By Tony Davis
Arizona Daily Star
DATELINE: Tucson, Arizona
As U.S. Interior secretary, Bruce Babbitt threatened a federal takeover of the San Pedro's management back in 1999 to keep development and pumping from drying the river up.

Now, as a private citizen and development consultant, Babbitt is pushing for a subdivision northwest of Sierra Vista that several local scientists say could ultimately harm the San Pedro, the Southwest's last major, free-flowing desert river. [more]

BYLINE: By MICHELLE LOCKE, Associated Press Writer
DATELINE: KENWOOD Calif.


Vineyard manager Steve Thomas grasps the trunk of a zinfandel vine, a redwood of the vineyard, gnarled with age and planted in the days when irrigation meant a barrel of water on a horse-drawn cart.

The work horses and carts are long gone. But these old zin vines at Kunde Estate in Sonoma County still get their water the old fashioned way, from rain, dew and a deep root system. [more]

Dateline Washington, D.C. - Under the guise of making more land accessible for the public's use and providing tax relief for land-rich but cash-poor landowners, the government has found a convenient way to restrict the use of private land - often without the original landowner's knowledge. Enter The Nature Conservancy and other large land trust conglomerates that approach farmers or large landowners with what seems like a "win-win" for all involved. In return for donating their land for conservation purposes, the landowners are provided with federal and state tax breaks and agree never to convert, develop or use the land for any purpose other than farming or ranching. [more]

BYLINE: By M.L. JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer

DATELINE: MILWAUKEE


Rob Goldman hopes to save on gas this summer by buying a share of a local farmer's crop. He figures he's reducing his trips to the supermarket and the cost of shipping food to him.

"It makes sense that you would save gas on broccoli grown 30 miles away versus California," said Goldman, a 53-year-old doctor from the Milwaukee suburb of Whitefish Bay.

He's one of a growing number of people nationwide participating in community-supported agriculture programs, or CSAs.

Members buy a share of a farmer's crop, usually for $500 to $600, and receive a box of vegetables and fruits each week during the summer and fall. A box typically feeds three or four people for a week, although many farms offer half shares for individuals or couples. [more]

DATELINE: MADISON Wis.


Wisconsin's agriculture secretary is renewing an effort to preserve the state's dwindling farmland.

Secretary Rod Nilsestuen (NIL'-ses-toon) says the state leads the Midwest in the number of agriculture acres being lost, at 30,000 acres a year.

Nilsestuen says the state's Farmland Preservation Program needs to be overhauled. He says the program was created in 1978 and has lost its effectiveness. more]

BYLINE: Kimberly Maul

SAN FRANCISCO: The economy has edged out the environment when it comes to consumers' concerns according to the 2008 Image Power Green Brands Survey.

However, the survey, conducted by three WPP agencies, shows that the issue is still an important one and communicators should continue their green work. While 75% of Americans now rank the economy as a bigger issue than the environment, 67% of respondents think the environment is in worse shape than it was five years ago. more]

BYLINE: By MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press Writer
DATELINE: WASHINGTON


Farm bills attract many critics. When it comes time to vote, however, it's hard to say no.

So it was on Wednesday when 100 Republicans abandoned President Bush as the House overwhelmingly passed the latest five-year farm bill, a $290 billion measure sent to the Senate with more than enough supporters to override his promised veto.

The president said the legislation was fiscally irresponsible and gives away too much money to wealthy farmers. Yet his criticism rang hollow as lawmakers from both parties voted for increased crop subsidies, food stamps for the poor and other goodies that will help their districts in an election year. The final vote was 318-106. [more]

California has lost forests on federally owned land at the rate of more than 30,700 acres per year over the last seven years because of a lack of replanting following catastrophic forest fires, according to a review of Forest Service data by The Forest Foundation and the National Association of Forest Service Retirees (see also Forest Foundation).

The 30,700 acres lost annually is equivalent to losing a forest slightly larger than a city the size of San Francisco. If this failure to reforest federal land in California were to continue over the next 100 years, this would lead to the loss of 3 million acres of forestland and conversion into brush fields. [more]

DATELINE: ABERDEEN S.D.


Two meteorological towers have been erected in Marshall County for the state's first large-scale community-based wind farm.

Dakota Wind Energy intends to develop and produce 750 megawatts of wind power.

The firm is a community-owned company in Roberts, Marshall and Day counties. [more]