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Browse subject: forestry law
Number of records: 7958

Minnesota Forest Resources Council
About this Resource: The MFRC advises the governor and federal, state, and local governments on sustainable forest resource policies and practices. This resource offers a generic environmental impact statement, forest management guidelines, forest management guidelines resource directory, a public concerns registration line and details about the Sustainable Forest Resources Act programs being worked on.

Louisiana Urban Forestry Council
About this Resource: The Louisiana Urban Forestry Council (LUFC) works to recognize, promote, and improve the value of Louisiana's urban forest through research, management, education, training, and conservation. The LUFC's strategic plan is outlined on their website. Names of local LUFC contact people can be searched by region. There is information about the Department of Agriculture and Forestry and Tree City USA. There are links to current events, newsletters, publications, and information about membership services.

Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics
About this Resource: This site's goal is to ensure ecologically and economically sustainable resource management. The site includes news articles from around the country and links to the congress and senate as well as how to join the organization or donate to it. There are articles available from the site through the online library or the Forest Magazine section. A kids section includes educational tools and activities and a directory allows users to contact the organization.

Glossary of Forestry Terms | Ministry of Forests : Government of British Columbia
About this Resource: The Ministry of Forests (Government of British Columbia) has posted this dictionary of forestry related terminology. It is accessed through a "first letter" jump index. Some of the definitions contain hypertext links both to other definitions and to external related sources. Definitions are a compilation of general terms used by staff within the Ministry of Forests for reports, brochures and correspondence. The glossary is intended for staff, students, the general public and interest groups; the terms are used in British Columbia. A bibliography of sources can be consulted; these form the basis for the product. The link also includes definitions of forestry-related acronomys and initialisms.

A Guide to Getting Started in Forest Products Exporting | Department of Forestry - Michigan State University
About this Resource: A full-text publication, available through the Department of Forestry at Michigan State University. Discusses forest products and the exporting of forest products. Mentions (and provides pointers to) government agencies, trade associations, university sources, commercial services, the mechanics of exporting, distribution and freight forwarding. Includes a discussion of: keeping current; periodicals that offer insight on exporting, electronic sources of information and trade shows. The document also includes a summary.

Urban Habitat
About this Resource: Urban Habitat works to develop multicultural urban environmental leadership in the San Francisco area by building bridges between environmentalists, social justice advocates, government leaders, and the business community. Their website provides information about The Leadership Institute for Sustainable Communities, The Social Equity Caucus, and Community Based Regionalism. There are links to publications, policy papers, a calendar of events, and a listing of employment opportunities.

Log a Load for Kids
About this Resource: Log a Load for Kids is a national giving program which brings the dedication and generosity of the nation's loggers and other forest products people to raising funds for local children's hospitals associated with the Children's Miracle Network. The website provides users with information about the program including a FAQ section and fundraising ideas from states that have completed them. There is a link to the Children's Miracle Network and contact information for state representatives as well as the national coordinator.

Forest.RU
About this Resource: This site is about Russian forests, their conservation and sustainable usage. The site provides basic information about Russian forests and forestry. There is official data available, as well as comments and evaluations. There is also information on the official concept of Russian forestry and Russian forest legislation and regulations. A newsletter is available for downloading.

Alberta Centennial - Sustainable Resource Development
About this Resource: Sustainable Resource Development (SRD) works to ensure a balance between the economic, environmental and social values of Alberta. Among other things, SRD fights forest fires, manages wildlife and the use of public lands, and oversees the development of Alberta’s forests. Their website provides quick links to Forest Management Agreements (FMAs), weather, wildlife updates, and employment. They also provide access to information about managing Alberta's forests, forest health, enforcement and compliance, research and education, and wildfires. There is also a list of emergency contacts and information about forestry law.

Washington Forest Law Center
About this Resource: Founded in 1996, the Washington Law Center is a 501(c)3 public interest law firm providing legal sevices for forest cases within the state of Washington. The Center specializes in timber harvest and public resource issues that involve state and private lands. The website offers background on the Center, comments on its strategic goals and points to both news stories and active cases, germane to Washington state and the Center's activities.

