** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** AS DEMAND FOR ANIMAL PROTEIN CONTINUES TO INCREASE, SO DO THE CHALLENGES LIVESTOCK PRODUCERSFACE. THE WESTERN STATES OF THE U.S.--HOME TO SOME OF THE LARGEST CATTLE OPERATIONS IN THECOUNTRY--ARE YEAR-BY-YEAR DEVASTATED BY WILDFIRE INCIDENTS. WITH CLIMATE CHANGE, RISINGTEMPERATURES, ONGOING DROUGHT, AND DRIER CLIMATIC CONDITIONS, WILDFIRES ARE PREDICTED TOINTENSIFY.IT IS WELL INVESTIGATED AND UNDERSTOOD THAT SICK ANIMALS, OR THOSE OTHERWISE UNDER STRESS,WILL NOT PERFORM TO THEIR GENETIC POTENTIAL. GIVEN THAT WILDFIRE SMOKE EXPOSURE CAUSES MORBIDITYAND MORTALITY IN HUMANS, WE EXPECT THAT WILDFIRES AND SMOKE EXPOSURE WILL NEGATIVELY AFFECTTHE SUSTAINABILITY AND PROFITABILITY OF LIVESTOCK OPERATIONS DUE TO THE IMPAIRMENT OF ANIMAL HEALTH.FARMERS AND RANCHERS' ECONOMY ARE HIGHLY VULNERABLE TO CLIMATE CHANGE. HOWEVER, AWARENESSOF CLIMATE CHANGE AND PREPARATION (NOT REACTION) TO EVENTS RELATED TO CLIMATE CHANGE, SUCH ASWILDFIRES, RESULTS IN BETTER OUTCOMES AND LESS TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES.THEREFORE, THIS PROPOSAL AIMS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF SMOKE EXPOSURE ON CATTLE HEALTHAND PERFORMANCE (WHILE EVALUATING MITIGATION STRATEGIES), AND TO CHARACTERIZE LIVESTOCKPRODUCER'S PERCEPTIONS AND SENTIMENTS RELATED TO WILDFIRE, AS WELL AS, TO QUANTITATIVELY QUANTIFYTHE LOSSES OF ANIMAL PRODUCTION DUE TO WILDFIRE AND SMOKE EXPOSURE. FINALLY, THE ULTIMATE GOALOF THE EXTENSION PORTION OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO DEVELOP A PRODUCER'S NETWORK ASSISTANCE SYSTEMTO HELP PRODUCERS DIRECTLY AFFECTED BYWILDFIRES THROUGH PEER SUPPORT AND EDUCATION.THIS PROPOSED PROJECT WILL ADDRESS THE FOLLOWING AFRI PRIORITIES: ANIMAL HEALTH ANDPRODUCTION AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS; NATURALRESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT; AGRICULTURE ECONOMICSAND RURAL COMMUNITIES