ranch was homesteaded by his grandparents and
has been in the Lund family for almost 100 years. Allen took the group to a scenic spot on his ranch overlooking the Missouri River,
where he and his daughter, Corie Ereth, explained some of Allen’s range management strategies. Allen is a firm believer in the
take-half, leave-half rule; grazing only 50 percent of the pasture’s annual production. Allen explained that the area is prone for
droughts so you need to plan for droughts. He says that the grass that you don’t graze off this year, might be the only grass you
have for next year. Corie explained the importance of maintaining native grass species in the pastures. She said that the native
vegetation has evolved with periodic droughts and is able to maintain higher nutritional quality for livestock over the introduced
grass species. She credits her dad’s abundance and diversity of native grasses on the ranch to how his cows where able to maintain their condition during the drought in 2006, where the Lund Ranch and surrounding areas received less precipitation than what
was recorded during the dirty thirties.
After lunch at the Lund Ranch (and a little hot cocoa and coffee to warm up), the range tour convoy made it out to Pat Becker’s
ranch near Selfridge, ND. Pat Becker described his ranch and farm operation and how he is able to partner with his two sons, Monte and Jarrod. With it being a family partnership, they are able to expand in both livestock and crops. Pat and Monte focus on their
Charolais-Angus cross cow/calf operation and Jarrod takes a huge interest in the farming aspect, where they typically grow corn,
wheat, and sunflowers.
The range tour came full circle and concluded at the Keller’s Broken Heart Ranch near Huff, ND. Dwight Keller and his son, Luke
talked to the group about their purebred Simmental operation and gave a tour of their state-of-the-art feedlot and ag waste system. Dwight then took the group to beautiful spot on his ranch overlooking Huff Hills and the Missouri River, where Shelly Doyle,
District Conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Corie Ereth identified grasses and wild flowers, telling fun-facts about each one. Some of the plants present were discovered and named by Lewis and Clark during their expedition
along the Missouri River in 1806, not far from the Broken Heart Ranch.
The range tour ended with an excellent steak dinner sponsored by Dakota Community Bank.
Saturday’s convention speakers were Jess Peterson of USCA, Dr. Susan Keller—ND State Veterinarian, Terry Stewart of Stewart
and Stewart in Washington, DC, Jerry Hagstrom of the Hagstrom Report, Professor Matt Dierson and ND Ag Commissioner Doug
Goehring. US Senators Heidi Heitkamp and John Hoeven also discussed what is going on at the Nation’s capitol as well as a representative from Congressman Kevin Cramer’s office. Krayton Kerns was the supper speaker.
Photos:
Far left—Cattle Tour
Left Middle—Brooke and Anne Miller from Virginia with Allen Lund
Left Right—Senator John Hoeven
Right—Buck Maher receiving award
I-BAND Member Jim Roshau Donates Western Heritage Project to USCA
“Couple of stories come to mind that started the idea of why I made this project. It was memories from my
dad. As I grew up, my dad explained to me that Japan was buying all our rubber (tires) and our copper.
Everyone thought it was funny because they could take their used tires to junk yards not knowing that Japan was buying our rubber and copper. Well guess what they did…? WWII started. Japan attacked America
on American rubber using American copper in their bullets. That brings another point to mind. Germany;
Dwight Eisenhower over there. He could have, by the remarks my dad had made, he could have shortened
up the war if the roads were adequate. My dad was with him when he walked into the first concentration
camp. No one had been in there. No food, no doctors, nothing. It was just Eisenhower and my dad, not his
staff, he was there and they walked in. No big cigar, no jeeps; they walked in. It was unreal; the thin survivors, the furnaces, gas chambers and the pits where they were buried. It was just a sight to see. My dad
made us go see the movie, he used the documentary that was made with the Germans on trial at Nuremberg. After the war, when Eisenhower became president, he completed the interstate road structure in
America, Alaska and Hawaii so we could move our military any direction any time. It was required in defense to protect America, our interstate system was designed for that, not for public use. Thank God we’ve
got it, it’s a wonderful aspect to our industry, to our lives. It needs to be said, that most people don’t understand that’s why the interstate system was made in America.
With that, the only thing to do now is to break down the project I made. Coming from my ideas and
thoughts from my dad. The base of the structure is designed so when you look at it in the center it’s a star.