Bundesforschungsanstalt fur Forst-und Holzwirtschaft (Federal Research Centre for Forestry and Forest Products)
About this Resource: The main goal of the Federal Research Centre for Forestry and Forest Products (BFH) is to assist the Federal Government by providing a scientific basis to their political decisions. Further, the scientific results should be of benefit to the forestry and forest products industry as well as to society as a whole. The BFH thus serves the public by providing it with information through the publications available on the webpage. These publications are provided by the many institutes shown.

National Agriculture and Forestry Institute (Laos)
About this Resource: The website details on the Institute’s mandate and responsibilities. Research is conducted into in agriculture; animal husbandry; fisheries and forestry. News and reports receive emphasis as well. The Institute works with a number of regional and international organizations identified on this website. Visitors to the website may subscribe to a newsletter.

Agricultural Safety : Florida Extension Service
About this Resource: A link to the Florida Cooperative Extension publications on the topic of agricultural safety. A listing from the Electronic Data Information Source (EDIS), supported by the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).

Ohio Ag Manager Newsletter
About this Resource: A monthly, electronic, newsletter prepared by farm specialists at Ohio State University. Provides agricultural businesses with timely management information. The Ohio Ag Manager is designed to assist with matters affecting farm enterprises: efficiency, profitablility, finances, labor, law, marketing, and human resource development. A service of the Ohio State University. Includes an archive of past newsletters.

Evaluation of the flammability of cotton bales
About this Resource: Bales of cotton were classified by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) code regulations as a flammable solid (Class 4.1), which required hazardous goods papers to accompany waterborne shipments. Various scientific investigations were conducted to evaluate the flammability hazard of bales of cotton to determine if this hazardous designation was valid. Cigarette (NFPA 261/ ASTM E1352), match (NFPA 705) and open flame (CA TB 129) tests were conducted; the potential for self-heating and spontaneous combustion was evaluated; and the potential of cotton bales sustaining smouldering combustion in their interiors at various compression densities was studied. These studies showed that bales of cotton should not be required to have the hazardous designation, 'flammable solid', and led to the IMO and the US Department of Transportation (DOT) removing the designation for baled cotton [compressed to a density of 360kg/m3(22.4lb/ft3) or greater; meets ISO 8115], with effect from 1 January 1999.

Bankruptcy Reading Room
About this Resource: An overview of legal issues concerning bankruptcy and links to primary law, National Aglaw Center resources, USDA and other government resources, and other pertinent sites.

Massachusetts Bureau of Forestry
About this Resource: This site provides information on several of the Bureau's programs, including: the Service Forestry Program; the Urban and Community Forestry Program; the Management Forestry Program; the Forest Health Program; the Utilization and Marketing Program; and the Forestry Legacy Program. There are links to annual reports, directories and listings, and forestry laws and regulations. There are also links to state forest land and resource management plans.

Management Practices Associated with High-Producing U.S. Dairy Herds
About this Resource: Results of a National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) 1996 study identified management practices used on high-producing U.S. dairy herds. The greatest difference between high and low production herds was in record keeping. High producing herds were more likely to use Dairy Herd Improvement Association records or have their own on-farm computer system than low production herds." Also in Dairy Infobase.

What makes poverty so intractable in high--poverty nonmetro counties?
About this Resource: Extract: Rural counties with high poverty rates are substantially different from counties with low poverty rates. For example, high poverty counties are more likely to have relatively large dependent populations such as female--headed families, disabled persons, and persons not in the work force. In addition, their populations are less educated and more likely to have low-wage jobs. Such characteristics suggest that government assistance in the form of income transfers could play a big role in alleviating poverty in these areas.

The NAAB Cross-Reference Listing of Dairy Sires
About this Resource: The National Association of Animal Breeders (NAAB) Cross-Reference Listing is a product of the NAAB Cross-Reference Program. The listing converts a sire's NAAB Uniform Code to the bull's breed registration number." Also in Dairy Infobase.

