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Page 6 January 19, 2012
Program generates
$6.3 million statewide
BISMARCK - The North Dakota
Housing Finance Agency (NDHFA)
received more than $6.3 million
statewide during its initial fundrais-
ing campaign for the Housing
Incentive Fund (HW).
The state program provides tax
credits for contributions to the fund
and passes on flexible financing to
help create affordable rental housing.
"North Dakota Housing received
contributions ranging in size from
$100 from an individual to the largest
contribution, $2.5 million from
Marathon Oil Company," said Mike
Anderson, NDHFA executive direc-
tor. "The strong grassroots support
displayed will result in much-needed
housing for North Dakota families,
seniors and our workforce."
Of the HIF contributions received
to date, 203 were from individuals.
The remaining 19 contributions were
from businesses and financial institu-
tions. Any entity with a state income
tax liability can support the incentive
fund. In exchange, the contributor
receives a dollar-for-dollar credit
against their state income tax liabili-
ty.
Contributors may express a pref-
erence for their contribution to bene-
fit a specific eligible housing project,
community or area. Marathon target-
ed its contribution to affordable
housing development in Dickinson,
Killdeer and New Town.
To receive tax credits for the year,
contributions to HIF must be
received by NDHFA before the end
of an individual's or business' tax
year. The agency will continue to
issue tax credits to contributors on a
first-come, first-served basis until its
$15 million maximum threshold is
reached.
Commission recommends another
look at post office closings
WASHINGTON - The Postal
Regulatory Commission has recom-
mended that the U.S. Postal Service
take another look at its approach to
closing post offices, supporting
many criticisms made by National
Newspaper Association in its fall
2011 testimony.
The PRC released its opinion in
the USPS proposal to close retail
offices, laid out in the case Retail
Access Optimization Initiative. The
Postal Service is required to seek
the PRC's input whenever it
embarks upon major service
changes.
NNA participated in the case to
argue that although it did not cate-
gorically oppose small post office
changes, the selection of offices to
be closed and the manner in which
USPS sought public feedback were
flawed. The PRC agreed with NNA
and strongly suggested that USPS
revise its plans. PRC Chair Ruth
Goldway was particularly critical
in a separate opinion, saying the
proposals "reveal a pattern of inac-
curate and overly optimistic eco-
nomic savings calculations and of
careless disregard of community
concerns."
NNA President Reed Anfinson,
publisher of the Swift County
Monitor-News in Benson, MN, said
NNA had achieved its goals through
evidence offered to the commis-
sion.
"We said at the outset we were
not opposing post office closings,
but that we saw major gaps in the
Postal Service's approach. Through
the expert testimony of our Postal
Committee chair, Max Heath, we
pointed out flaws. We are gratified
that the commission was able to use
our information in its final opinion.
Now we hope to support the Postal
Service in a more rational approach
to this problem," Anfinson said.
Among the problems were:
• USPS decision to count only
front-counter stamp and package
sales as incoming revenue when
deciding whether an office is
unprofitable, while ignoring the
bulk business mail revenue essen-
tially coming through that office
from newspaper, shopper and direct
mail business.
• Inadequate development of
plans to allow newspaper mail to be
entered at alternative facilities
being developed as post offices
closed, such as the much publicized
"Village Post Offices" intended to
replace some post offices in rural
areas.
• Poor transparency in conduct-
ing community meetings before a
closing.
Heath said the PRC unanimous-
ly found problems with the USPS
analysis of the effect of closings.
Among other things, USPS was
charting the new distances involved
for consumers to reach remaining
post offices through "as the crow
flies" measurement rather than driv-
ing distances.
CSP sign-up extended
Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS) State
Conservationist Mary Podoll says
the ranking period cut-off date for
producer applications in NRCS's
Conservation Stewardship Program
(CSP) has been extended from Jan.
13 to Jan. 27, 2012.
"CSP has proven to be a very
important program for North
Dakota agricultural producers,"
said Podoll. "We want to ensure
everyone has ample time to consid-
er participation."
CSP provides many conserva-
tion benefits including improve-
ment of water and soil quality,
wildlife habitat enhancement and
adoption of conservation activities.
All producers are encouraged to
apply for CSP. The program,
authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill,
offers payments to producers who
maintain a high level of conserva-
tion on their land and who agree to
adopt higher levels of stewardship.
