Advocacy Articles

Advocating for Agriculture on Multiple Fronts

Local, State, & National Legislation and Policies

Colorado Wildlife Biodiversity Protection Act

The Colorado Wildlife and Biodiversity Protection Act

What It Means for Livestock Producers and Landowners

By Thomas Haren, CEO and Founder, AGPROfessionals

On April 18, 2025, the Colorado Legislative Council staff received language for a proposed ballot measure—the Colorado Wildlife and Biodiversity Protection Act—that poses serious concerns for livestock producers and landowners. Assigned #2025-2026 #82, it is pending review and a comment hearing.

Colorado farmers and ranchers have always been stewards of the land. But under the banner of “wildlife conservation,” this proposal threatens property rights, agricultural livelihoods, and the future of production agriculture in our state. Here’s what YOU need to know.

A New Unelected Commission with Expansive Power

The proposal would create the Wildlife and Ecosystem Conservation Commission (WECC)—a powerful nine-member body appointed by universities, environmental groups, and policy institutes. No member could have financial ties to agriculture, energy, or development, effectively excluding those who work the land from decision-making about it.

The WECC would have enforcement authority, including property inspections, investigations, subpoenas, and referrals for prosecution. It could:

Ninth Circuit Court: A Win For Modern Agriculture on CAFO Regulations

The Ninth Circuit Backs the EPA and Agricultural Producers Against Extremist Demands

At AGPROfessionals, we believe it's important to keep our clients and agricultural industry stakeholders informed about legal, legislative, and regulatory developments that impact us all. Recently, several articles have been circulated discussing the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals' memorandum regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) regulations. The memorandum issued, but not published, by the Ninth Circuit was filed in October 2024. We wanted to provide some context and explain why this ruling is a positive step for American agriculture.

Why This Decision Matters to Agriculture

In the memorandum, The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision to reject petitions from several environmental and anti-animal activist groups that demanded immediate, sweeping regulatory changes for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs).

This ruling is an important example of how science-based policy, regulatory discretion, and industry engagement can help protect both agricultural productivity and environmental stewardship.

Background of the Case

Black Vulture Relief Act of 2025

Protecting Your Livestock and Your Bottom Line

Black vultures have become a serious and growing threat to newborn livestock across the country. Now, a new bill in Congress—the Black Vulture Relief Act of 2025—is aiming to give ranchers and farmers the ability to protect their herds without unnecessary red tape.

Why This Matters to You

While many people think of vultures as nature’s cleanup crew, black vultures are different. They don’t just scavenge—they attack. Often hunting in groups of 20 or more, they target pregnant animals during calving, lambing, or kidding, and go after newborn calves, lambs, goat kids, and piglets.

In 2015, black vultures were responsible for 10% of all calf deaths caused by predators—over 24,000 calves lost. Between 2020 and 2025, attacks on cattle rose nearly 25%, according to USDA Wildlife Services. At roughly $2,000 lost per calf, the financial and emotional toll is significant.

The problem isn’t going away. Since 1990, the black vulture population has increased by over 460%, now topping an estimated 190 million birds. Yet under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, ranchers must get a depredation permit to take action—costing valuable time when livestock is at risk.

Advocating for Agriculture by Influencing Local Land Use Code Updates

In 2023, AGPROfessionals planners and engineers worked on a project for a client in Lincoln County, ID. As a part of advocating on our client’s behalf, we contacted the county Planning and Zoning Department to explore ways to address the challenges our client was facing. We learned that the county was considering revisions to its CAFO Code (Confined Animal Feeding Operation), which hadn’t been updated in over 20 years. This was an opportunity for AGPROfessionals to offer our assistance, expertise, and experience to the revision process—not only for the benefit of our client—but for the good of all agricultural producers in the county.

Why We Care About Land Use Codes

Local governments use county land use codes to manage growth, protect local resources, and guide sustainable development. These codes are especially significant in rural communities, where agricultural operations are central to the economy, and land availability may be influenced by public ownership, conservation restrictions, or competing development needs.

For agricultural producers, land use codes can directly affect business viability—impacting the ability to expand, modernize, or establish new operations. As communities evolve, updating these codes ensures they remain effective, practical, and supportive of both agricultural production and community priorities.