National Association of Wheat Growers
About this Resource: The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) is a nonprofit partnership of U.S. wheat growers who, by combining their strengths, voices, and ideas, are working to insure a better future for themselves, their industry and the general public. NAWG works with a team of state wheat grower organizations to benefit the wheat industry at state and national levels. NAWG serves as the eyes and ears for state wheat organizations, alerting them of possible problems that may affect the wheat industry in a particular state. From its grassroots network and its office on Capitol Hill, the NAWG is in daily communication with state associations and those in Congress, USDA and other government agencies. This home page features a news and information service; a reference library (with key supply and demand data) and a search engine for the site. One section of the site, Home Grown, is a public eduaction effort (produced in conjunction with the National Cotton Council and the USA Rice Federation) promoting farming families.

South Carolina Forestry Association
About this Resource: The SCFA is dedicated to forest conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources. This website offers information about South Carolina's forests such as forestry facts, government affairs, and briefs and position statements. There is also information about the association and resources to help with forest management or for in the classroom. There is a section on news of the Association, information on logger training, meeting proceedings, downloads, and links to other sites.

Pesticide Storage
About this Resource: Discusses the storage requirements for pesticides. Includes information on environmental requirements, storage facilities, and operation. Also in Dairy Infobase.

Protective Helmets for Pesticide Application
About this Resource: Describes the benefits of using a protective helmet when applying pesticides and how they work. Also in Dairy Infobase.

2005 Crop Protection Guide for Tree Fruits in Washington
About this Resource: A PDF-file for the: 2005 Crop Protection Guide for Tree Fruits in Washington. Intended for Washington State and released by Washington State University's Extension. Involves: pesticide safety; hazards to bees; pome and stone fruits; fungicide resistance; nutrient sprays; bioregulation sprays and chemical weed control.

Farm Management Publications : Nebraska Extension Service
About this Resource: HTML publications are available on many aspects of farm management: leases, futures trading, estate planning, marketing, recordkeeping and analysis, income taxes, budgeting, government programs, farm law, retirement, insurance and social security. Accessible through the University of Nebraska (Lincoln).

NOAA Fisheries - National Marine Fisheries Service.
About this Resource: NOAA Fisheries is the federal agency, a division of the Department of Commerce, responsible for the stewardship of the nationís living marine resources and their habitat. NOAA Fisheries is responsible for the management, conservation and protection of living marine resources within the United Statesí Exclusive Economic Zone (water three to 200 mile offshore). NOAA Fisheries assesses and predicts the status of fish stocks, ensures compliance with fisheries regulations and works to reduce wasteful fishing practices. Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act, NOAA Fisheries recovers protected marine species (i.e. whales, turtles) without unnecessarily impeding economic and recreational opportunities. With the help of the six regional offices and eight councils, NOAA Fisheries is able to work with communities on fishery management issues. NOAA Fisheries works to promote sustainable fisheries and to promote sustainable and to prevent lost economic potential associated with overfishing, declining species and degraded habitats. NOAA Fisheries strives to balance competing public needs and interest in the use and enjoyment of our oceansí resources. The site furnishes links to policy and legislative details and matters involving international interests. The NOAA Fisheries Permit Portal provides documentation to various programs that require federal permits. Links also relate to strandings - which occur when marine mammals and sea turtles swim or float onto shores or become "beached" or stuck in shallow water. The NOAA Fisheries Regional Offices and Science Centers have links. Both the eight Fishery Management Councils and the three Interstate Marine Fishery Commissions are identified with links going to each individual site location. The site also features a search engine, a media center (for press releases) and a sign-up feature for its' news services.

Minnesota Milking Equipment Research: Myths and Facts
About this Resource: The University of Minnesota has initiated an interdisciplinary research thrust involving Agricultural Engineering, Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine. The goal of this research is to develop and/or refine methodologies for suppressing losses in milk production caused by mastitis infections. Also in Dairy Infobase.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources: Forest Service
About this Resource: The Forest Service works to restore, manage, and protect Maryland's trees, forests, and forested ecosystems to sustain natural resources and connect people to the land. The site provides information about buying firewood, the Master Logger Program, finding consulting foresters, forest product operators, big tree champions and forest conservation act service providers. There is a glossary of forestry terms, a phone directory, and links to forestry education, publications, and programs. There is also information about tree laws, and links to other resources.