Eligible lands include cropland,
pastureland, rangeland and non-
industrial forestland.
Financial and technical assis-
tance offered through CSP will help
producers improve, manage, or
maintain the conservation practices
Better Than Geo or Tube.
Richard
Ranch joins
association
BELFIELD - Richard Ranch,
Belfield, is a new member of the
American Angus Association, said
Bryce Schumann, CEO of the
national breed organization head-
quartered in Saint Joseph, Me.
The American Angus
Association, with about 30,000
active adnJt and junior members, is
the largest beef breed association in
the world. The association records
ancestral information, keeps pro-
duction records on individual ani-
mals, and develops selection tools
for its members.
currently on their property, as well
as help plan for the future.
Producers interested in the CSP
program are encouraged to visit
their local NRCS Service Center or
visit www.nd.nrcs.usda.gov.
Applications are accepted on a con-
tinuous basis.
Out of the wind
Pheasants find protection from the wind under some
hedges. Fortunately for the birds, they haven't yet had to deal
with blizzards. (Photo by Jane M. Cook)
Signup begins for farm programs
Signup for Farm Service
Agency's Direct and Counter
Cyclical Program and the Average
Crop Revenue Election Program
during the 2012 crop year begins
on Jan. 23. Signup for both pro-
grams will continue through June
I, 2012.
Aaron Krauter, North Dakota
State Executive director for FSA, is
encouraging producers to sign up
early. "We want to make sure that
everyone has the opportunity to get
in and sign up, and doing it before
spring field work begins means
one less thing a producer needs to
worry about," Krauter said.
Producers who choose to partic-
ipate in either the revenue-based
ACRE safety net or the price-based
DCP safety net must apply for the
program each year. All owners and
operators who will share in the
DCP or ACRE payments on the
farm must sign the enrollment form
(CCC-509) by June 1. If a produc-
er does not get the signed form in to
their local office by June 1, they
will not be enrolled in the program
for the current year and will not
receive benefits.
Producers who choose to partic-
ipate in DCP or ACRE were
allowed to choose between the two
programs in 2009. A producer who
initially chose to remain in DCP
does have the option to switch to
the ACRE program when they
apply for the program before the
June 1 deadline. However, produc-
ers who elected to enroll their farm
in ACRE cannot switch back to
DCP. Additionally, if a producer
has a farm that is enrolled in ACRE
and buys another farm that is
enrolled in DCP, the two farms can-
not be combined unless the DCP
farm is changed to ACRE.
Deadline rc,r livestock
producers approaching
Livestock producers who suffered
losses in 2011 due to natural disasters
and filed a notice of loss with their
local Farm Service Agency office
have until January 30 to apply for
payment through the Livestock
Indemnity Program.
DEAD-
LINES
The deadline for sub-
mitted copy and sto-
ries and all ad orders
is noon on Fridays.
Call 872-3755 or
e-mail
gvnews @ midstate.net
ITD
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SmartNews
SmartShops
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Shops- Residential Garages
The difference between heat and comfort
For more information: With GREEN products
call (701)364-9276 by SmartRooms of North Dakota
or visit www.SmartRoomsofNorthDakota.com
-It
Attention
CANOLA
GROWERS
The North Dakota Oilseed Council election for Billings Cotmty will take place: January 25,
2012 at 12:15 p.m. in the
Medora Community Center, Medora, ND
LIP pays eligible producers based
on a national payment rate, which is
75 percent of the average fair market
value of the livestock. Eligible live-
stock include cattle, poultry, swine
and other animals including sheep,
goats and horses.
Warm winter confuses animals
Hello,
I remember when A1 Gore
warned us about global' warming.
Now it is trendier to call it "climate
o" "
cha%e . And it is changing. Now,
how much man contributes to the
change can be a point of con-
tention. But I am going to tell you
things that I can really see.
One of my grandsons has a
snake. A garter snake. He caught
this young snake on the road last
summer and decided to keep it for
a pet. Last week, the first week of
January, the snake shed its skin!
Really! It shed its skin. Of course
the heat lamp may have something
to do with it.
And then one evening last
week, as I relax in the living room,
I see the moon rising on the eastern
horizon. A harvest moon! Big,
bright, glowing orange, regular old
harvest moon. Now, I'm a cowboy.
