Proposals due on or before February 10, 2012

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Oregon State Conservationist Ron Alvarado has announced a funding opportunity for wetland protection, restoration and enhancement activities on eligible lands in Oregon. Proposals for projects are due by Feb. 10, 2012.  Funding comes through the agency’s Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program (WREP), with up to $17 million available nationwide.

WREP is a voluntary conservation program that works through partnership agreements with states, nongovernmental organizations and tribes, as defined in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.  WREP is a component of the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) through which NRCS enters into agreements with eligible partners to leverage resources to carry out wetland protection and improve wildlife habitat.

Benefits to partners in WREP agreements include:  Wetland Restoration in high-priority areas;  The ability to cost-share restoration or enhancement components beyond those required by NRCS;  Participating in management or monitoring of selected project locations; and  Opportunities to use innovative restoration methods and practices.

Eligible partners may submit general WREP proposals for individual, watershed-wide or larger geographical area projects. WREP partners are required to contribute a financial or technical assistance fund match. Oregon NRCS will use a competitive process to evaluate the proposals. Recommended proposals will then be competed nationally for final selection and funding.

To submit a proposal or receive information about General WREP, visit http://www.or.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/wrep/index.html or contact Loren Unruh, State Programs Leader, (503) 414-3235, loren.unruh@or.usda.gov.  WREP
proposals submitted by fax or through Grants.gov will not be accepted.  For more information about NRCS and other programs, visit http://www.or.nrcs.usda.gov/.

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MF Global trustees need claims forms by Jan 31

By Agri-Pulse staff   © Copyright Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2012 -Farmers and ranchers affected by the collapse of MF Global need to file their claim forms by the deadline of January 31 in order to be eligible to recover lost money.

MF Global, a Wall Street brokerage firm that traded on commodities markets, declared bankruptcy in October. Bankruptcy officials are now working to distribute remaining funds to customers, including thousands of farmers and
Click here for claims forms and additional information.  https://www.mfgionlineclaims.com/ClaimForms/

MF Global’s bankruptcy, believed to be the result of poor investments in European sovereign debt, was approved in November. Since then, the trustee handling MF Global’s accounts has returned over 70 percent of funds to customers, but
recent estimates indicate that $1.2 billion in customer funds remain missing. Additionally, a lawsuit filed earlier this month in U.S. District Court in Missoula alleges that MF Global and its business partners committed trading violations.

For the full report, visit http://agri-pulse.com/

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2012 Oregon Wheat Foundation Scholarships Deadline Nears

Applications are currently being accepted for this year’s Wheat Foundation Scholarships. Applications must be postmarked by February 1, 2012 to be eligible.

Click here to access full eligibility requirements and the application:

http://www.owgl.org/foundation/about-owf/

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OSU Spring Wheat Elite Yield Trials Now Available

Dr. Michael Flowers has announced the latest OSU Wheat Elite Yield Trial results have been published to the OSU Crops and soil website.

Follow this link to trials  for current year and previous year data: http://cropandsoil.oregonstate.edu/wheat/state_performance_data.htm

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Annual OWC Research Review now available live online

The OWC annual research review will be held on Thursday, February 2, 2012, starting at 8:30 AM at Kidder Hall on the OSU Campus in Corvallis.  Proposals being considered for Commission funding will be presented and for the first time will also be available to anyone who is interested via a live stream.  Simply visit: http://live.oregonstate.edu/ to see the entire review.   A chat site will also be available to allow online viewers to ask questions and a complete schedule will be posted on the Oregon Wheat website just prior to the meeting.

Please RSVP the Commission office if you plan to attend in person.  A Commission meeting will also be held the following morning at 8:00 a.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn in Corvallis.   Projects being considered include:

 Oregon Funding Requests

• Zemetra / Wheat Varietal Development
• Hayes / Barley Variety Development
• Flowers / Variety Testing and Agronomic Evaluation of Winter and Spring Wheat
• Ross / OSU Cereal Quality Laboratory and Investigation of Low Falling Number Wheats
• Leonard / Genetic Enhancement of Quality Traits and Disease Resistance in OR Germplasm
• Hulting, Ball and Mallory-Smith / Oregon Wheat Statewide Weed Management
• Mundt / Screening for Resistance to Major Wheat Diseases in Oregon
• Petrie / Undercutter Sweep in a Reduced Tillage Fallow System
• Roseberg / Minimum Tillage to Reduce Irrigation Use and Input Costs in the Klamath Basin
• Petrie, Flowers, Lutcher & Wuest / Enhancing Early Seedling Growth and Crop Yield of Late Seeded Winter Wheat
• Hoffman / Effects of Fall Slug Damage to Winter Wheat  on Seedling Survival and Grain Yield in the Willamette Valley
• Coppock / In field soil sampling to fertilizer recommendation in “20″ minutes using Ion Selective Electrodes

Multi-state Funding Requests

• Smiley / Nematode Management Systems for the PNW
• Flowers, Mundt et al / Fungicide Timing and lass for Stripe Rust Management in Winter Wheat
• Ross / Tracing the Source of Widespread Low Falling Number Wheats: An Alternate Hypothisis

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Start the year off right!  Contribute to the Oregon WheatPAC

Mail your check or contact the OWGL office to contribute by phone. Call us at 541-276-7330 or email schrist@owgl.org

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OWGL Position on the 2012 Farm Bill 

OWGL Position on 2012 Farm Bill – final