10 CapitalPress.com
February 20, 2015
Idaho
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Bill would allow only commercial
beekeepers to vote on assessment
By SEAN ELLIS
Capital Press
Courtesy of Bill Schaefer
Idaho State Sen. Michelle Stennett, right, representing District 25,
answers questions Feb. 12 in Capitol Park following the Idaho
Sportsmen’s Rally for Public Lands in Boise.
Rural lawmakers back
federal land transfer report
By JOHN O’CONNELL
Capital Press
BOISE — Rural lawmakers
are backing the recent recom-
mendations of a state-commis-
sioned report, calling for Idaho to
invest at least $750,000 to contin-
ue laying the groundwork for the
transfer of federal lands to state
ownership.
The report, released in late
January, included feedback from
public hearings and was drafted
by an interim legislative commit-
tee convened in April 2013.
It asserts Idaho could make a
legal case that the federal govern-
ment, which owns 62 percent of
land in the state, has breached its
contract through poor land man-
agement.
The federal government
spends $392 million per year for
wildfire suppression and man-
agement of Idaho public lands,
according to the Congressional
Research Service. By contrast,
the report concludes Idaho
manages healthier public lands,
which also generate an annual
return of $23 per acre.
“That would be a tax savings
to the taxpayers of the U.S.,” said
Rep. Ken Andrus, R-Lava Hot
Springs, a rancher who chairs
the state’s Agricultural Affairs
committee. “There’s no question
we could take the model we use
to manage our state forest lands
and apply that same model to the
federal government.”
The report stops short of
suggesting litigation against the
federal government, noting Utah
will likely test those waters. In
the meantime, the report calls for
the state to reconvene the interim
committee and invest $500,000
for a more in-depth economic
analysis of effects on Idaho’s cof-
fers. Furthermore, the report calls
for spending $250,000 to fund
a permanent working group,
with a full-time staff member
and administrative assistant, to
implement transfer-related poli-
cy changes the Legislature may
approve.
Andrus and Idaho House
Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley,
addressed the Idaho Farm Bureau
Federation about the issue during
its recent Legislative Conference.
Bedke, also a rancher,
stressed no problems resulted
when Idaho assumed control of
some federal land under former
Gov. Cecil Andrus. Bedke be-
lieves the state’s best bet is to take
control of small parcels through
transfer “pilot projects.”
Farm Bureau also supports
the report’s recommendations,
advising the state to “proceed
with caution,” said spokesman
John Thompson.
Jim Patrick, a Magic Valley
farmer who serves on the Senate
Agricultural Affairs Committee,
agrees with moving forward but
said his model would be “a little
slower and not spend so much.”
Critics of the report hosted a
Feb. 12 rally outside the Capitol.
They argue the state can’t afford
the expense of taking over Ida-
ho’s federal lands. Sen. Michelle
Stennett, D-Ketchum, a com-
mittee member who coauthored
a minority report, said Attorney
General Lawrence Wasden has
questioned the constitutionality
of a federal lands transfer. She ad-
vocates greater collaboration with
the federal government to address
land management challenges.
University of Idaho’s Policy
Analysis Group estimates the
state would incur anywhere from
a $111 million annual loss to $24
million in profits through a com-
plete land transfer, contingent
on timber sales. New jobs from
increased timber sales, however,
could generate up to $363 mil-
lion in new revenue.
BOISE — A bill intro-
duced in the Idaho Legislature
would ensure only commer-
cial beekeepers who are sub-
ject to the state’s per-hive as-
sessment can vote on whether
to increase it.
Idaho’s 66 commercial
beekeepers pay an annual as-
sessment of 5 cents per hive to
fund the Idaho Honey Commis-
sion’s research, education and
promotional efforts.
Under Idaho law, a referen-
dum has to be held to change
the assessment, which can go
as high as 10 cents per hive.
Hobbyist beekeepers —
those with fewer than 50 hives
— who are registered with the
Idaho State Department of Ag-
riculture can vote in a referen-
dum.
They can voluntarily reg-
ister with the ISDA and pay a
$10 registration fee, but they
are not subject to the per-hive
assessment.
Sixty-five hobbyist bee-
keepers are registered with the
ISDA.
“This creates a situation
where the hobbyists who are
registered beekeepers could
have a vote to double the as-
sessment on the commercial
guys, but they’re not subject to
that assessment,” Idaho Honey
Industry Association represen-
tative Jim Lowe told members
of the Senate Agricultural Af-
fairs Committee.
“In keeping with the spirit
of a true referendum, those who
are obligated to pay the assess-
ment should be the ones who
vote to increase or decrease it.”
Jonathan Millet, a commer-
cial beekeeper from Marsing,
said it’s only fair that those
who have to pay the assess-
ment should vote on whether to
change it.
The Senate ag committee
unanimously voted to introduce
the bill, which would also allow
the honey commission’s three
members to be chosen from
anywhere in Idaho.
Idaho statute currently says
commissioners have to come
from each of three districts:
Eastern and Southwestern Ida-
ho and north of the Salmon
River.
Lowe said Idaho’s commer-
cial beekeeping community is
relatively small and it’s some-
times a challenge to find bee-
keepers from each of the dis-
tricts who are qualified to serve
on the commission.