That star represents us, Americans. The horseshoes used to make the base and the upright are all American made, used on American horses doing American work. The singletrees that balance on top is Studebaker made, an American Studebaker singletree. Each side of that is made by Studebaker, American
manufacturer. On each of the sides is a bell. The bells are a balance. Everyone can understand what the
balance is. We need a method to ring the bells. We are sending things elsewhere to just to buy back our
products. That’s why I built it. Wake up call; we are letting it happen again. One last thing I want to mention. The last time we won a war was WWII. We’ve never accomplished anything anywhere. We have lost
American lives, its cost us American money and with no recourse. We don’t go out and finish what we’ve
started or what we had to start we just walk out. That’s all. This is to identify COOL (Country of Origin Labeling). Americans need to know they are buying American beef.”
ND Beef Checkoff Refund Procedure
ND State Beef Checkoff Refund Process
The following process will be used after the ND state beef checkoff is collected, beginning August 1, 2015, for producers
that choose to refund the new $1 per head ND beef checkoff.
According to the new legislation, and consistent with other ND commodity refund procedures, a producer may request a
refund application within 60 days after the date of the sale of cattle upon which the ND state beef checkoff was collected.
This request may be made:


Orally, including a phone request or personal office visit;
In writing and mailed; or
Electronically via email
Upon receiving a uniquely numbered refund application form from the ND Beef Commission, the producer must complete
the form and return it to the ND Beef Commission together with a copy of the record of the assessment paid, within 90
days after the date of the sale. Detailed directions w ill be included.
The competed refund application may be returned to the ND Beef Commission office


In person;
By mail; or
In one .pdf file scanned and emailed to the Commission.
Contact the ND Beef Commission Office at (701) 328-5120 with any questions.
The ND Beef Commission testified that your request for a refund is considered “your vote” for or against this increase.
Presdient’s Message: Larry Kinev
It's newsletter time again. The winter that never really happened is about over and calving for a lot of people has already started. If
you're having trouble staying up late or getting out at night for your heifer checks, just think about the cattle market. A 30% loss of
income and equity should keep everybody up at night.
All of the NCBA, Cattle Fax, CME, and Packer owned college type economists blame the blood bath our market just took on those
foolish greedy cattle feeders for feeding cattle too big. Really? Let's look at the numbers. Imports of beef and veal, January to August 2015, were up 33% from 2014, a record year for lmports. Exports were down 8%. Carcass weights Jan to Aug were up 20# in
that same time period in 2015. Total carcass weight processed in that time period was 15.3 billion pounds. Total carcass weight in
that same time period 2014 (the year of record prices) was 16.3 billion pounds. A full billion pounds more! A million fewer cattle
were processed in 2015 than 2014 and yet the feeders are accused of feeding cattle to big and creating a beef glut. It looks to me
like the billions of pounds of imported beef contributed greatly to the market meltdown. For every 800# of beef that is imported,
the production of one more domestic beef animal has been offshored. But wait!! Free trade will increase exports resulting in higher prices paid to me. This is the trickle down effect of free trade agreements. It looks (to me) like the greatest export the U.S. live
cattle industry is experiencing today is the export of domestic market share. I have been trickled on quite enough, thank you very
much, and I'm p_ _ _ _d.
I asked our editor to defer my front page column space to an article written by Lee Pitt. Hopefully it was done and you have already read it.
Have a good spring.
Larry
Vilsack Defends Voluntary COOL Labeling as Groups issue views:
Hagstrom Report:
The World Trade Organization Dec. 7 said Canada and Mexico could impose $1.01 billion per year in retaliatory tariffs
over the U.S. country-of-origin labeling program for beef and pork if it stays in place, and Senate Agriculture Committee
Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., called for repeal of the program.
Vilsack told USDA Radio the World Trade Organization’s decision to allow only $1.01 billion in retaliatory tariffs showed
that Mexico and Canada “were overstating the damages” when they asked the WTO for authorization to impose $3 billion in damages.
The secretary noted that $1 billion in tariffs is still a lot, especially since U.S. agricultural exports are declining. Vilsack
said he would work to resolve the matter, but that he hopes Congress will not throw out the entire program for beef and
pork.
“They can focus on the provisions of COOL that actually created the retaliation without necessarily eliminating all aspects of COOL, some of which people actually like and are benefitting producers without violating WTO rules and regulations,” Vilsack said.
