14 CapitalPress.com
January 20, 2017
States argue in court for more
say over endangered species
By DAN ELLIOTT
Associated Press
Eric Mortenson/Capital Press
Former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, shown here during an August 2015 Portland visit. Vilsack is
joining the U.S. Dairy Export Council as its president and CEO, effective Feb. 1.
Vilsack to take top post at
U.S. Dairy Export Council
By CAROL RYAN DUMAS
Capital Press
Tom Vilsack, who re-
signed his post as ag secretary
last Friday, will join the U.S.
Dairy Export Council as pres-
ident and CEO, effective Feb.
1, according to an announce-
ment by USDEC.
Vilsack will succeed Tom
Suber, who served as pres-
ident of USDEC since its
founding in 1995 and retired
at the end of 2016.
“I’ve spent my career in
public service as a tireless
advocate for farmers and
American agriculture and
can think of no better way to
continue this service than by
leading the U.S. Dairy Ex-
port Council,” Vilsack stated
in USDEC’s press release on
Tuesday.
“Growing the global mar-
ket for U.S. dairy products
is essential to the future of
the dairy industry and Amer-
ica’s dairy farmers,” he
said.
Vilsack will provide stra-
tegic leadership and oversight
of USDEC’s global promo-
tional and research activities,
regulatory affairs and trade
policy initiatives.
That will include working
with industry leaders to de-
velop a long-term vision for
building sales and consumer
trust in U.S. dairy, the press
release stated.
Together with the USDEC
board, he will create strategies
to achieve the shared vision.
From left, coach Mr. Steve Wilder and team
members Lauren Anderson, Kristin Nesbitt,
Hannah Krichbaum, and Loretta Lacy of
Meridian’s Veterinary Science CDE team.
He will serve as the organiza-
tion’s primary spokesman and
ambassador.
“I look forward to partner-
ing with the dynamic team at
USDEC as well as agriculture,
food industry and key stake-
holders at home and abroad to
advance the council’s mission
and strengthen trust in Ameri-
can dairy,” Vilsack said.
“Secretary Vilsack’s im-
pressive record of leadership
and his proven ability to man-
age complex issues, combined
with his breadth and depth of
industry knowledge, made
him the preeminent choice to
take the helm of USDEC,”
said Thomas Gallagher, CEO
of Dairy Management Inc.,
the umbrella organization that
founded USDEC.
From left, coaches Mr. Shane Stevenson and Mrs.
Lorraine Wikoff, and team members Trace
Beaucannon, Alexa Phillips, Zach Phillips and
Ashlyn Schiers of Meridian’s Dairy Cattle
Evaluation CDE team.
DENVER — A battle over
how to save endangered wolves
in the Southwest moved to a
federal appeals court Wednes-
day as judges heard arguments
on whether states can block the
federal government from rein-
troducing wildlife within their
borders.
The Interior Department is
asking the Denver-based 10th
U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
to overturn a preliminary in-
junction that bars the depart-
ment from releasing more cap-
tive-bred Mexican gray wolves
into the wild in New Mexico
without that state’s approval.
It’s the latest skirmish in
the federal government’s long
and troubled effort to restore
the rare wolves to part of their
original range under the Endan-
gered Species Act. It comes as
the future of the law is in ques-
tion, with Congress and the
White House in the control of
Republicans who generally see
it as an impediment to jobs and
economic development.
New Mexico has multiple
complaints about the Mexi-
can gray wolf program, and in
2015 it refused to issue a permit
to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service — part of the Interior
Department — to release more
of the predators in the state.
New Mexico also announced it
might sue the agency.
Fish and Wildlife decided to
release more wolves anyway,
citing an urgent need to expand
Jim Clark/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service via AP, File
A Mexican gray wolf leaves cover at the Sevilleta National Wildlife
Refuge in Socorro County, N.M. The Interior Department has asked
a Denver-based court to overturn a preliminary injunction that bars
the department from releasing more Mexican gray wolves into the
wild in New Mexico without that state’s approval.
the wild population to prevent
inbreeding. New Mexico offi-
cials went to court, and a feder-
al judge in New Mexico issued
an order last year blocking fur-
ther releases while the dispute
is resolved.
The Interior Department
appealed to the 10th Circuit.
Appeals court judges generally
take weeks or months to issue
a ruling after hearing oral argu-
ments.
Even if the court sides with
the government, it’s not clear
whether president-elect Don-
ald Trump’s administration
will continue to fight after he
takes office. New Mexico state
attorneys contend the Endan-
gered Species Act and federal
rules require the Fish and Wild-
life Service to cooperate with
the state and not release more
wolves without state permis-
From left, coach Mrs. Renee Peugh and team
members Nicole Elletson, Kate Johnson and
Mackenzie Brown of Meridian’s Ag Marketing
Plan CDE team.
sion. They also made a states’
rights argument, saying states
have the primary responsibility
to manage wildlife.