Will You Qualify?

HB24 – 1249: Colorado General Assembly Passes Tax Credits for Agricultural Producers

Colorado HB 24 – 1249 proposes to provide a state income tax credit to agricultural producers who actively participate in stewardship practices on their farms or ranches. This credit will be implemented from January 2026 onwards.

Rulemaking

The Department of Agriculture will define the stewardship practices and determine the amount of credit to be awarded for each practice through a rulemaking process. A public stakeholder process will also be established to advise the Commissioner of Agriculture on the requirements.

Qualify and Claim

To qualify for the tax credit, a taxpayer will need to implement one, two, or three stewardship practices. The Department of Agriculture will issue tax credit certificates to qualified taxpayers upon application.

To claim the tax credit, a taxpayer must apply to the Department of Agriculture. Once the application is reviewed and approved, a tax credit certificate will be issued. The taxpayer needs to attach the certificate to their income tax return and submit it to the Department of Revenue.

Limited Terms

This tax credit proposal has a limited term of three years and is available only for qualified taxpayers who have not received any other tax credit, tax deduction, or grant for agricultural land health in the income tax year for which the credit is sought. Additionally, only one tax credit certificate may be issued to a qualified taxpayer per calendar year.

Respond to Radical Animal Activist Threats to Agriculture-cover image.png

Recognizing and Responding to Radical Activist Threats to Animal Agriculture

Prepare to Protect Your Operation

Animal agriculture faces ongoing pressure from certain animal rights and environmental activist groups whose stated goal is the elimination of livestock production entirely. AGPROfessionals advocates for our producer clients and the agriculture industry by providing information about the activities of these groups, especially when they are pushing harmful legislation, ballot initiatives, or other egregious regulations. Additionally, we share facts about animal agriculture to combat the never-ending disinformation campaigns these groups launch against our industry.

Understanding the Risk – Common Tactics

These organizations, such as Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), Animal Rescue Mission (ARM), Animal Liberation Front (ALF), Humane World for Animals (formerly Humane Society of the United States), the Center for Biological Diversity, Food and Water Watch, Western Watersheds, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Compassion Over Killing, Mercy for Animals, and Farm Forward, use animal welfare and the environment as a cover for their true goal: eliminating animal agriculture. They promote their ideological aims through various methods, from seeking jobs in government agencies to influence policy, to lobbying lawmakers, drafting and promoting legislation, and filing lawsuits, to protests, coordinated campaigns to disrupt agricultural businesses, personal harassment, doxxing, farm invasions, and even animal theft.

Safeguarding Agriculture – Laws Against Deceptive Activist Employment

Farmers and ranchers dedicate their lives to producing safe, sustainable, and nutritious food for families across the United States. In recent years, however, extremist animal rights activists have increasingly targeted livestock operations by securing jobs under false pretenses. Once inside, these individuals may stage incidents, selectively edit footage, and then distribute videos designed to damage the reputation of hardworking producers.

To counter these deceptive practices, many states have passed legislation that makes it unlawful to obtain employment in agriculture with the intent to cause harm, defame, or discredit farmers. Such measures are vital to protecting private property, maintaining biosecurity, and preserving the credibility of American food production.

States Taking Legislative Action

Across the country, legislatures have recognized the risks of deceptive infiltration and have acted to strengthen protections for agricultural businesses. States including Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Utah, Wyoming, and others have adopted laws aimed at shielding producers from misinformation campaigns.

Ongoing Legal Challenges from Activist Organizations

Direct Action Everywhere - DxE Assault on Agriculture

Understanding and Preparing for the Threat to Animal Agriculture

Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) is a radical animal rights organization whose stated goal is “animal liberation,” aiming for the complete elimination of animal agriculture. While the group presents some campaigns under the guise of “transparency” or “humane reform,” its long-term mission is to end all animal protein production and remove these food choices from the marketplace.

