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Show Panguitch • Panguitch Lake • Hatch • Bryce • Tropic • Antimony • Henrieville • Cannonville • Escalante • Boulder • Duck Creek Thursday, April 23, 2009 • Issue # 212 USDA Announces New Loan Repayment Rate Methods For Commodities In The Marketing Assistance Loan Program Improved Method Will Minimize Potential Forfeitures Lori Jones, Farm Program based on the average market non-recourse marketing asSpecialist of USDA’s Farm prices during the preceding sistance loan at the time the Service Agency announced 30 days. At the same time, loan was made. Starting on or after April today that USDA will begin CCC will begin announcusing an improved and more ing each day a repayment 15, for pulse crops (lentils, stable system for determin- rate based on the preceding dry peas, small chickpeas ing non-recourse marketing five days. The new method -and starting with the 2009assistance loan repayment will replace the current one, crop year, large chickpeas), rates and loan deficiency which is based on the previ- crambe, mustard seed, payment rates for wheat, ous day’s market rates. The rapeseed, safflower, sesafeed grains, pulse crops, effective alternative repay- me seed, wool, mohair and oilseeds, wool, mohair and ment rate will be the lower honey, CCC will determine of either the 30-day average and publish loan repayment honey. rates once a week based on “The new method will or the 5-day average. The 30-day method will average market prices durmoderate fluctuations of the loan repayment rate,” reflect a 30-day moving av- ing the preceding 30 days. said Jones. “This decision erage of all terminal market CCC will also announce an reduces the effects daily prices for the crop, adjusted alternative repayment rate market volatilities have on by the difference between using current methodology loan repayment rates and the applicable national loan each week. The effective provides more certainty for rate and the county loan repayment rate will be the producers who have taken rate. The 5-day method will lower of either the 30-day advantage of marketing as- reflect a 5-day moving av- average or the alternative sistance loans or loan defi- erage of applicable terminal repayment rate. No alternamarket prices adjusted by tive repayment rate will be ciency payments.” The 2008 Farm Bill pro- applicable county differ- available for honey. No changes are being vides USDA the authority ential and terminal adjustmade to the loan repayment to establish a loan repay- ments. Jones said this new loan system for cotton, peanuts ment rate that may be determined as the lesser of the repayment method will and rice. Additionally, the 2008 loan rate plus interest and minimize potential fora rate based on: 1) average feitures, accumulation of Farm Bill removed the remarket prices during the CCC stocks, CCC storage quirement for the secretary previous 30 days, or 2) an costs, market impediments to establish loan and loan alternative method the sec- and discrepancies in ben- repayment rates based on efits across state and county feed grade for peas, and retary may develop. number 3 grade for lentils Beginning today, for boundaries. Currently, the loan re- and small chickpeas. Efwheat, corn, grain sorghum, soybeans, barley, oats, cano- payment rate for a county fective on or after April 15, la, flaxseed and sunflower is based on the daily posted loan repayment rates for seed, USDA’s Commodity county price for the com- 2008-crop pulse marketCredit Corporation (CCC) modity, and this rate is ad- ing assistance loans will be will determine and publish justed by any premiums based on U.S grade #1. daily loan repayment rates and discounts made to a EASTERN LAWMAKERS AT IT AGAIN HEADS UP SOUTHERN UTAH! Democratic Representative Richard Durbin from Illinois has again sponsored legislation that would reintroduce a designation of nearly 9.4 million acres in Utah as Wilderness. This would deny access to one out of every six acres in the state. Imagine the costs? Denial of access to these lands would include: business development, motor vehicles of any kind, road building, and any oil or gas drilling. Representative Durbincurrently has 15 co-sponsors. These include: Sen. Patrick Leahy [D-VT] Sen. Robert Menéndez [D-NJ] Sen. Benjamin Cardin [D-MD] Sen. Edward Kennedy [D-MA] Sen. Maria Cantwell [D-WA] Sen. Barbara Boxer [D-CA] Sen. Debbie Ann Stabenow [D-MI] Sen. Russell Feingold [D-WI] Sen. John Kerry [D-MA] Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse [D-RI] Sen. John Reed [D-RI] Sen. Thomas Harkin [D-IA] Sen. Joseph Lieberman [I-CT] Sen. Bernard Sanders [I-VT] Sen. Frank Lautenberg [D-NJ] As you will notice, all but one of these individuals are located on the east coast. I find it rude that these sponsors want to preserve the land for them to “visit”, while it would encumber if not damn the livelihoods of those who live here year round. Editor, Ryan Davis A summary of the legislation written by the Congressional Research Service, (a non-partisan arm of the Library of Congress) reads: America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act of 2009 - A bill to designate as wilderness certain Federal portions of the red rock canyons of the Colorado Plateau and the Great Basin Deserts in the State of Utah for the benefit of present and future generations of people in the United States. This bill would designate specified lands in the following areas of Utah as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (1) Great Basin; (2) Zion and Mojave Desert; (3) Grand Staircase-Escalante; (4) Moab-La Sal Canyons; (5) Henry Mountains; (6) Glen Canyon; (7) San Juan-Anasazi; (8) Canyonlands Basin; (9) San Rafael Swell; and (10) Book Cliffs and Uinta Basin. Sets forth administrative provisions regarding: (1) filing by the Secretary of the Interior of a map and a legal description of each designated wilderness area with appropriate congressional committees; (2) the exchange of state-owned lands within such areas; (3) federal