Not a romantic writer of poetry.
Horses can be beautiful. Ladies
can be beautiful. Second cutting
alfalfa can be beautiful. A warm,
gentle, three day rain can be beau-
tiful. But moons aren't. But this
one was. I just hope you saw it.
And I can't blame this on the heat
lamp.
So I'm sitting there thinking.
No snow. Snakes shedding skin.
Harvest moon. Could it be that A1
had it right? Geese going north in
the evening! Water running down
the creek. What the heck?
Then, to top things off, the next
evening as I am doing chores, I
notice a heifer that is really close
to calving. I mean really, really
close to calving. The babies feet
are sticking out! That is a really,
really good sign that she is close.
With the help of Doctor Shirley, I
pulled the calf.
Now this was out of a heifer I
had recently purchased. For a
healthy sum of money. I don't like
early calving. I don't like to get up
at night for several nights in a row
at 2 a.m. and walk out to the
heifers. I like to buy heifers that
have been ultra-sounded for a short
calving period. Like three days, or
ten days. But since these heifers
were supposed to calf in March for
twenty days, I thought that isn't
too bad. Shirley is home and can
take that late night check. She goes
back to sleep easier than I. I sup-
pose that is the result of having a
clear conscience. Something I
haven't had since the mid nineteen
sixties.
Could it be that AI
had it right? Geese
going north in the
evening! Water run-
ning down the
creek. What the
heck?
So I really don't know what to
tell you. To quote Clay Jenkinsons'
great column, "Like the geese, I'm
just confused!"
As of this writing I have three
new calves. All out of ultra-sound-
ed March calving heifers! Oh. they
are alright. But I'm sitting here this
morning thinking this is going to
be a long calving season. The
March heifers have started calving.
They are supposed to calf all of
March. That makes January,
February, and March. That is nine-
ty days on this small group of
heifers. And then our home raised
heifers start on April 1. Now I
understand why they call it April
Fool's Day. I imagine they will calf
until the middle of May. That
makes four and half months of
calving heifers.
Do you know how many heifers
I have? Twenty-one! Twenty-one!
And I am going to be calving
heifers for four and a half months!
I talked to the local vet about
this yesterday. He was the one that
checked these heifers. I explained
how his mistake was costing me
much sleep and many "happy
hours". He simply asked if the
three calves were alive. When I
replied they were, he simply said,
"I should be entitled to a bonus!"
And you wonder why I drink!
Later, Dean
NORTH DAKOTA WHEAT
COMMISSION ELECTION
An election to seat a Billings County rep-
resentative to the North Dakota Wheat
Commission will take place Wednesday,
January 25.2012 at 12:15 p.m., at the
rvledora Community Center.
Persons who are residents of the county
and have been actively engaged in the pro-
duction of wheat are eligible to vote. A
wheat prodacer must be present to vote but
need not be present to be elected. For more
information, contact the North Dakota
Wheat Commission at 701-328-5111.
Election
Anyone who has planted canola in 2011 and intends to plant in 2012 and is a participat-
ing producer who resides in the county is eligible and encouraged to vote.
For more information: Contact the North Dakota Oilseed Council, (701) 328-5107
lime W 00ielivsr-
North Dakota needs a healthy
postal service that provides
timely delivery of the nail.
In North Dakota, the Postal Service proposes to close area mail processing centers in Devils Lake,
Jamestown, Minot and Grand Forks and to close more than 75 post offices.
The U.S. Postal Service wants to close thousands of post offices and 252 of 487 mail processing centers
around the country. Plus, the Postal Service wants to reduce its delivery standards for various classes of mail,
which would slow mail delivery. And, it wants to end Saturday mail delivery. The bottom line: reducing service
is not a good business model for fixing the Postal Service's problems.
Now is the time for North Dakotans to act. Show your support for maintaining six-day mail delivery and
oppose wholesale closure of area mail processing centers and post offices until the Postal Service and Congress
address issues that are undermining the Postal Service's future viability.
Let's send a message to the United States Postal Service and Congress that North Dakota needs timely mail
delivery and service.
Visit your newspaper office by January 25
to sign a petition asking congress and the postal service
to perform to your needs and expectations.