Watershed Funding & Veterinarian Legislation

Watershed Funding & Veterinarian Legislation plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced on Friday that communities across the nation will benefit from a $262 million investment to rehabilitate dams that provide critical infrastructure and protect public health and safety. Idaho's Montpelier Creek Dam and Oregon's Plat 1 and Cooper Creek will receive funds for rehabilitation.

The U.S. Senate - through a unanimous consent agreement - passed legislation that will help veterinarians in their work to ensure public safety and care for animals across the country. Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran introduced H.R. 1528 along with Maine Senator Angus King. It was introduced in the House by Oregon democrat Kurt Schrader and Florida republican Ted Yoho - both of which are veterinarians. The House passed the  bill last week by voice-vote. Senator Moran says the bill is now on the President's desk.

MORAN: This is legislation that I introduced that would allow veterinarians to carry and dispense controlled substances that are used to protect the health and welfare of animals, insure public safety and safeguard the nations food supply. This legislation makes certain that licensed veterinarians are equipped with the tools that they need and it's especially important for veterinarians who work near state lines, who practice in rural areas and those who conduct research or help respond to emergencies in the country.

Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray.

Bees are normally the first that come to mind when thinking about nature's pollinators, but birds, butterflies, bats, beetles, and other beneficial insects provide this valuable service. While there are a number of large pollinator events held around the country every year, one of the best things you can do is to simply educate yourself on the different pollinators, and what you can do to make their "job" easier. The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service pollinator webpage is a great source of information about pollinators, and don't worry - you don't have to be a landowner to help out pollinators. Just about anything can be grown in a container nowadays. If you happen to be one of those people who forget to water your plants, or find it difficult to make time to water there are a number of self-watering planters on the market. Interestingly, numerous studies have found that bees prefer to keep things simple. In other words, bees like working class gardens as opposed to fancy plants. So don't worry about having the most attractive garden on the block, just make sure it's pollinator friendly.

Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.