--Joint with WyFB YF&R Conference

Legislative issues, drought, energy, and weather modification are a few of the topics that will be presented at the 2011 Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation Legislative Meeting Feb. 14-15.    Wyoming Governor Matt Mead is scheduled to address Farm Bureau members on Monday.  The meeting will be at the Holiday Inn in Cheyenne.

Held annually to coincide with the legislative session, the meeting provides Farm Bureau members the opportunity to meet with their legislators one-on-one and receive updates on current issues.  This year the WyFB Young Farmer & Rancher Conference is being held in conjunction with the meeting.

The meeting begins at 11 a.m. Monday, Feb. 14 with registration.  Attendees will hear from House Agriculture Committee Chair Representative Mark Semlek and Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Senator Gerry Geis during the noon luncheon.

Wyoming Governor Matt Mead is scheduled to speak at 1:30 p.m.

An “Update on five years of the weather modification pilot project in Wyoming” will be presented at 1:45 p.m. by Barry Lawrence with the Wyoming Water Development Commission.   Lawrence will present the experimental designs and preliminary results from a five-year weather modification pilot program for the Medicine Bow/Sierra Madre and Wind River Ranges that was funded by the 2005 legislature.  Part of the pilot project included scientific evaluation to establish that the cloud seeding methodology is scientifically proven and is an integral part of the five-year pilot program.

Monday’s afternoon activities also include legislative briefings from WyFB lobbyists, a parliamentary procedure demonstration by Cheyenne FFA, and membership awards.  Monday evening provides the one-on-one visits with the legislators during the “Legislative Banquet.”

Activities begin Tuesday at 8 a.m. with informational speakers.  Ron Surdam, Director, Carbon Management Institute, UW School of Energy Resources, will address “The Importance of the Energy Industry in Wyoming’s Economy.”

At 9 a.m. Bryan Shuman will discuss “Using the Paleo Record to Understand Past and Potential Drought.” He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Wyoming.  Shuman will focus on studies of ancient submerged shorelines in a lake on the Continental Divide in the Wind River Range which indicate severe droughts and abrupt changes occurred in the last 11,000 years.

The final session is “History of Farm Bureau” presented by Mike Stanton, retired AFBF staff member.  This session is powerful for those who are new to Farm Bureau and those who have been with Farm Bureau for many years.  Learn about the history of Farm Bureau and see how the organization’s grassroots policy development system provides great strength for agriculture.

The meeting will adjourn after the luncheon on Tuesday, Feb. 15.

Visit www.wyfb.org for on-line meeting registration and agenda or you may call 307.721.7723  or e-mail dgiroux@wyfb.org to pre-register by Feb. 9.

Room reservations may be made by calling the Holiday Inn at 1-800-HOLIDAY or 307.638.4466 by Feb. 3.   Mention “Farm Bureau Federation” for the meeting room rate.

The Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation is the state’s largest general agriculture organization.  On the web, www.wyfb.org.

-FB END-

CONTACT: Kerin Clark, WyFB Media Director, 307.532.2002 or kclark@wyfb.org

Ken Hamilton, WyFB Executive Vice President, 307.721.7712 or khamilton@wyfb.org


Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation

Legislative Meeting

February 14 – 15, 2011

Holiday Inn, Cheyenne, Wyoming

Sunday, February 13

5:00 p.m. WyFB YF&R Committee Meeting

Monday, February 14

8:00 a.m.   WyFB Board of Director’s Meeting –

11:00 a.m.           Registration -

Noon         Luncheon – Sponsored by Mountain West Farm Bureau Insurance

Senator Gerry Geis, Senate Ag Committee Chair & Representative Mark Semlek, House Ag Committee Chair will update the membership on the activities of the Senate and House Agriculture Committees.

1:30  p.m.  Governor Matt Mead

1:45 p.m.   Speaker – Barry Lawrence, Wyoming Water Development Commission                  “Update on 5 Years of the Weather Modification Project in Wyoming”

2:45 p.m.   President’s Comments: Perry Livingston, WyFB President

2:45 p.m.   Legislative Issues: Ken Hamilton & Brett Moline, WyFB Lobbying Team

4:00 p.m.   Cheyenne FFA 2011 Parli Pro Team presentation

4:15 p.m.   Membership Awards – Tim Pexton, WyFB State Membership Chair

6:30 p.m.   Legislative Banquet

Tuesday, February 15

Speaker’s Forum

8:00 a.m.   Speaker – Ron Surdam, Director, Carbon Management Institute, UW School of

Energy Resources

“The Importance of the Energy Industry in Wyoming’s Economy”

9:00 a.m. Speaker – Bryan Shuman, Associate Professor, Department of Geology and

Geophysics, University of Wyoming

“Using the Paleo Record to Understand Past and Potential Drought”

10:00 a.m. Break –

10:15 a.m. Speaker – Mike Stanton, Retired, AFBF Director of Membership Development and Managing Director, Members Services, AFB, Inc.

“History of Farm Bureau”

11:45 p.m. Luncheon –

*Meeting Adjourned*

As always we will make room for any state and national electeds that would like to address the group