reservation of water rights; (4) measurement of setbacks for roads with wilderness; (5) authorized livestock grazing; and (6) withdrawal of such lands from disposition under certain public land laws. This movement legislation has been in process for nearly twenty years, and has been referred this year to the Senate Committee of Energy and Natural Resources, which include: Chairman Jeff Bingaman (NM) Byron L. Dorgan (ND) Ron Wyden (OR) Tim Johnson (SD) Mary L. Landrieu (LA) Maria Cantwell (WA) Robert Menendez (NJ) Blanche Lincoln (AR) Bernard Sanders (VT) Evan Bayh (IN) Debbie Stabenow (MI) Mark Udall (CO) Jeanne Shaheen (NH) Lisa Murkowski (AK) Richard Burr (NC) John Barrasso (WY) Sam Brownback (KS) James E. Risch (ID) John McCain (AZ) Robert Bennett (UT) Jim Bunning (KY) Jeff Sessions (AL) Bob Corker (TN) Be sure to voice your feelings to the individuals listed above. Sierra Club hasn’t given up, nor will they. If you want to maintain access to our lands, this is a battle the not only our generation will battle, but so will our children. Saddle up, folks! We are going to have to consider this an necessaryadventure. UTAH NATURAL GAS PRODUCERS AGREE TO AIR EMISSION REDUCTIONS, CONSERVATION PRACTICES weather thursday PARTly CLOUDY high: 75 low: 44 friday PARTly CLOUDY high: 63 low: 36 saturday few showers high: 58 low: 31 sunday PARTly CLOUDY high: 60 low: 33 monday few showers high: 58 low: 34 tuesday PARTly CLOUDY high: 61 low: 35 wednesday few showers high:62 low: 36 Six energy companies, in three settlements, have agreed to install pollution control equipment at a cost of over $6 million to comply with the Clean Air Act at their natural gas producing facilities in the Uinta Basin, near Vernal, Utah, the Justice Department and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today. The facilities are located on the Uintah & Ouray Indian Reservation. The series of three settlements with Bill Barrett Corp, Wind River Corp, XTO Energy Inc., Dominion Exploration and Production Inc., Whiting Oil and Gas Corporation, and Miller Dyer and Company were filed today in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City, Utah. The agreements mandate air pollution reductions and conservation practices at the companies’ natural gas compressor stations, well heads, and pipelines across the Uinta Basin. In addition to $6,462,000 in retrofits and upgrades to implement pollution control equipment, the agreements require the companies to pay $632,000 in civil penalties and to spend $200,000 on supplemental environmental projects. As part of the settlements, Contact: Richard Mylott, USEPA, 303 312-6654 the companies have agreed standards for hazardous air pollutants, federal permitto perform the following: Retrofit pneumatic con- ting, emissions monitoring trols with lower emitted and reporting requirements. Dominion Exploration and components Conduct a process opti- Production and Miller Dyer mization review to increase came forward and disclosed natural gas recovery and re- their violations under EPA’s duce air emissions at com- self-audit policy. All the pressor stations and well companies have worked cooperatively with EPA to sites Control emission sourc- appropriately resolve violaes, such as large engines, tions. “These settlements degas dehydrators, condensate tanks at all new facili- liver clear results for the ties constructed in the next people of Utah and the Uinfive years and install low/ tah and Ouray Indian Reservation,” said EPA Acting no-bleed pneumatics Administrator, Shale-plate all future Regional Carol Rushin. “The manwell access roads Fund the operation & dated pollution controls maintenance of two ambi- will reduce emissions of ent air monitoring stations air toxics and greenhouse for one year at a cost of ap- gases, while conservation measures will help return proximately $100,000 Pilot new technologies valuable natural gas to the that are less polluting and marketplace.” EPA estimates that the more energy efficient According to complaints investment in technology filed simultaneously with will reduce air pollution the settlements, the compa- by more than 1,300 tons nies allegedly violated sev- per year. The reduction eral provisions of the Clean in greenhouse gas emisAir Act, including emission sions, including methane, is Difficulties show men what they are. In case of any difficulty remember that God has pitted you against a rough antagonist that you may be a conqueror, and this cannot be without toil. Epictetus THE GARFIELD COUNTY INSIDER is owned and operated by Snapshot Multimedia and is distributed weekly to all of Garfield County. Its purpose is to inform residents about local issues and events. Articles submitted from independent writers are not necessarily the opinion of Snapshot Multimedia. We sincerely hope you enjoy the paper and encourage input on ideas and/or suggestions for the paper. Thank you for your support. equivalent to the annual carbon sequestration of 9,400 acres of pine or fir forest or comparable to taking more than 7,600 cars off the road each year. The natural gas conserved is enough to heat approximately 1,080 homes annually. “These settlements not only obtain compliance with the law and control emission sources, but will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and bring more natural gas to the marketplace,” said John C. Cruden, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. The consent decrees were lodged in U.S. District Court for the District of Utah and are subject to a 30-day comment period and final approval by the court. A copy of the consent decree is available on the Justice Department Web site at http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/ Consent_Decrees.html. Phone: 435-676-2621 Fax 435-836-2700 PO BOX 472, Loa, Utah 84747 snapshot@scinternet.net ALL content for THE GARFIELD COUNTY INSIDER must be submitted on FRIDAY before 5:00 pm to be included in the following Thursday edition of the paper. BOXHOLDER PRE-SORT STANDARD PAID LOA, UTAH PERMIT No. 5 |