Recommendations for Improved Assessment of Noise Impacts on Wildlife
About this Resource: Research to determine noise impacts on animals benefits from methodology that adequately describes the acoustical stimulus as well as the resulting biological responses. We present acoustical considerations and research techniques that we have found to be useful. These include acoustical definitions and noise measurement techniques that conform to standardized acoustical practice and advice for controlled experimentation to supplement behavioral observation. Specific considerations include characteristics of noise stimulus, selection of noise metrics, use of frequency-weighting algorithms tailored to a specific animal species, selection and placement of noise measurement equipment, and methods for documenting animal responses. We also present arguments for measuring the noise stimulus at the location and time of each response observation. Our purpose is to recommend some baseline terminology, metrics, and techniques prerequisite to effective assessment of noise impacts on terrestrial wildlife whenever and wherever potential conflicts arise.

Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry
About this Resource: The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry administers many of the programs and enforces the regulations that impact the state’s agriculture and forestry. Their website provides information about their seven areas of service: Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Agro-Consumer Services, Animal Health Services, Forestry, Management and Finance, Marketing, and Soil and Water Conservation. They also provide a list of Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry programs.

Ammonia Emissions from Twelve U.S. Broiler Chicken Houses.
About this Resource: Twelve commercial broiler houses in the U.S. were each monitored for at least thirteen 48 h periods over the course of one year to obtain ammonia emission data. Paired repetition of houses on four farms represents current construction with variety in litter management (built-up or new litter each flock) and climate conditions (cold or mixed-humid). Ammonia concentration was determined using portable electrochemical sensors incorporating a fresh air purge cycle. Ventilation rate was determined via in-situ measurement of fan capacity, fan on-off times, and house static pressure difference. There were seasonal trends in exhaust ammonia concentration (highest in cold weather) and ventilation rates (highest in warm weather) but not for emission rate. Flocks with at least three monitoring periods (13 of 22 flocks) demonstrated similar emission rates at a given bird age among the four study farms and across the seasons. An analysis of emissions from all houses on the three farms using built-up litter resulted in predicted regression slopes of 0.028, 0.034, and 0.038 g NH3 bird(-1) d(-1) per day of age; the fourth farm, managed with new litter, had the lowest emission rate at 0.024 g NH3 bird(-1) d(-1). The intercept of these composite relationships was influenced by litter conditions, with flocks on new litter having essentially no emissions for about six days while built-up litter flocks had emissions starting at flock placement. Data from all four farms and all flocks provided a regression slope of 0.031 (+/-0.001 std error) g NH3 bird(-1) d(-1) per day of age. Emission rate per animal unit for built-up litter flocks indicated very high emissions for the youngest birds (under 14 days of age), after which time the emissions decreased exponentially and were then relatively steady for the balance of the flock cycle.

Oregon Department of Agriculture
About this Resource: The Oregon Department of Agriculture serves the state of Oregon through its three-fold mission: food safety and consumer protection; protection of the natural resource base; and, developing and maintaining markets for agricultural products. From this front page, you will find links to all of the services ODA provides, information on state regulations and licensing, news and information regarding ODA and the industry, and links to each ODA divisions.

Low-Cost Radiation Shielding for Use in Mapping the Thermal Environments of Rangeland Animals.
About this Resource: Variations in its thermal environment can influence how an animal utilizes a rangeland landscape. Mapping the spatial and temporal air temperature patterns throughout a landscape may be helpful in predicting range animal distribution and habitat use. Many sampling points are required to effectively map air temperature levels throughout extensive and topographically diverse rangelands. Self-contained air temperature data loggers are commercially available, but these require shielding from solar radiation to provide accurate measurements. Commercial shields are expensive and fragile. A low-cost, robust, and effective alternative to commercial shields is needed for air temperature mapping applications. Two types of shields, vented cylinder and inverted-U shaped, were constructed from PVC pipe. Temperature loggers protected in either of these shielding types provided more accurate air temperature measurements than unshielded loggers. Temperature measurements from loggers protected by inverted-U shields were within ±2.5°C of a reference instrument in 94.7% of 2496 observations. About 86.2% of observations acquired by loggers within vented-cylinder shields were within ±2.5°C of the reference. Conversely, only 66.1% of the measurements from unshielded loggers were within ±2.5°C of the reference. Both shielding types were designed to be attached to a swiveling mounting system, thus avoiding damage by animals and eliminating the need for protective exclosure fencing. Materials costs for constructing either shield type, including the mounting system, were $8.00 or less. In contrast, commercially available radiation shields with mounting hardware cost $75.00 or more. Compared to the use of commercial shielding, construction and deployment of these PVC-pipe shields would reduce the cost, time, and labor required to collect accurate air temperature data at many points across an extensive landscape.