Tactics Used by DxE

Over the past decade, DxE has escalated its methods from protest to direct targeting of agricultural professionals and facilities. Their activities have included:

Trespassing and facility invasions to obtain unauthorized video and remove animals.
Doxxing—publishing private information (home addresses, photos, family details) online.
Harassment at private residences of agricultural professionals often occurs using megaphones, banners, and repeated protests.
Corporate disruption campaigns targeting processing plants, company headquarters, and suppliers.
Ballot initiatives and legislative pushes aimed at banning standard livestock practices or large-scale animal production.
Coordinated online harassment through activist networks.

Agriculture Is Disproportionately Blamed for Fertilizer Runoff

Nutrient runoff, i.e., fertilizers escaping from soil into rivers, lakes, and groundwater, has long been portrayed as primarily an agricultural problem. But the truth is more complicated. Mismanagement and overapplication of nutrients can happen anywhere fertilizer is used, and research shows that agriculture is far from the only contributor.

According to the Center for Watershed Protection, lawns receive high applications of nitrogen fertilizers up to 100 pounds of inorganic nitrogen per acre. When lawns, golf courses, parks, and suburban landscaping are factored in, urban fertilizer use contributes significantly to nutrient loading in U.S. waters.

The Blame Game: Who’s Really Responsible?

Row-crop agriculture is frequently singled out in discussions about nutrient runoff, with headlines often pointing to the Gulf of Mexico’s “dead zone” or algal blooms in freshwater lakes. While agriculture is part of the equation, it is far from the whole story.

Urban and suburban sources: Fertilizer applied to lawns, gardens, golf courses, and sports fields often washes off during irrigation or rain events. Unlike farms, where runoff can be managed with conservation practices, urban runoff typically flows untreated into storm drains and waterways.
Wastewater treatment systems: Leaky septic tanks and municipal wastewater plants also release nitrogen and phosphorus, adding to nutrient pollution.
Atmospheric deposition: Industrial and vehicle emissions contribute reactive nitrogen to water bodies when deposited via rainfall.

Response to Study About Diabetes 2 and Red Meat

Diabetes, Glucose, and the Red Meat Debate

Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health recently published a study titled Red meat intake and risk of type 2 diabetes in a prospective cohort study of United States females and males (2023). Its conclusion might sound familiar: limit red meat consumption and focus on alternative proteins for preventing type 2 diabetes.

That message, however, deserves closer inspection. Diabetes is fundamentally a disease where the human body is unable to manage glucose, and red meat does not contain glucose. By contrast, the foods that often accompany red meat — buns, rolls, fries, and soda — are rich in glucose and directly impact blood sugar levels. This key distinction is often overlooked in public discussion.

Why Epidemiology Has Limits

The Harvard study is epidemiological in nature, meaning it looked at population patterns rather than testing interventions directly. Epidemiology can provide useful insights, but it has a poor track record of predicting outcomes when tested in clinical trials — with accuracy rates as low as 0–20%.

As author Nobbs (2021) notes, observational nutrition studies often generate headlines but not definitive answers. They show correlation, not causation, yet they form the backbone of nutrition policy and mainstream dietary guidelines.

Feedlot and Feedyard Management and Maintenance

Feedlot Management: It’s More Than a Full-Time Job

There's More To It Than Meets The Eye

Families buying groceries should understand where their food comes from and the work and consideration that goes into its production. Agricultural producers are hyper-aware that disinformation is widespread, and, well, ignorance about where food comes from still exists.

One of the ways that AGPROfessionals advocate for agriculture is through education. We know that producers are plenty busy already, so we hope you find this article useful the next time you’re confronted with disinformation about our industry or have an opportunity to educate consumers.

From Pasture to Feedlot to Dinner Table

In the beef industry, cattle spend most of their lives out on pasture. When cattle are nearing slaughter for food and other valuable resources, most spend the last several months at a feedlot or finishing yard in preparation. Another name for a finishing yard is a confined animal feeding operation or CAFO.

Animal Welfare and Environmental Protection

Feedlot (or finishing yard) management prioritizes the well-being of the animals that reside there. Producers not only ensure that the livestock have access to proper nutrition and water, maintaining weight and overall fitness, but they also effectively manage the environment. Just some of the areas they pay attention to and work to improve constantly include the ground in the pens, manure removal, and pest control. Good environmental management practices promote the health and well-being of the animals, help to reduce nuisances, and are the foundation of good land stewardship.