Page 10 - MWC 8-10-2023s

The Midwest Cattleman · August 10, 2023 · P10
NCBA WELCOMES PASSAGE OF TWO NCBA MEMBER TESTIFIES IN SUPPORT OF
ENDANGERED SPECIES RESOLUTIONS BLACK VULTURE RELIEF ACT
National Cattlemen’s Beef cause it grants non-govern- National Cattle-
Association (NCBA) wel- ment third parties the ability men’s Beef Association
comed the passage of two to review cattle producers’ member and Missouri
congressional resolutions grazing management plans. cattle producer Charlie
that nullify the Biden ad- The lesser prairie chicken Besher recently testi-
ministration’s Endangered also only survives due to pro- fied before the House
Species Act (ESA) listings ducers’ conservation invest- Natural Resources
of the lesser prairie chicken ments, and this rule fails to Water, Wildlife and
and northern long-eared bat. consider how livestock pro- Fisheries Subcommit-
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife duction supports the birds’ tee in support of the
Service’s listing of these two habitat. Black Vulture Relief
species undermines on-the- S.J. Res. 24 would nullify Act. Besher, the chair-
ground, voluntary conserva- the northern long-eared bat man of NCBA’s Proper- ber of producers lose calves
tion work and hugely over- listing. The northern long- ty Rights and Environmen- each year to black vulture
extends the footprint of the eared bat is declining due tal Management Committee, depredation, the current
federal government on cattle to White Nose Syndrome, a shared how predatory black framework for lethal take is
operations, NCBA says. naturally occurring disease vultures take a toll on cattle overly restrictive and bur-
“The Biden administra- that is not caused by human producers’ livestock and live- densome.
tion’s listing of the lesser activity. NCBA says the list- lihoods. Introduced by Rep. John
prairie chicken and northern ing disrupts cattle producers’ “Black vultures play a role Rose (R-TN) and Rep. Dar-
long-eared bat create numer- ability to effectively manage in the ecosystem, and cat- ren Soto (D-FL), the Black
ous challenges for cattle pro- their land. tle producers have no desire Vulture Relief Act is bipar-
ducers and fail to consider all Both resolutions have al- to eradicate the species, but tisan legislation that would
of their critical conservation ready passed the Senate and to continue managing them allow cattle producers to take
work,” said NCBA President now go to the President for under such a restrictive sys- vultures without a permit,
Todd Wilkinson, a South signature. tem is ludicrous. The species when there is an immediate
Dakota cattle producer. “We is abundant across the conti- need to protect their live-
appreciate Congress taking nent, and no longer a conser- stock from injury or death.
bipartisan, bicameral action vation concern. These birds Currently, the U.S. Fish and
to nullify these two listings, are extremely vicious pred- Wildlife Service issues black
and I thank the House for ators and their attacks on vulture depredation permits
passing these two joint reso- cattle are devastating, both to states and states issue
lutions.” emotionally and financially,” sub-permits to producers,
S.J. Res. 9 would nulli- said Besher. “As a cow-calf but these permits only allow
fy the lesser prairie chicken producer who has invested for take of three individual
listing. NCBA says the listing One resolution would nullify the lesser for years in voluntary con- animals per year. Given that
is “extremely concerning” be- prairie chicken listing. servation in Missouri, I’m black vultures can attack
proud to testify in support multiple times a month in
MISSOURI PASSES Fueled by issues in trans- of the commonsense Black flocks as large as 50, the cur-
continued from page 3 ferring hogs within her dis- Vulture Relief Act. On behalf rent permits are completely
trict that includes a large pork of NCBA and the thousands insufficient to address the
as part of a larger public safe- processing plant, Shields ex- of producers who are losing problem. Black vulture num-
ty package. plained to a local news source cattle each year to black vul- bers are also on the rise, and
The bill, originally spon- that trucks were being slowed tures, I urge Congress to pass they attack cattle in a par-
sored by Missouri’s Rep. down or stopped, tainted this legislation to give farm- ticularly vicious way, usual-
Brenda Shields, criminalizes water was thrown into the ers and ranchers more tools ly targeting calves hours or
any person who knowingly truck [trailer] and hypoder- to protect their livestock.” even minutes after birth.
stops or otherwise interferes mic needles were put into the After 50 years of federal The Black Vulture Relief
with a motor vehicle trans- loaded hogs. protections, black vultures Act is also supported by nu-
porting livestock; provokes “[Animal Activist] Groups now number 190 million merous NCBA state affili-
or disturbs livestock when like Direct Action Every- strong and are an abundant ates.
the livestock is confined in a where (DXE) have small species across the country.
motor vehicle; or puts or plac- pockets of supporters across Even though a growing num-
es a substance on the live- the country that are willing
stock that affects its health or to mobilize for the cause, and
use, according to the legisla- the ‘lead organizers’ have cessors expect animals that cleaned, and valuable produc-
tive documents. also shown they’re willing to haven’t been tampered with. tion time is lost.
Activity of this kind will re- travel anywhere to conduct Specifically, pigs go through It’s been proven over again
sult in a class E felony charge ‘investigations’ and demon- the entire process to get to that these animals are trans-
for the first offense and a class strations,” explains Hannah the plant, making sure the ported in a very safe way with
C felony for any subsequent Thompson-Weeman, presi- pig is clean and free of any very little stress, Shields adds,
offense. Additionally, felony dent of Animal Agriculture contaminants, she adds. How- and the people who tamper
charges may include prison Alliance, in a PorkBusiness. ever, if the processor comes with the process, often animal
time or a fine up to $10,000, com article. across one of these hypoder- rights proponents, are caus-
depending on the case. Pre- From a quality, reliability mic needles, production halts ing unnecessary pressure and
vious punishment included a and food supply standpoint, immediately until the source interruptions to the livestock
misdemeanor charge and a Shields says consumers ex- of the needle is identified. industry.
$1,000 fine. pect safe protein and pro- The entire line then must be Drovers