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Poultry Litter Removal Incentive Program Changes
By D. E. Smoot - Muskogee Phoenix Staff Writer

New poultry litter transfer incentives directly affect producers who buy, sell and/or apply poultry litter.
This article contains a brief overview of those changes.
Contact your local Conservation District Office for information applicable to your area.
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OK Governor signs bill to prohibit defining manure as hazardous, 19 other bills
04/18/2007 by Shawn Ashley

(OPT) Gov. Brad Henry signed a bill Wednesday that prevents animal manure from being defined as a
hazardous material or waste. The measure was one of 20 bills signed Wednesday by the governor, the
greatest number of measures he has signed on any one day this legislative session.

SB 709, by Sen. Ron Justice, R-Chickasha, and Rep. Terry Hyman, D-Leon, prohibits manure from
being defined or considered hazardous waste, was signed by the governor after passing the Senate 38 to 18 and
the House 85 to 14. Proponents of the measure argued defining animal manure, particularly chicken manure, as
a hazardous material or waste would have a negative impact on the state's agriculture industry, where the
manure is often sold or used as fertilizer. Opponents feared the bill would limit the ability of the state
to pursue actions against polluters.
In addition to stating, "Manure shall not be defined as or be considered a hazardous substance or hazardous waste
as those terms are defined by state law," the bill defines manure to include associated nonhazardous bedding,
compost, raw materials or other nonhazardous materials commingled with the excrement; nonhazardous process
water associated with the excrement or materials, or nonhazardous byproducts, constituents or substances
contained in or originating from the excrement, materials or process water.

(Printable version)

House Votes to Protect Farmers and Ranchers from Bogus Lawsuits
Contact: State Rep. Terry Hyman Capitol: (405) 557-7383

OKLAHOMA CITY (April 12, 2007) - Oklahoma's farmers and ranchers will soon be protected from frivolous lawsuits claiming animal manure is toxic waste thanks to legislation approved by the Oklahoma House of Representatives today. Senate Bill 709, by state Sen. Ron Justice (R-Chickasha) and state Rep. Terry Hyman (D-Leon), declares that manure shall not be considered hazardous waste under state law.

"The passage of Senate Bill 709 means Oklahoma's 83,000 agricultural producers can do what they do best: produce food and fiber without fear of unwanted litigation," said Hyman. "This bill sends a message that Oklahoma values the agriculture industry and is taking a common-sense approach toward its protection."

Supporters of the bill noted that environmental extremists have begun using regulatory harassment and the threat of expensive lawsuits to destroy family farms. Without passage of Senate Bill 709, they warned that most farmers and ranchers in Oklahoma could face bankrupting lawsuits claiming animal manure is toxic waste.

"This legislation will protect farmers and ranchers from people who can't tell the difference between a barnyard and Chernobyl," Hyman said. "Some individuals would like to see our 5.4 million head of cattle declared 'hazardous waste generators' and Oklahoma's 83,000 farms 'toxic waste sites.' They do not realize or care about the economic impact it would have on rural Oklahoma."

Without the common-sense protections provided by Senate Bill 709, Hyman noted that the state could also lose several major tourist attractions, such as the annual American Quarter Horse Association show, which contributes $180 million to Oklahoma City's economy each year. Senate Bill 709 passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives on an 85-14 vote. It now goes to Gov. Brad Henry for his signature.

"Today the agriculture industry won a battle in the war to protect family farms and the way of life they represent," Hyman said. "In this Centennial year, it is only fitting we help preserve this original industry of Oklahoma."

(Printable version)

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program
Oklahoma Governor and U.S. Deputy Sec. of Agriculture Sign Conservation Agreement

Oklahoma City, OK, April 23, 2007 - Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry and Deputy Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner today signed a new $20.6 million cooperative conservation partnership agreement between USDA and Oklahoma that will create up to 9,000 acres (or 370 miles) of riparian buffers and filter strips. The conservation plantings will reduce the flow of nutrients, sediment and other pollutants in the Spavinaw Lake and Illinois River/Lake Tenkiller watersheds (Oklahoma CREP).