A spokesperson added that USDA would work with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and Congress “to help
move the process along as quickly as possible.”
Stabenow has been a staunch supporter of labeling, but Canada is likely to target Michigan products.
“I have always said I would not allow retaliation to take effect,” she said Monday. “It is critical that we work together to
find a solution before the end of the year.”
Hoeven noted that he and Stabenow “have worked hard to find a compromise approach to country-of-origin labeling capable of passing the Senate so that our producers don’t face retaliation.”
He added, “I will continue efforts to avoid retaliation as Congress completes its work before the end of the year.”
Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., said Monday she would keep pushing for the voluntary beef label.
“When families across the country sit down at the dinner table each night, they want to know where the meat they’re eating comes from,” said Heitkamp. “WTO’s ruling today signals that we need a compromise — one that maintains countryof-origin labels, while still complying with trade obligations.”
“Labeling is critical for U.S. consumers and ranchers. That’s why I’ll keep pushing for a voluntary solution, like the bipartisan compromise bill I helped introduce in July, to allow labeling and protect the integrity of ‘product of the U.S.’ labels.”
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., called on the Senate to pass the repeal, as the House has
done.
President Bob Stallman called for repeal of the labeling program for beef, pork and chicken, as a House bill has done.
“AFBF supports country-of-origin labeling that meets WTO requirements, and we support the remaining COOL programs, but the risk of retaliation by Canada and Mexico is too great. U.S. farmers and ranchers could suffer a serious
blow if Congress does not act quickly,” Stallman said in a news release.
“I am keenly aware that chicken and fowl could be at the top of the list for retaliation by Canada and Mexico, and that this
labeling law continues to leave the door open for retaliatory action by other countries, too,” said National Chicken Council
President Mike Brown. “NCC supports legislative action that will bring U.S. laws and regulations pertaining to meat and
poultry into full compliance with our international trade obligations. NCC urges Congress to repeal the labeling provision
for chicken, beef and pork now.”
U.S. Dairy Export Council President Tom Suber said, "Retaliatory tariffs would back up exports further onto the U.S.
market during a time of overly abundant milk supplies. “U.S. dairy producers and processors cannot lose this chance to
avoid considerable damage to the export markets they have invested so heavily in developing in recent years.”
Night Time Feeding vs Daytime Feeding to help calving chores:
By Mary Graner
You’ve probably heard about the scientific studies that feeding at night doesn’t increase the chances of more calves born during
the day hours. Well, Kenny decided a few years ago to put it to the test! The first couple years, we didn’t “keep track” but knew
we had fewer calves during the night. Last year, I kept track of the first 100 calves born and all but 5 were born between the hours
of 6:00 AM and 11:00 PM! Was it scientific? Nope….. It was “Hands on Experience” from a local rancher! (And, it didn’t cost a
single dollar to perform the study)!!
North Dakota Officials push to stop Clean Water Rule
Hagstrom Report:
BISMARCK, N.D. — North Dakota officials are determined to stop the implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency’s
Clean Water rule, also known as the Waters of the United States rule, but the courts seem a better route than legislation at this
point.
Doug Goehring
At the convention of the Independent Beef Association of North Dakota, Doug Goehring, the elected Republican state agriculture
commissioner, said that 5,600 linear miles of North Dakota have been considered navigable waters and under the jurisdiction of
the Environmental Protection Agency.
But the Clean Water Rule would add put another 81,000 miles under EPA jurisdiction.“Almost every square inch of north Dakota is
captured under the rule,” Goehring said.
Goehring praised Judge Ralph Erickson of the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota for issuing a temporary injunction
against implementation of the Clean Water Rule in 13 states and said he hopes that the courts soon resolve how to handle the
other cases that have brought against the rule.
“It has become more frustrating the last couple years the way EPA is dealing with things [such as] guidance documents on land
that is owned and operated by farmers and ranchers. I don’t think it is going to decrease,” Goehring said. “People say they don’t
get why farmers and ranchers are paranoid,” he said, but noted that farmers and ranchers and state officials commented on the
proposed Clean Water Rule. “The final rule was broader and more restrictive. It was like they thumbed their noses at us,” he said.
Senator Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D.
Senator Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., told the same meeting that when Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., visited the state recently, she told
him to look down from a plane and to realize that the Clean Water Rule would cover all the water below.