Federal Research and Development Project Summaries | DoE - OSTI
About this Resource: A portal to research from among agencies, a service from the Office of Scientific and Technical Information at the Department of Energy. The system offers descriptions, recognizes awards and generates summaries. Pulls details from Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Small Business Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture.

Worker Protection Standard for Agricultural Pesticides | EPA - National Agriculture Compliance Assistance Center
About this Resource: A link to the National Agriculture Compliance Assitstance Center, with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Documentation is provided on worker protection standards (WPS's). Provides a summary of WPS Requirements. Documentation is provided on new WPS glove requirements; avoiding heat stress; and offers local links to additional publications produced by the the Center.

Pesticide Product Information System | U.S. EPA
About this Resource: Contains information concerning all pesticide products registered in the United States. It includes registrant name and address, chemical ingredients, toxicity category, product names, distributor brand names, site/pest uses, pesticidal type, formulation code, and registration status. To interpret the information contained in each of these files, site visitors should read the file formats and data dictionary file. A servive of the U.S. Environmental PRotection Agency.

Statistical Abstract of the United States : 2004-2005 | U.S. Census Bureau
About this Resource: A link to the 2004-2005 edition of the Statistical Abstract of the United States. Offers key demographic information for the United States. Historical data is also available from the Colonial Period to the present. A sampling of the data avaialable includes statistical material on: population, health and nutrition, law enforcement, geography, elections, trade, food services, foreign commerce and aid, comaparative international data. Extensive science and technology data is included, along with a section on agriculture. The latter provides insight on farms and farm operators, farm income expenditures, farm output, productivity, marketing, foreign trade in agricultural products, specific crop data, livestock information, and data on poultry products.

Tools that an NRCS Field Office Might Use to Help a Farmer in the Edwards Aquifer Area in South Texas
About this Resource: In an area that has limited water due to permitting, it becomes critical to assist farmer in making decisions on irrigation systems, management and tillage. Here is a list of tools/models and information that is being used by the local NRCS Field office to help in the decisions in the Edwards Aquifer area where they are limited to two acre/feet per acre of land irrigated. In this paper I will list the tools and give a brief example of how the tool or information is used. Some of the tools include things as simple as a current topo survey of the fields in question. Some of the models that are being used include CPED, CPNozzle, IWR, BORDER, BASIN, etc.