"I'm pleased to announce this new Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program," said Deputy Sec. Conner. "Through this project, USDA and the state of Oklahoma will help landowners and operators establish effective conservation practices to enhance water quality in eastern Oklahoma."

"It is a historic day for Oklahoma to be awarded this Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program as we begin our second century of statehood," Gov. Henry said. "Soil conservation was born in Oklahoma. The partnership between private landowners and our conservation districts has demonstrated that voluntary, locally-driven conservation can successfully address significant environmental issues like the Dust Bowl and now water quality," Gov. Henry said. "With the establishment of this Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, we reaffirm our state's commitment to assist private landowners to practice conservation on Oklahoma's working lands for the next 100 years," Henry said.

Conner and Gov. Henry signed the project agreement during a special ceremony today at the Oklahoma Capitol Building in Oklahoma City. Key CREP partners also include the Oklahoma Conservation Commission (OCC), City of Tulsa's Metropolitan Utility Authority, Oklahoma Scenic Rivers Commission, five local conservation districts, the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

"Our water resources in northeastern Oklahoma are key to the economy of Tulsa and the entire state," said Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor. "This Conservation Reserve Program agreement helps to guarantee the future of our state and the Tulsa metropolitan area by assisting in the enhancement of water quality. The Best Management Practices endorsed and funded by this program will enable our citizens to play an active role in promoting high water quality for northeastern Oklahoma for years to come. This guarantee is essential for business growth and quality of life," Mayor Taylor said.

"It has been a long, hard road to get the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program underway" said Bill Blackard, chair of the Oklahoma Scenic Rivers Commission. "The Scenic Rivers Commission is excited to invest some of its resources in this project. With this agreement we will be able to access four federal dollars for every state and local conservation dollar we spend. In the long run our children and our children's children will reap the environmental benefits of the investment we make today," Blackard said.

"Spavinaw Lake is the primary water supply for our second largest city. The Illinois River is our most iconic scenic river," said Miles Tolbert, state Sec. of Environment. "These waters both face serious challenges. With the creation of a CREP we are rising to that challenge," Tolbert said.

The Oklahoma CREP includes parts of Adair, Cherokee, Delaware, Mayes and Sequoyah counties and includes participation by the conservation districts in those counties. The project seeks to filter runoff, stabilize stream banks, shade stream channels, and improve drinking water and aquatic habitat by creating 500 acres of filter strips and 8,500 acres of riparian buffers, for a total of 9,000 acres, or 370 miles, of protected streams.

Land owners participating in the program will receive annual rental payments, financial and technical assistance and other incentives for voluntarily enrolling land into contracts. FSA will administer Oklahoma CREP, with support from state CREP partners. Eligible landowners will receive a one-time Practice Incentive Payment and a one-time Signing Incentive Payment. In addition, federal dollars will pay 50 percent of the reimbursable costs of establishing eligible practices, conducting compliance reviews, and providing technical assistance and other services up to $16.5 million for Oklahoma CREP.

"Farmers and ranchers are the original conservationists. They have to constantly conserve and enhance their land to keep it productive. They live on the land and are intimately tied to it," said Terry Peach, state Sec. of Agriculture. "In this modern world of global trade however, it's not always so easy for a farmer to make a living and still give back to the land what it needs. This CREP program will allow the farmers of these two watersheds to achieve both purposes and all the citizens of Oklahoma will reap the reward," Peach said.

OCC is the state agency that will oversee implementation of the program. OCC, collaborating with local conservation districts, will identify eligible producers with appropriate land for enrollment in the program. The state will provide payments to participants and pay a minimum of 20 percent of the overall costs of the Oklahoma CREP, including payments for fencing and related costs for non-Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acreage. OCC will also provide staffing for the project, and coordinate with other natural resource conservation programs at the local, state and federal levels. The state will provide $4.1 million in cash and in-kind services for Oklahoma CREP.

"The Conservation Commission and local conservation districts have been helping to implement conservation practices to protect water quality for years," said Mike Thralls, executive director of the Oklahoma Conservation Commission. "Utilizing programs like CREP is the next logical step in implementing that water quality conservation," Thralls said.