Heitkamp said that when EPA officials are asked whether a water body would come under EPA jurisdiction, “their answer will be
‘maybe.’ ”
“ ‘Maybe’ is absolutely the wrong answer,” she said. “The right answer is no.”
Until North Dakotans get a “no” from EPA, they should oppose the Clean Water Rule, Heitkamp said.
Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said he believes opposition to the Clean Water Rule will ultimately be successful.
“I think we are going to get there. It is working in our favor,” Hoeven said.
But he also said he does not believe that authorizing legislation to stop the rule would work, because even if 60 senators supported it, there would not be the 67 senators necessary to overturn a veto from President Barack Obama.
Hoeven said he has once again included a measure in an appropriations bill to stop implementation, but its fate will depend on
how Congress finishes the appropriations process this year.
He also noted that the senators from agricultural states have to be careful what they put on the Senate floor because the bills are
subject to amendments that they would consider counterproductive.
“There are a lot of amendments we don’t like,” Hoeven said.
Brand Inspection Fees May Go Up in North Dakota
Tri-State Livestock News:
The North Dakota State Board of Animal Health had a public hearing at 9 a.m. (CST) Jan. 6 in the Brynhild Haugland Room at the
State Capitol in Bismarck regarding several administrative rule changes pertaining to Board of Animal Health Administrative Code.
Revisions relate to animal health matters, as well as a brand inspection fee change. The board is considering increasing the brand
inspection fee from the current $1 per head to $1.50 per head. The board is also considering an increase in lifetime horse permits
from $10 to $25, increasing registered feedlot permits and inspection fees from $20 to $25, and from 10 cents per head to 50
cents per head, at the request of the N.D. Stockmen’s Association, which manages the brand inspection, according to a press release from the NDSA.
In 2011 the program saw an increase from $.75 to $1, so this would amount to a 100 percent increase in five years. This is on top
of a $1 per-head refundable state checkoff that was implemented August 1, 2015.
The stockmen’s association does not profit from the brand inspection program, according to Stan Misek, North Dakota chief brand
inspector. “All of the income goes through the state department. If there is excess income it runs over for use in the program the
next year.” A drop in cattle numbers and an increase in employee health insurance costs resulted in budget shortfalls. The starting
wage for full-time inspectors is around $20,000, so they have a hard time filling those positions with qualified candidates, said Melvin Leland, the chairman of the state Board of Animal Health.
When the increase was proposed last summer, the Independent Beef Association of North Dakota (I-BAND) called for a performance audit to make sure the funds currently being collected were accounted for and managed efficiently. Larry Kinev, I-BAND
president and a cow-calf producer from Dawson, said he doesn’t think there have been any instances of impropriety or abuse of
the funds, but clarity and transparency are two things his group seeks. Some of the staff and expenses are shared between the
NDSA and the brand program, and that’s one of the things Kinev would like to be clearer. “While they’re audited, they don’t tell
you salaries. They tell you percentages, but not how much is paid, and if the brand program is charged the same rate as the policy
organization.”
He said he’s not optimistic about getting a performance audit because it would have to be requested by the legislature. “They told
me to bring them a smoking gun and we’ll do it. I’m not looking for a smoking gun. I’m looking for efficiencies and deficiencies.” He
said the brand inspection program doesn’t fall under the government oversight rules that other agencies do, that require salaries
and budgets to be made public. “You have a pseudo-government agency that is being run by a policy organization.” Some members of I-BAND would like to see it returned to state administration, but Kinev said that’s not a goal they’re working toward.
Written comments on the rule changes were accepted until Jan. 20.
Rifle Competition!!!
Who doesn’t love a little “friendly” competition?!?
I-BAND is giving away a new rifle!! The Board of Directors voted to give away a new rifle valued at
$500.00 to the member that recruits the most new members. Contact your friends and neighbors
to have a chance to win this rifle!
You can print copies of the application off the website at www.i-band.org or simply refer them to
the website to sign up. Be sure to have them enter who referred them to the website. Or, if you
are like many working ranchers and not real savvy with the computer, simply get a check for the
$50.00 membership fee and send it to PO Box 123, Menoken, ND 58558 along with a note including their complete mailing and email address as well as your name as the referral. The rifle will be
awarded at the next Winter Roundup.
