Reporter’s Notes

Moxa Arch

The Bureau of Land Management office in Kemmerer has extended the public scoping period for input for the Moxa Arch Area Infill Gas Development Project Environmental Impact Statement to Dec. 2.

“We were concerned that the initial scoping period ran concurrent with the hunting season in southwest Wyoming. We want to ensure that all potential interested parties are allowed sufficient time to provide their comments to us.” said Michele Easley, BLM Kemmerer project manager.

The project area is located west of the Green River, east of Lyman and Opal, and south of the Fontenelle Reservoir in Lincoln, Sweetwater and Uinta counties.

Ag appropriations

Wyoming Senators Craig Thomas and Mike Enzi stood up for Wyoming ranchers and consumers last week by casting votes against an agriculture appropriations bill that was laced with language delaying country of origin labeling for two more years.

In October Thomas and Enzi helped the Senate pass its version of the Ag Appropriations bill, the bill the provides funding for the USDA and other related agencies, but when the Senate version of the bill went to a joint Senate-House conference committee to be reconciled with the House version of the legislation, House conferees added the provision delaying implementation of COOL. It was a deal-killer for Thomas, Enzi and other senators who understand the value of labeling and voted against the conference report. Thomas and Enzi said even though the legislation is on its way to the President’s desk, they will look for every opportunity to accelerate COOL.

The original COOL law was included in the 2002 Farm bill and mandated that beef, lamb, pork, fruits and vegetables be labeled with their country of origin by U.S. retailers. House opponents of COOL were able to delay COOL beyond September of 2006. Thomas and Enzi co-sponsored a bill, S. 1331, in June that would move up the date of implementation for country of origin labeling from September 2006 to January 2006. The bill has been referred to the Senate Agriculture Committee.