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16 CapitalPress.com January 9, 2015 Ranchers worry Idaho grazing lease rate could increase By SEAN ELLIS Capital Press BOISE — Many Idaho ranchers worry the Idaho De- partment of Lands is prepar- ing to signifi cantly increase its grazing lease rate. IDL offi cials say they are studying grazing lease rates as part of an evaluation the grazing program business plan, which determines how the state’s 1.4 million acres of rangeland are managed. A draft grazing program business plan released in No- vember does identify a theoret- ical target rate for state leases equal to 70 percent of the av- erage private lease rate. But of- fi cials say the IDL will engage industry stakeholders before making any specifi c recom- mendations. “We will make no propos- als until we have fully gone through this process with the industry,” said Mike Murphy, IDL’s bureau chief for endow- ment leasing. “We have no intention of using the business plan as a mechanism for pro- posing rates.” There are 1,169 grazing leases on IDL land, repre- senting 256,681 animal unit months. An AUM is the amount of forage needed to feed a cow and calf for a month. Many ranchers, and the Idaho Cattle Association, are concerned the IDL intends to signifi cantly raise its grazing lease rate. In a newsletter sent to mem- bers, the ICA said that after completing a detailed review of the plan, the group “was greatly dismayed to discover the in- tentions of IDL in dramatically increasing its grazing lease rate and in altering the grazing fee structure.” IDL extended the comment period on its draft grazing busi- ness plan to Jan. 30 and ICA told its members that “it is imperative the IDL hears from the grazing community in vol- ume.” Online Comments on the Idaho Department of Lands’ draft grazing pro- gram business plan can be submitted by email to: comments@idl. idaho.gov. The plan can be viewed on the IDL’s web page. Sen. Bert Brackett, a Re- publican rancher from Roger- son who leases rangeland from the IDL, said, “It’s pretty well recognized that the fee proba- bly will go up. The question is by how much.” Several ranchers told the Capital Press they are con- cerned that IDL is placing too much emphasis in comparing private and state lease rates. The average private leasing rate in Idaho was $15.50 per AUM in 2014, while the state rate was $6.89, according to IDL. If the theoretical 70 percent target rate mentioned in the draft plan is used, that would bring the state rate to $10.85. The draft plan recommends a two-tier management struc- ture and those leases that fall in the upper tier would pay more. When a rancher leases state ground, “They’re leasing grass on open space,” said Jim Ha- genbarth, who leases 10,000 acres from the IDL and esti- mates he has spent millions of dollars installing infrastructure on state land over the years. “The infrastructure we have to utilize to do a good job of grazing cows costs a lot of money,” he said. “The (IDL) doesn’t provide anything other than a bill.” In comments submitted on the draft plan, the ICA said the plan apparently overlooks the largest grazing lessor in the state, the federal government. The federal grazing rate, which was $1.35 in 2014, “should serve as an anchor to any pro- posed changes,” the ICA stated. Farm Bureau members prepare for convention Will comedian Jay Leno stick to corny farm jokes when he performs at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s na- tional convention on Monday, or will he plow new ground? Either way, Leno’s routine will be a break from the heavy topics that oth- erwise fi ll the agenda for the 96th annual con- vention in San Diego. Greenman Workshops and presenta- tions scheduled during the Jan. 9-14 convention include farm data security, water shortages, food safety regulations, the con- tinuing FAA snag over using drones in agriculture and what to do when you and your labor force are targeted by federal im- migration or Homeland Security investigations. At the heart of the conven- tion, however, is approval of the Farm Bureau’s policy book for the coming year. First-time observers of the process are often struck by the purity of grass roots democracy in action: Ideas, often initiated at the coun- ty level, are brought forward for consideration by national delegates. They’re debated in a courteous manner and voted up or down with a straight-forward effi ciency that’s a stark contrast to how many governmental bodies operate. Gail McSpadden Green- man, the Oregon Farm Bu- reau’s national affairs director, unabashedly describes the pro- cess as “sacred.” The policy book serves as the American Farm Bureau Federation’s guide for the next 12 months. “This is what tells me what I can support or not support,” Greenman said. “This is like my