Let’s get out there and round up members like us who are passionate about our ranching futures!
Ranchers Losing Ground in Government Land Grab: Amanda Radke, BEEF Mag.
I don’t know about you, but in my opinion, the 2016 presidential election can’t come soon enough.
For the 22nd time during his nearly eight years in office, President Obama has taken advantage of the Antiquities Act of 1906, locking up millions of acres of land in the western states.
Obama’s designations total 265 million acres, and his most recent designation of the Sand to Snow National Monument, Mojave
Trails National Monument and Castle Mountains National Monument totals 1.8 million acres. With several months left in office,
Obama is expected to designate another 10 million acres of land in Oregon, Arizona and Utah. What’s worse, Obama will more
than likely continue to use his executive power when making these designations without any public comment period or economic
studies.
Locking out this land under the guise of protecting it negates the fact that ranchers with grazing permits pay to run the ground and
also are responsible for the management of those leases. Somehow I have my doubts about the federal government’s abilities to
manage this expansive amount of land, and with our nation’s multi-trillion dollar debt, I don’t see how there is enough funding
available to make improvements, control weeds, manage bison and elk herds, and fight fires on this land.
Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to ranchers fighting the government against a powerful land grab. In
fact, an entire session at the 2016 Cattle Industry Convention was dedicated to offering advice on how to navigate the stressful
world of grazing permits on public lands and how best to deal with litigation, should things escalate that far.
While the media has been somewhat mum on the real issues facing real ranchers who live in areas heavy with federal land, there
have been several stories in recent months that should have piqued your interest.
The first, and most dramatic by far, was the imprisonment of Oregon ranchers Dwight and Steven Hammond, who got in a legal
battle with the Federal government over a backfire that they set (with permission) to protect their ranch, which ended up burning
137 acres of federal land. The Hammonds ended up paying $400,000 in fines, and a protest on their behalf ended with the death
of Robert LaVoy Finicum and the arrest of nearly a dozen others.
This story has been swept under the rug by many, the parties involved have been painted as terrorists, and today, the Hammonds
still sit in prison for simply trying to protect their ranch and help prevent the spread of a major wildfire. You may not agree with
the tactics those involved in the standoff took to stand up for what they believe in, but it’s hard to deny the fact that there is trouble brewing in the West, and the bully is the Federal government. By the way, the Hammonds are currently seeking a presidential
pardon, which I think will be highly unlikely until a new president takes office. The Oregon Cattlemen’s Association is circulating a
petition to grant the Hammonds clemency.
Then, there’s the case of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suing a California farmer for plowing his privately-owned
land. Claiming that he violated the Waters of the U.S. rule (WOTUS), tree, vine and wheat grower John Duarte is being sued by the
EPA, which he claims is a way to chase farmers like him off his own land to turn it into habitat preservation.
Most recently, 20 dairy and beef operations in the federally-owned Point Reyes National Seashore in the Bay Area of California are
facing a lawsuit from three environmental groups, which are claiming the government is renewing ranching leases without making
the preservation of the park a top priority. The suit calls for halting the leases and will be settled in the U.S. District Court in San
Francisco. These are just a few key examples of how the rancher is now at odds with the government, with environmentalists and
with public’s perception of the impacts of cattle grazing on public land. Of course, this battle has been going on for decades, and
has been fought by ranchers, as well as the timber and energy industries, all across the nation. We’ve got ranchers dealing with
violence on the southern border.
We’ve got farmers fearing government reproach because of the ridiculous regulations listed in the WOTUS rule. We’ve dealt with
an Administration that seems to lack an understanding that the nation’s food security is directly tied to how well America’s farmers and ranchers can do.
So as the presidential election season heats up, ask yourself who will repeal WOTUS, who will get control of an overreaching EPA
and who will set the tone for the next four years to allow ranchers to get back to work without the stress of strict rules and regulations that are becoming harder and harder to follow. These issues should be of concern to any rancher, whether you live in the
West or not. Once the battle is won in the West, where will the government turn next? And do you stand a fighting chance if the
next target is your ranch?