Determining the Influence of Spray Quality, Nozzle Type, Spray Volume, and Air-Assisted Application Strategies on Deposition of Pesticides in Soybean Canopy
About this Resource: Many insect and disease problems occur in specific plant canopy locations and cannot be managed with systemic pesticides. Diseases such as Asian soybean rust (ASR) ( Phakopsora pachyrhizi ) infect plant material deep inside a canopy that is difficult to target. Field studies were established in north central Ohio to determine the effect of different application strategies on targeting of foliar pesticide in narrow-row (18 cm) soybean plantings. Several different application factors were tested, including spray quality, nozzle type, air-assistance, and spray volume. In 2005, the spray mix included a fungicide used for ARS management. In 2006, in addition to the fungicide, an insecticide for soybean aphid management was included. Plant samples were removed from each test plot, and stems and leaves from the bottom third and middle third of the plant were separated for individual analysis. Overall, there was significantly less active ingredient found in the lower third of the canopies than the middle third, and significantly less pesticide residue was found on stems than leaves from the same canopy location. Significantly more fungicide residue was found on lower leaves treated by the medium-quality XR8004 flat-fan nozzle in 2005 than the coarse-quality XR8005 flat-fan nozzle. There were no differences in fungicide residue found on middle canopy leaves between the fine, medium, and coarse quality flat-fan nozzles. The twin-fan pattern nozzles (Turbo Duo and TwinJet) produced the lowest amounts of fungicide residue on the lower leaves in 2005. The mechanical canopy opener produced significantly higher fungicide residues on middle canopy leaves than all other treatments. The Jacto air-assist sprayer using JA3 hollow-cone nozzles produced the highest fungicide residues on lower canopy leaves in 2005. There were some statistical differences between the amounts of fungicide and insecticide residue found on plant tissue in 2006 because of the high amount of variability in the sample data. Overall in 2006, the higher volume XR8004 treatment (187 L ha -1 ) and the twin-fan TTJ60-11003 treatment at 145 L ha -1 performed similar to the Jacto sprayer making applications at 145 L ha -1 using either flat-fan or hollow-cone nozzles. In general, higher volume applications produced higher amounts of fungicide and insecticide residue on leaves from the middle of the canopy for conventional flat-fan and air-assist applications. Spray volume had less affect on residues measured on leaves from the lower canopy area. Across two years of different canopies at the same spray volume (145 L ha -1 ), the Jacto sprayer using JA3 hollow-cone nozzles produced more fungicide residue on middle canopy stems and lower canopy leaves than the medium-quality XR8004 flat-fan nozzle.

The role of credit constraints and government subsidies in farmland valuations in the US: an options pricing model approach
About this Resource: The Modigliani-Miller (M-M) theorem of financial asset theory concludes that asset values are independent of financing. In other words, debt-solvency (credit constraints) does not affect asset values. Therefore, using the M-M theorem one can argue that credit constraints in the farm sector (where land is the most important asset) do not affect the value of farmland. However, this proof relies on several arbitrage assumptions that are violated in the case of agricultural assets. This paper examines the effect of debt-solvency and government payments on changes in annual farmland values by state in the United States. Using panel cointergration method, results indicate that farmland values are significantly affected by both solvency and government payments. In addition, the results imply that government payments may affect agricultural asset values beyond the direct effect hypothesized in the literature.

Retrofitting for Cow Comfort
About this Resource: Michael, who works for Monsanto Dairy Technical Services, describes how to optimize cow comfort and measure population performance in order to maximize production and performance. Note that this article begins on page 7 of the PDF file. Also in Dairy Infobase.

The Varying Impacts of Agricultural Support Programs on U.S. Farm Household Consumption
About this Resource: Farm households are economic agents whose income is derived from farm, off-farm, and government sources. This article uses farm-level data from the Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) and recent advances in the econometric theory of dynamic pseudo-panels to show that farm households consume various sources of income differently at the margin. Particular attention is given to a specific type of lump-sum government transfer payment intended to be decoupled from (independent of) farm production decisions. The results suggest that relatively decoupled government subsidies have a greater marginal effect on farm household consumption than subsidies that are tied to market conditions.

Center for International Forestry Research
About this Resource: Following the Earth Summit in Rio de Janerio, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) created the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) - an international research and global knowledge institution committed to conserving forests and improving the livelihoods of people in the tropics. CIFOR's research helps local communities and small farmers gain a share of forest resources. CIFOR's three research programmes involve: environmental services and sustainable use of forests - centered on biodiversity, carbon sequestration, fires, watershed functions, and the sustainable management and harvesting of forest products. The Center looks at forest governance - examining the process of making and implementing decisions about the management of forests by people and organizations beyond the scale of the individual household or small enterprise. CIFR looks at forests and livelihoods closely and investigates forest resources with their management, use and trade. The website offers CIFOR's library of full-text documents available online and offers the POLEX listserv [Forest POLicy EXperts].

Wireless technology and satellite internet access for high-speed whole farm connectivity in precision agriculture.
About this Resource: An analysis of the multispectral image-based precision agriculture technology as used in the US cotton belt was undertaken to identify bottlenecks which limit the delivery and use of this technology. One area in particular was identified: the movement of data and information necessary to implement variable rate applications. Solutions to reduce or eliminate this problem were explored. A new technology called wireless local area networking (or WLAN) was explored. A test farm was selected, a system was designed and implemented, and the resulting implementation was successfully tested. The system wirelessly connected cotton pickers, spray equipment, variable rate fertilized application equipment, and hand-held personal digital assistant computers in the field, allowing for rapid bi-directional movement of data and information.