USDA will announce sign-up for Oklahoma CREP at a future date. USDA will accept offers for contracts under this CREP on a first-come/first-served basis until the 9,000-acre goal is achieved or until Dec. 31, 2007, whichever comes first. More information about the program can be found in the Oklahoma CREP fact sheet posted online at http://www.fsa.usda.gov ; click on Find FSA Fact Sheets.
(Printable version)

New Legislature Passes
June 7, 2007 - New Law Protects Eucha-Spavinaw Watersheds
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Update from Ron Hays of Radio Oklahoma Network
Monday, April 30, 2007 - Poultry Industry & CREP
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Avian influenza conference puts a 'feather in the cap' of Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
By Ruth Bobbitt

STILLWATER, Okla. - Although the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus has not reached North America, the Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service is working to help ensure that the U.S. poultry industry will not be a sitting duck if the deadly disease invades the country.

Last week, the Cooperative Extension Service hosted a conference attended by 150 educators, animal health officials, veterinarians and poultry industry representatives. The "Poultry Disease Conference: Preparing for Avian Influenza," convened March 30 at the Oklahoma State University -Tulsa campus, and allowed participants to "talk turkey" about avian flu with the nation's leading animal health experts and discuss their roles in the event of an avian influenza outbreak.

"In serving our role as educators through the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, it is our duty to disseminate factual information relating to current agricultural issues such as avian influenza," said Joshua Payne, OSU Cooperative Extension area specialist for animal waste management. "Avian influenza has caught worldwide attention due to constant media publicity, and this was an opportune conference to address this emerging worldwide issue."

To date, 42 countries have reported outbreaks of the H5N1 strain of avian flu in birds. Human cases of the deadly strain have been found in nine of those countries. More than half of those infected - 107 of 190 - have died, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Payne, who holds a doctoral degree in animal and poultry science, said there is no evidence that the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus exists, or has ever existed, in the United States.

"If the current strain of the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus does enter the U.S., our first concern should be preventing the spread in poultry," said Payne. "Since the greatest human health risk involves individuals with direct contact with infected poultry, the general public should only be concerned if the virus evolves into a form that is readily transmissible from human to human."

Dustan Clark, Arkansas Cooperative Extension poultry health veterinarian and conference presenter, said that if the virus mutates to such a form, the problem could be similar to the 1917-1918 influenza pandemic, which was a bird flu that killed 40 million people worldwide.

"The veterinary profession has worked with [avian influenza] for years in poultry," said Clark. "The medical profession, while working with human influenza, has not had to deal with a problem such as the current one."

While animal health officials and the poultry industry have made great strides and are stepping up the challenge of fighting the spread of the current highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza, Payne said all parties need to stay updated on proper prevention and response strategies.

Clark routinely presents information to poultry producers, veterinarians, backyard flock owners, farmers, ranchers and others about avian influenza diagnosis and on-farm biosecurity measures.

In addition to diagnosis and biosecurity, the conference educated participants about mass euthanasia and carcass disposal of birds, as well as proper preparation and emergency response to a disease outbreak.

These topics were addressed by experts from Oklahoma State University; the University of Delaware; the University of Maryland; the University of Arkansas; the National Veterinary Services Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Agriculture; the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry; and the Oklahoma State Department of Human Health.

A highlight of the conference was a presentation about the worldwide status of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu virus by Dennis Senne, who is one of the leading avian influenza experts in the world. Senne is a poultry specialist for the National Veterinary Services Laboratories of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and was involved in the identification and characterization of the first H5N1 virus isolated from chickens in Hong Kong in 1997.

"Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service (OCES) is one of the first to hold an avian influenza conference addressing the animal health issue rather than the possible human pandemic," said Payne. "I believe we addressed this very issue at a well-timed conference that can be considered a 'feather in the cap' for OCES."

The conference was jointly sponsored by the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, the Poultry Federation, Brown Bear Corporation and the OSU Center for Veterinary Health Sciences.

The Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service is part of OSU's Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Cooperative Extension Educators are housed in all 77 counties in the state and provide local educational programs based on research-proven, objective information to help Oklahomans solve problems, promote leadership and manage resources wisely.