SPONSORSHIP
Dakota Community Bank Dale Pahlke~ Mandan, ND
Burleigh County Farm Bureau~ Bismarck, ND
Farm Credit Services of North Dakota
James Roshau~ Hubbard Feeds
Bowerman Insurance~ Steele & Gateway Insurance~ Bismarck
RDO Equipment Company ~ Bismarck
Grant County State Bank ~Carson, ND
CO-OP Elevator of McClusky, ND
Becker Ranch ~ Selfridge, ND
OK Tire Stores
REA Hybrids, Tony Baumgartner ~ Braddock, ND
Missouri Valley Petroleum
American Bank Center of McClusky
Leedstone Veterinarian Supplies
M&M Ag Sales and Service, LLC
Southwest Ag. Inc.
Direct Ag.
Pahlke Steel, Inc.
Sheridan Animal Hospital
RG Manufacturing, Welding and Repair, Inc of Mandan, ND
Dupont Pioneer
VitaFerm
Stockmens’s Supply West ~ Mandan, ND
Farm and Home Supply, Inc
Kist Livestock Auction~ Mandan, ND
Northland Financial
Farmers Union Oil Co of Selfridge, ND
Lindskov-Thiel Ranch ~ Isabel, SD
Prairie Knights Casino & Resort
Kupper Chevrolet ~ Mandan, ND
B&K Trucking
Maher Ranch ~ Menoken, ND
J L Fabricating—Regan, ND
The Independent Beef Association of North Dakota is
North Dakota’s statewide voice in the cattle industry for
the cattle producer. Our membership is primarily made
up of cow calf operations in North Dakota. We’re a nonprofit organization that works in conjunction with other
organizations as your statewide and national voice in the
cattle industry. We have represented our membership
on issues including the Farm Bill, COOL, Waters of the US,
HSUS bills, Horse Slaughter , the National Animal Identification System, EPA, Foot and Mouth disease in South
America, and the Beef Checkoff. There are numerous
issues of importance to cattle producers in the coming
year. Strength comes in numbers and I-BAND needs a
strong membership to carry out your voice within and
outside of North Dakota. We’re a grassroots cattlemen’s organization, addressing the market interests of
North Dakota cattle producers.
I-BAND has been going strong for 10 years now. If you are a
new member, a past member or an existing member, we
would like you to let us know what you like about this organization and the direction you would like to see this organization take in the future. We take pride in having a membership association where every member’s voice is heard
through a one member one vote policy. Without the backing of membership, I-BAND would not be in existence. We wish to thank each and every one of you for your
support. Any comments can be directed to any I-BAND board
member or drop us a line at: I-BAND, Box 123, Menoken, ND
58558.
Strength comes in numbers and I-BAND needs a strong
membership to carry out your voice within and outside of
North Dakota. Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to
any friends, neighbors or businesses that may be interested.
If anyone would like to schedule an informational meeting
in their area please contact any I-BAND Director.
___ One Year Voting $50
___One Year Associate $50
Do you own cattle? ______yes
______no
Name__________________________________________
Address________________________________________
City, State, Zip___________________________________
County_________________________________________
Phone__________________________________________
Fax____________________________________________
E-Mail__________________________________________
Signature_______________________________________
District One (1) will be west of the Missouri River from the
South Dakota border north to Interstate 94 and west of US
Hwy 83 from Interstate 94 north to the Canadian border. District Two (2) will be on the east side of said boundaries.
District Residing In:
District One _________
District Two ___________

Voting Members must own cattle. Annual dues
are $50.00 per year per member (one
member/one vote).

Associate Members do not own cattle and do
not have voting rights. Annual dues $50.00.
Please mail application and dues (cash, check or
money order) to the address below. Contributions
or gifts to I-BAND are not tax deductible as
charitable contributions. However, they may be
tax deductible as ordinary and necessary business
expenses.
I-BAND, Box 123, Menoken, ND 58558
Independent Beef Association of North Dakota
PO Box 123
Menoken, ND 58558
I-BAND.org
DIRECTORS
DISTRICT ONE
DISTRICT TWO
Larry Kinev, President
Kenny Graner
701-327-8205
701-663-3805
Mike Heaton
Allen Lund
Treasurer
Secretary
701-220-0496
701-422-3747
Jack Nagel
Patrick L. Becker
701-782-4250
701-422-3396
Robin Ziesch
Dwight Keller
701-220-4820
Vice President
Kerry Dockter
701-445-7350
701-884-2754
Ron Volk
DIRECTOR at LARGE
701-872-2172
Frank Tomac
701-522-3430