Eighteen other states filed a
friend-of-the-court brief siding
with New Mexico.
Interior Department lawyers
argue the law allows the depart-
ment to go around the state, if
necessary, to save a species.
The preliminary injunction
against more releases “threat-
ens the survival in the wild of a
protected species,” they said in
written arguments.
A coalition of environmen-
tal groups, led by Defenders of
Wildlife, intervened on the In-
terior Department’s side. They
argue that the state’s legal inter-
pretation would wrongly give
them veto power over measures
to save a federally protected
species.
From left, coach Mrs. Trish Stokes and team
members Will Stokes, Karlyn Roberts, Maddie
Bennett and Connor Burgin of Meridian’s
Environmental & Natural Resources CDE team.
MERIDIAN FFA CHAPTER GOES TO NATIONALS
By Loretta Lacy
2016-2017 Meridian FFA Reporter
In March and April of last school year, the Meridian FFA
Chapter attended the Idaho State Career Development Events
(CDEs). Four of Meridian’s teams placed first in the state,
qualifying them for national competition.
Along with the members of the four qualifying teams, three
chapter delegates and two American Degree recipients attended
this year’s National Convention.
The 2016 National FFA Convention was held from Tuesday,
Oct. 19, until Saturday, Oct. 22, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Not
only was this convention a place for top state teams to showcase
their talents, but it also held the largest FFA store, a college and
career show, multiple sessions run by national officers, and
several great keynote speakers.
Meridian’s Environmental and Natural Resources team
placed 3rd in the nation with a gold ranking. This year 42 other
teams competed for a total of 168 members. The following
members competed for Meridian FFA:
• Maddie Bennett (2nd high individual, gold ranking).
• Karlyn Roberts (gold ranking).
• Connor Burgin (gold ranking).
• William Stokes (silver ranking).
The Meridian FFA Veterinary Science team placed 4th in the
nation with a gold ranking. There were 44 other teams that
competed this year. The Meridian members were:
• Kristin Nesbitt (2nd high individual, gold ranking).
• Loretta Lacy (gold ranking).
• Hannah Krichbaum (gold ranking).
• Lauren Anderson (gold ranking).
The Meridian Agriculture Marketing Plan team was a semi-
finalist with a silver ranking. The team consisted of:
• Kate Johnson (silver ranking).
• Mackenzie Brown (silver ranking).
• Nikki Elletson (silver ranking).
Meridian’s Dairy Cattle Evaluation and Management team
placed 18th in the nation with a silver ranking. This year 48 other
teams also competed in this CDE at nationals. The following
members of our team were:
• Ashlyn Schiers (silver ranking).
• Trace Beaucannon (silver ranking).
• Zach Phillips (silver ranking).
• Alexa Phillips (silver ranking).
Meridian FFA also had two American Degree recipients: Kaedy
Peck is a sophomore at the University of Idaho majoring in
agribusiness and Hayden Turnbough is studying biology in her
second year at the College of Western Idaho.
The American Degree is the highest degree that can be
awarded in FFA. A member must be a year out of high school and
has to have been a member all four years of high school to apply
for this prestigious award. Only 3 percent of all members
nationwide achieve this award; it is an honor to be a recipient.
Meridian FFA also had three delegates attend the National
Convention. Mallie Miller and Kobe Manzer represented our
chapter for the National Chapter Award and Bailey Josoff attended
as a senior member.
Our members had an amazing time at the National Convention
this year and they highly recommend that all FFA members make
it a goal to attend during their high school career. This year our
chapter toured Chicago and the Indianapolis Speedway. Mallie
Miller’s favorite part of the National Convention was being able to
meet members from all over the country.
“My favorite part of nationals this year was competing in
Dairy Cattle Evaluation and Management and touring the
Indianapolis Speedway.” says Alexa Phillips.
Kate Johnson felt that nationals was an incredible learning and
competitive experience. She is very grateful that she had the
opportunity to attend.
Meridian FFA would like to thank the Meridian FFA Alumni,
Ada County Farm Bureau, the Meridian Dairy Board, and the
United Dairymen of Idaho for their generous donations to help our
members get to Nationals this year. We would also like to thank all
of the advisors that attended this trip with the members and
coached our CDE teams: Mr. Shane Stevenson, Mrs. Lorraine
Wikoff, Mrs. Renee Peugh, Mrs. Trish Stokes, and Mr. Steve
Wilder. The 20 members that attended this October are very
grateful for the tremendous help and support from all these
individuals and groups.
Kaedy Peck, Agribusiness student at
the University of Idaho and Meridian
FFA member, receives her American
Degree.
Hayden Turnbough, Biology
student at the College of
Western Idaho and Meridian
FFA member, receives her
American Degree.
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