Ozarks Property Rights Congress Meeting
March 26 – 7:00 p.m.
Hayloft Restaurant – Mountain Grove, Missouri
Come early if you care to eat, as no food is allowed in the meeting room, due to limited restaurant staff.
DNR is on the agenda
We will be discussing more on the Missouri DNR proposed expanded water quality regulations. The amended rules may result in expanded control on agricultural practices, such as nutrients, ammonia, sediments and bacteria. The DNR has asked for PRC involvement in discussions through participation in the Water Classification (Small Streams) Workgroup.
Reports from the January and February workgroup meetings as well as upcoming meetings of the workgroup can be found at this web address: http://www.dnr.mo.gov/env/wpp/cwforum/adv-uncl-waters-wetlands.htm
Are we making a difference with our input to DNR?
Here are copies of 3 emails sent between OPRC President Russell Wood and Phil Schroeder after Mr. Schroeder and DNR’s Rob Morrison attended the February 26 Ozarks Property Rights Congress meeting in Mountain Grove. They were invited to attend the March12th Gainesville Meeting, as well.
From DNR:
Hi workgroup members -
The meeting on March 19 of the Water Classification (Small Streams) Workgroup has been cancelled.
The department is still gathering information to respond to several requests from workgroup members. Specifically, we are gathering information on the status of various other state programs in classifying smaller streams into their water quality standards. In addition, we are compiling information on how other states have implemented their programs and how they have handled the challenges we’ve discussed. From this information, we wish to summarize the likely impacts of a rulemaking which classifies a wider number of streams in Missouri. Our summary would describe the impacts to both point sources and non-point sources.
This information is essential to furthering constructive discussion on the stream classification issue. We feel it is a requisite to identifying an appropriate regulatory path. Therefore, we wish to complete our search for information before conducting the next meeting.
We expect to have the information gathered and compiled in time for our meeting on April 16. Thanks for staying in touch.
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From: ”c.Russell Wood@hughes.net” <jrwoodprc@hughes.net>
To: ”Phil Schroeder” <phil.schroeder@dnr.mo.gov>
Date: 03/06/2009 09:49 AM
Subject: Re: March 19 Meeting Cancelled - Water Classification Workgroup
Phil,
Sorry you will not be with us at next week’s meeting but again I thank you and Rob for coming to Mtn. Grove. That meeting gave you a perspective of what the landowners think. And after all, they are the REAL conservationist.
My own observation is; Wouldn`t your time and resources be better spent studying the need for or lack of need for additional regulations on small streams in Missouri, rather than what`s being done in other states? Aren`t our streams and conditions unique? Shouldn`t the determinations be made here? We`ve seen other examples of agencies copying out of state practices that have been absolute boondoggles.
As a sovereign state we should be able to make our own decisions based on our own set of circumstances and facts. Isn`t that why we have 50 states?
Respectfully,
Russell Wood
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—– Original Message —–
From: Phil Schroeder
To: c.Russell Wood@hughes.net
Cc: Rob Morrison
Sent: Friday, March 06, 2009 10:19 AM
Subject: Re: March 19 Meeting Cancelled - Water Classification Workgroup
Mr. Wood,
Rob and I brought back a clear sense of the views held by the members of the Ozarks Property Rights Congress. We appreciate the clarity in the message made by the members.
The department agrees that rules should serve a meaningful purpose and that the purpose be specific to benefiting the people of Missouri. Much of our discussion that evening revolved around how the department could respond to the demands of a federal law while serving the state’s needs. Your group reminds us of the importance of carefully examining the options for regulatory action, as well as searching for options to avoid new rules, especially when the stated need for action initiates at the federal level.
Thanks again for the opportunity to share thoughts on this emerging issue. We look forward to our future discussions with you and your members.
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Updates on the renewed push in Congress to mandate NAIS
We are doing everything possible to get legislators to understand what NAIS is and what it is not! It is not a solution for food safety problems. Increased incidence of meat recalls are from contamination at the meatpacker level, not producer level. The 2009 Omnibus Appropriations bill included $14.5 million for NAIS.
R-CALF USA is constantly in touch with members of Congress attempting to get the message across to them. Max Thornsbury, R-CALF USA president, testified on March 11 before the U.S. House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry. After his testimony, he commented “Rather than listen to the recommendations of actual livestock producers, Congress and USDA are listening to the eartag companies and meatpackers that stand to make millions of dollars, if not billions, off NAIS,” Thornsberry said. For a complete look at what was said in that hearing go to the R-CALF link and then click on Animal ID.
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Bills to keep your eyes on
Some disturbing bills are floating through Congress. Check them out.
HR 875 (Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009)
This bill sends up a red flag on the ability to grow our own food. Check out Section 3, Definitions, Section 14. (14) FOOD PRODUCTION FACILITY- The term `food production facility’ means any farm, ranch, orchard, vineyard, aquaculture facility, or confined animal-feeding operation. I take this to mean, this bill will regulate everything we grow, including our backyard gardens. Go to this website and type in HR 875 to read the complete bill: http://thomas.loc.gov/
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Also, on the red flag list are the “Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act” and “Serve America Act”
At best these are overly expensive pieces of legislation that spread more government ideas throughout the nation’s school systems. Read about them and read the bills themselves. Then call your legislators and give them your conclusions.
Click on the link to read the entire article about these bills (an excerpt is provided below the web address): http://www.prisonplanet.com/house-passes-mandatory-national-service-bill.html
Thursday, March 19, 2009
The House passed a bill yesterday which includes disturbing language indicating young people will be forced to undertake mandatory national service programs as fears about President Barack Obama’s promised “civilian national security force” intensify.
The Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act, known as the GIVE Act, was passed yesterday by a 321-105 margin and now goes to the Senate.
Under section 6104 of the bill, entitled “Duties,” in subsection B6, the legislation states that a commission will be set up to investigate, “Whether a workable, fair, and reasonable mandatory service requirement for all able young people could be developed, and how such a requirement could be implemented in a manner that would strengthen the social fabric of the Nation and overcome civic challenges by bringing together people from diverse economic, ethnic, and educational backgrounds.”
Section 120 of the bill also discusses the “Youth Engagement Zone Program” and states that “service learning” will be “a mandatory part of the curriculum in all of the secondary schools served by the local educational agency.”
“The legislation, slated to cost $6 billion over five years, would create 175,000 “new service opportunities” under AmeriCorps, bringing the number of participants in the national volunteer program to 250,000. It would also create additional “corps” to expand the reach of volunteerism into new sectors, including a Clean Energy Corps, Education Corps, Healthy Futures Corps and Veterans Service Corps, and it expands the National Civilian Community Corps to focus on additional areas like disaster relief and energy conservation,” reports Fox News. The Senate is also considering a similar piece of legislation known as the “Serve America Act,” which also includes language about “Youth Engagement Zones”.
