Louisiana farmers still being hit hard by flooding via Agri-Pulse
The water is still rising in some areas of Louisiana and the priority is saving human lives - at least 20,000 people have been rescued from their homes by boat or truck - but officials are also working to minimize the damage to farms.
Soil, water conservation tax on November ballot via The Joplin Globe
Missouri voters will get to decide in November whether they want to renew a sales tax that completely funds soil and water conservation districts around the state. The tax, which is one-tenth of one percent, hauled in $92 million in the past fiscal year, according to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Half of the money goes toward the conservation districts, while the other half is spent on Missouri state parks.
Pennsylvania calls on conservation districts to help with inspections via Farm and Dairy
The Bradford County Conservation District, in the northeastern part of the state, has decided not to participate for fear of violating farmers’ trust — and the district’s long-standing relationship as educators, versus regulators.
California's rare island fox returns from brink of extinction via Reuters
The de-listing of the island fox, 12 years after it was classified as endangered, now ranks as the quickest recovery for any mammal so protected… They exist nowhere on Earth but on the six largest of the eight Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California.
California wildfire brings destruction, uncertainty; 82,000 people in 34,000 homes threatened via Chicago Tribune
Five years of drought have turned the state's wildlands into a tinder box, with eight fires currently burning from Shasta County in the far north to Camp Pendleton just north of San Diego.
Capybaras may be poised to be Florida’s next invasive rodent via ScienceNews
In the wild, the semiaquatic animals live in social groups in forests where they can be near bodies of water, such as rivers, lakes or swamps. They are herbivores that can subsist on a wide variety of vegetation, from grass to tree bark. And they reproduce at a fair pace, producing an average of four, and up to eight, pups per litter.
NRCS tackles backlog of wetland determinations via SouthernMinn.com
The NRCS in North Dakota and other states with substantial wetland areas have struggled to keep up with wetland determination requests. Though the North Dakota office has used new techniques to shrink its backlog, people involved in the process say more improvement is needed.
Drought costs California farms $600 million, but impact eases via Sacramento Bee
California’s drought is costing farmers an estimated $603 million this year, although the impact is far less than a year ago, according to a study released Monday by UC Davis.
Sneaky virus helps plants multiply, creating more hosts via ScienceNews
Instead of destroying its leafy hosts, one common plant virus takes a more backhanded approach to domination. It makes infected plants more attractive to pollinators, ensuring itself a continued supply of virus-susceptible plant hosts for generations to come.
Residents Sue County Over Endangered Bat via EMissourian.com
An endangered species of gray bat has been found near the site of two gravel mining operations near St. Clair… The discovery of the bats has prompted the Great Rivers Environmental Law Center to file a notice of violations and intent to file suit under the Endangered Species Act.