lobbyist bible.” The process is “very specif- ic” to Farm Bureau, she said. “I don’t know another orga- nization as formal, structured and grass-roots as Farm Bu- reau,” she said. The convention typically includes receptions and social events such as a golf outing or cruise, and keynote talks by ce- lebrities such as Leno, former long-time host of the “The To- night Show.” The daily work- shops, on the other hand, pro- vide cutting-edge information on some of agriculture’s most pressing issues. This year, a presentation on “big data” is likely to draw a big crowd. Increasingly, pro- ducers are beginning to think twice about the input, harvest and yield data streaming wire- lessly off their equipment. Who owns it? Who has access to it? Does the data belong to the farmer, the ag-tech service company that processes it, or to the manufacturer whose equip- ment captures the information? One of the convention speakers, Farmobile LLC. founder and CEO Jason Tatge, of Kansas, maintains that farm- ers should treat their data like a cash crop and sell it accord- ingly. “It’s becoming more and more of a big issue,” said Peg- gy Kirk Hall, an assistant pro- fessor and director of the Ag- ricultural and Resource Law Program at Ohio State Univer- sity. “The concern is the poten- tial misuse of that data and how can we avoid that.” In September 2014, AFBF released four instructional vid- eos (http://bit.ly/1sl1G88) that discuss the trouble that may ac- company the technology. In the videos, Mary Kay Thatcher, senior director of congressional relations for AFBF, said contracts between producers and ag-tech pro- viders must clarify who owns the data and whether it can be shared or sold. If an ag-tech fi rm receives federal funding, the farmer’s data might not be exempt from Freedom of Infor- mation Act requests, Thatcher said. In November, AFBF an- nounced it reached agreement on data privacy and security principles that will “encourage the use and development of a full range of innovative, tech- nology-driven tools and ser- vices to boost the productivity, effi ciency and profi tability of American agriculture.” Companies and commodity groups supporting the princi- ples include AFBF, American Soybean Association, Beck’s Hybrids, Dow AgroSciences LLC, DuPont Pioneer, John Deere, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Corn Growers Association, National Farmers Union, Raven Indus- tries, USA Rice Federation and the Climate Corporation — a division of Monsanto. Courtesy of Ceres Inc. Experimental hybrids of sorghum are evaluated by a researcher from the Ceres biotech company. The USDA has determined a biotech cultivar of sorghum intended for ethanol production cannot be regulated as a plant pest but may still be restricted as a noxious weed. Biotech energy crop may be regulated as weed By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI Capital Press Genetically modified sorghum used for ethanol production doesn’t fall under USDA’s biotech- nology regulations, but the agency may still re- strict the crop as a noxious weed. Ceres Inc., a biotech company, inserted genet- ic information from sev- eral sources into the sor- ghum variety using a “gene gun,” avoiding the use of a soil pathogen to transfer genes. The USDA has agreed that the genetically engi- neered sorghum isn’t a po- tential plant pest and thus cannot be restricted on that basis, but the agency is nonetheless consider- ing regulating the crop as a noxious weed and “will discuss that subject in a separate communication,” according to a letter recent- The USDA has agreed that the genetically engineered sorghum isn’t a potential plant pest and thus cannot be restricted on that basis. ly disclosed to the public. Plant pests are viruses, bacteria or fungi that can cause disease within the plant, while noxious weeds are defined more generally as plants that damage crops or livestock. Ceres’ biotech culti- var “produces greater bio- mass and contains more fermentable sugars than non-genetically modified sorghum checks, there- by offering a higher yield potential,” the company said in a letter requesting regulatory clarity from USDA. Feds seek input on 305-mile transmission line By HILLARY BORRUD Capital Bureau by the Obama administration to improve the power grid and allow for integration of more renewable energy sources, ac- cording to the Bureau of Land Management. Although the White House wants to speed up permitting of transmission projects, the proj- ect still faces a lengthy approval process. The Bureau of Land Man- agement is accepting comments on the draft environmental re- port. The agency plans to ana- lyze comments and prepare a fi - nal environmental document by early 2016. If the power compa- ny begins construction in 2018, it could complete the project by 2020. Stephanie