KY Forming Livestock Care Board

State Livestock Care Standards Commission Poised to Become Law
by Tim Thornberry

FRANKFORT, KY – As the 2010 General Assembly winds down, animal agriculturalists have anxiously waited to see the fate of an important piece of legislation that would affect them.

Senate Bill 105 called for the creation a 14-member Kentucky Livestock Care Standards Commission (KLCSC) that would set rules for the treatment of animals and poultry on the farm in an effort to head off by groups such as the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to impose their legislative agendas on the industry in Kentucky.

The much anticipated bill was passed unanimously by the full Senate earlier in the month and finally got through the House last Wednesday but not without a few changes made in the House Agriculture and Small Business Committee.

"I'm pleased that the House finally got the bill voted on and moved and was very appreciative of the substantial support that we had there," said David Givens (R-Greensburg) sponsor of the legislation. "This is so important to our livestock producers and all of agriculture because our livestock producers are such a key component and a key customer to our grain producers. We are really all involved in this together." Read More

And just as Ohio is implementing their board, the state of Kentucky is getting close to establishing their own livestock care board. Many states are looking at similar types of boards to protect their livestock from emotionally driven legislation that can actually decrease the welfare of the animals.

Logging Research Protested

Logging started in Robinson Forest
By: Allie Garza
Posted: 6/19/08

After months of debate, sit-ins and meetings, logging has begun in Robinson Forest.

When UK College of Agriculture Dean Scott Smith announced that logging would begin last year, students and activists alike rallied together in efforts to halt the proposed Streamside Management Zone Project, in which logging would be a necessary component.

The project, conducted by the Department of Forestry, plans to analyze different techniques for protecting water quality during logging. By producing and collecting the data, researchers intend to find new ways to manage water resources in the state with a better and stronger criteria for timber harvesting. Read More

No matter the reason for an area being logged, some people will never be happy. This research project is aimed at finding the best logging techniques for protecting water quality. Trees are a fantastic renewable resource that are growing faster than we are harvesting them in this country. The information gathered from this project will only help us better manage this resource.