An issues management program? Yes a necessity  for big corporations, politicians and celebrities like like Tiger Woods but cattle producers? Why would they have an image problem?  I’m Susan Allen stay tuned on Open Range to find out.  Over 5 years ago when  BSE was discovered in a cow in Mapton Wa and the trickle down fear effect caused my yuppie friends in Portland  to stop eating beef  I was stunned to hear nary a peep from beef industry brass on the national talk show circuit. Cattle producers were at the mercy of the anti- meat brigade who effecflty uses celebrates like Oprah Winfrey and others to champion their cause. Today we all learned from the  Maptons hard knocks Since then,  groups like the National Cattlemen's Beef Association have formed issue management programs and teams to protect and promote the image of beef. (One of many projects  funded by beef check off dollars.)  In fact recently a professor of dairy sciences at Washington State University,  Jude Capper, Ph.D. wrote a letter on behalf of the group that was pulished in Southwest Arilines Spirit magazine. Southwest, the airline that profits by flying back and forth over vast stretches of cattle country, and  shuttles cowboys and NFR/PBR fans each year to Vegas,  published not one,  but TWO anti-beef articles misleading readers about the envirnmental impacts of cattle. I am pleased to see how check-off funded programs in collaboration with state beef councils and concerned producers are becoming more pro-active to fight the myths that shake consumer confidence in meat and dairy products.