Agricultural Labor Management | University of California
About this Resource: Presents agriculture labor management theory and practices that lead to a better understanding of worker performance and output and improved management of human resources on the farm. The emphasis is in areas most critical to the productivity of personnel on the farm. Sections of the website deal with: conflict management and labor management (as e-books); research and articles; access to a membership directory (the International Agricultural Labor Management Association); information about a listerserv (AG-HRnet - devoted to advancing effective human resource management in agriculture); dairy incentives; labor law and farm safety. Available in Spanish.

Comparison of Site-Specific and Conventional Uniform Irrigation Management for Potatoes
About this Resource: Site-Specific Irrigation Management (SSIM) can be defined as irrigation management (depth, timing) based on crop need to defined sub-areas of a field referred to as management zones. Implementation of SSIM will require additional irrigation system hardware, labor, and information on soil and/or plant water status in each management zone. Costs associated with these additional requirements will need to be offset by increased receipts from improved crop yield and quality in order for the technology to be adopted by producers. The potential for SSIM to increase crop yield, quality, and economic return has not been evaluated in field studies. Crops such as potatoes, for which yield and quality are highly sensitive to soil water availability, are most likely to show an economic benefit from site-specific irrigation management. A two-year field study was conducted to evaluate the potential for SSIM to increase yield and quality of potatoes relative to Conventional Uniform Irrigation Management (CUIM). Near real-time soil water content was used to schedule irrigations under both irrigation management treatments. Field average water application was nearly the same for the irrigation management treatments, 503 mm (19.8 in.) in 2001 and 445 mm (17.5 in.) in 2002. In both study years, tuber yield distributions trended 4% greater under site-specific irrigation management but were not significantly different (p < 0.05). Total tuber yield per unit of water applied from irrigation and precipitation was 4% greater in 2001 and 6% greater in 2002 under SSIM. Based on a local tuber quality adjusted potato processing contract price structure, the trend in gross income averaged across the field site was $159/ha ($65/acre) greater with SSIM. This increase in gross income is likely about half the actual cost of commercial site-specific irrigation technology. The required 3- to 5-year crop rotation for potato disease management means that the site-specific irrigation system needs to be mobile or an economic benefit must also be realized from other crops in the rotation. The economic benefit of SSIM needs to be increased or realized for other crops in the rotation for it to be an economically viable technology in potato production systems in Idaho.

ABS Publications : South Dakota State University Extension
About this Resource: A link to online publications from the College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences (ABS) at South Dakota State University. Documents can be located under the following topics: farm; family; living; lawn and garden; environment; youths and 4-H andcommunities. Pull down tabs","appear under these headings providing local access to subcategories under these general topics.

Effectiveness of Lethal, Directed Wolf-Depredation Control in Minnesota
About this Resource: Wolf (Canis lupus) depredations on livestock in Minnesota, USA, are an economic problem for many livestock producers, and depredating wolves are lethally controlled. We sought to determine the effectiveness of lethal control through the analysis of data from 923 government-verified wolf depredations from 1979 to 1998. We analyzed the data by 1) assessing the correlations between the number of wolves killed in response to depredations with number of depredations the following year at state and local levels, and 2) the time to the next depredation. No analysis indicated that trapping wolves substantially reduced the following year's depredations at state or local levels. However, more specific analyses indicated that in certain situations, killing wolves was more effective than no action (i.e., not trapping). For example, trapping and killing adult males decreased the re-depredation risk. At sheep farms, killing wolves was generally effective. Attempting to trap, regardless of the results, seemed more effective at reducing depredations than not trapping, suggesting that mere human activity near depredation sites might deter future depredations.

Farmland Information Center (FIC)
About this Resource: This web resource offers information on laws, research tools, general literature and other information included within the topic of saving agricultural lands, stewardship, and sustainable development.