McCurdy, a com- munications specialist with Idaho Power, said the utility is simultaneously going through a process with the Oregon Depart- ment of Energy to gain approval for the project. The public will Yakima 82 WASH. Area in detail Kennewick 12 Walla Walla have an opportunity to comment WASH. IDAHO ORE. in Oregon’s process once the a R. Boardman C o l u mbi Pendleton utility has completed its appli- ORE. cation. Segment 1: La Grande J.R. Cook, director of a Morrow-Umatilla 395 group called the Northeast Ore- 95 gon Water Association that rep- Baker City resents water users in the area, IDAHO said the route initially proposed by Idaho Power would not have Segment 4: Segment 3: Brogan Area much of an impact on irrigated Baker Valley agriculture in the area. But an Ontario alternative route proposed by In a new environmental 84 20 federal agencies in the draft en- report, the Bureau of Land Boise Caldwell vironmental document would Management suggested three Nampa cut through valuable agricultur- changes to Idaho Power’s al land. Proposed proposed 500-kilovolt single- ak e “It’s irreplaceable,” Cook substation Riv circuit transmission line project, er said of irrigated farmland that Preferred which would run from the would be affected. “We’ve transmission Boardman area to its Heming- N stressed the fact you can relocate line route way substation approximately Klamath Falls a line, and you can route around 20 miles Alternate route 50 miles southwest of Boise. this ground.” Alan Kenaga/EO Media Group It could be diffi cult for farm- Source: Bureau of Land Management ers to convince federal agencies that the transmission line should interfere with activities at the However, Cook said he believes follow a different route, because nearby Naval Weapons Systems it is still possible to design a bet- the transmission line cannot Training Facility Boardman. ter option. Suggested changes to powerline Sn Federal agencies are seek- ing input on the plan for a new 305-mile electric transmission line from the Boardman area to a substation southwest of Boise. The Bureau of Land Man- agement and other agencies are in the midst of an environmental review of the Idaho Power Co. project, because roughly one- third of the transmission line would pass through federally managed public lands. In addi- tion to the BLM, the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Reclama- tion also manage land along the proposed route. A draft environmental im- pact statement that the BLM re- leased Dec. 19 includes sugges- tions for Idaho Power to alter the proposed route in three locations to minimize environmental im- pacts, in particular to avoid de- struction of sage grouse habitat. Offi cials in Oregon and oth- er states have been expecting a decision in 2015 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on whether to list the bird under the Endangered Species Act, although recent a recent bill passed by Congress could de- lay that decision. Federal law- makers attached a provision to a recent $1.1 trillion spending bill, in an attempt to prevent the Interior Department from spending any money on rules to protect the greater sage grouse and three related birds, The As- sociated Press reported. The BLM also examined the potential impacts of the trans- mission line on agriculture, his- torical resources in the area such as the National Historic Oregon Trail and ongoing use of public lands by American Indian tribes. The transmission line would add capacity for times of peak demand, and it is one of the transmission projects prioritized It was transformed with synthetic genetic material and genes from mouse ear cress, which is considered a mustard weed, as well as other sorghum plants, the company said. Capital Press was unable to reach Ceres for com- ment. Ceres already has sor- ghum varieties available for sale, but the company is struggling financially, according to documents submitted to the U.S. Secu- rities and Exchange Com- mission. In its 2014 fiscal year, the company’s product sales dropped to $146,000, down nearly 70 percent from the previous year, which the company attributes to “changes and reductions in our sales incentive and pro- motional programs,” Ceres said in a regulatory filing. Revenue from collabo- rative research and govern- ment grants fell by more than half, to $2.26 million, as Ceres completed vari- ous projects, the document said. Ceres’ overall income was surpassed by the cost of product sales, research costs and administrative expenses, resulting in more than $29 million in losses in fiscal 2014, according to the documents. Since the company raised $65 million with an initial public offering of its stock in early 2012, its share price has dropped from about $15 to less than 25 cents. Riv er Capital Press S na ke By ERIC MORTENSON