“It’s not always easy to find
people who are interested in
serving on the commission,”
said North Idaho beekeeper
Andrew Tuckett, president of
the IHIA. “I think if someone
is interested in serving on the
commission, then they should
be allowed to, regardless of
which region they come from.”
A separate bill that would
also do away with the Idaho
Cherry Commission’s two dis-
tricts and allow its five commis-
sioners to come from anywhere
in the state has been introduced
in the House.
Gould confirmed for another term as ag director
By SEAN ELLIS
Capital Press
BOISE — Idaho State De-
partment of Agriculture Di-
rector Celia Gould told Idaho
lawmakers a few days before
they confirmed her to another
four-year term that she has un-
finished business.
Gould said some of her
goals include enhancing the de-
partment’s range program, con-
tinuing to grow farm exports
and seeking more opportunities
for Idaho’s organic growers.
“We have a lot of ideas; we
just need the time and resources
to do it,” she said.
The Senate on Feb. 11 vot-
ed to re-confirm Gould, the
ISDA’s first female director.
She has led that department for
eight years and will become the
longest-serving ISDA director
at the end of her third term.
Sen. Jim Patrick, a Repub-
lican farmer from Twin Falls,
said Gould helped guide the
department through severe
funding cuts during the reces-
sion and has presided over the
Idaho farming sector’s recent
successes.
Idaho exports have doubled
since Gould took over as di-
rector, rising from $1.3 billion
in 2007 to $2.6 billion in 2013,
according to USDA’s Economic
Research Service.
The state has set a record for
total farm cash receipts each of
the past four years and net farm
Sean Ellis/Capital Press
Idaho State Department of Agriculture Director Celia Gould, right, speaks with Sen. Abby Lee, R-Fruit-
land, Feb. 5, following a confirmation hearing. The Idaho Senate has confirmed Gould to another
four-year term.
income has set a record for two
straight years.
“I think she’s done a good
job,” Patrick said. “The agricul-
ture community has prospered
during (her tenure).”
Gould, who owns and op-
erates a ranch in Buhl and has
degrees in political science and
public administration, previous-
ly served 16 years in the Idaho
Legislature.
During her second year as di-
rector, in 2008, the ISDA’s bud-
get was cut by 13 percent.
She told lawmakers her
greatest accomplishment as di-
rector “was leading the agency
through the worst recession in
recent memory while still main-
taining services to Idaho’s most
important industry.”
“I spent some years trying to
figure out just how to whittle,”
she said. Now, she added, “We
would like to be able to do some
positive things.”
She said that includes ex-
panding the department’s range
program.
The ISDA’s range photo
monitoring program has helped
ranchers who graze cattle on
Bureau of Land Management
allotments document changes
in vegetation they can point to
when seeking to renew their
grazing permits.
More than 1,600 Idaho
ranchers lease 11.5 million
acres of BLM land and Gould
said demand for that program’s
services has increased five-fold
since last summer.
Gould said the agency would
also like to explore opportuni-
ties to held the state’s organic
producers benefit from Amy’s
Kitchen and Clif Bar, two or-
ganic food companies that have
recently located in Idaho.
University offers pre-licensing Idaho ag exports set record
training for pesticide applicators for fourth straight year
site www.agri.state.idaho.us.
Select the licensing and regis-
tration ink in the left column.
Cost is $75 for the private
applicator course, which in-
cludes the manual, and $100
for the professional applicator
course and includes lunches
and breaks.
For program information or
to register online, visit www.
extension.uidaho.edu/ipm.
or contact Jaqueline Lucero
at (208) 364-4581 or jaqueli-
nel@uidaho.edu.
By SEAN ELLIS
Capital Press
BOISE — The value of Ida-
ho agricultural exports set a re-
cord for the fourth straight year
in 2014 and exceeded the $1
billion mark for the first time.
That happened despite a
significant slowdown in dairy
exports during the second half
of the year. Dairy sales account
for a third of all Idaho ag ex-
ports.
The stronger U.S. dollar
and West Coast port disrup-
tions also affected Idaho ag
exports, said Laura Johnson,
who manages the Idaho State
Department of Agriculture’s
market development Divi-
sion, which released the ex-
port data.
Despite those factors, Ida-
ho ag exports in 2014 totaled
$1.02 billion, a 4.3 percent in-
crease over the 2013 total.
Idaho dairy exports reached
a record $353 million in 2014
but slowed significantly during
the latter part of the year.
According to the U.S. Dairy
Export Council, the total value
of U.S. dairy exports increased
6 percent in 2014 to a record
$7.1 billion.
But U.S. dairy export vol-
ume declined 8 percent in the
fourth quarter compared with
the same period in 2013 and
U.S. dairy exports by volume
finished the year with five
straight months of negative per-
formance compared with 2013.
USDEC Vice President of
8-2/#4
Ninth Avenue.
• Caldwell, March 17-20,
UI Caldwell Complex, 1902
E. Chicago St.
The course will cover im-
portant material from the study
manual as well as extra em-
phasis on calibration. Study
material must be purchased
and read before the training.
To purchase manuals and
see licensing information,
view the Pesticide Licensing
Guide at the Idaho State De-
partment of Agriculture web-
8-4/#5
The University of Idaho
is offering four pre-licensing
training for pesticide applica-
tors with multi-day training
events in February and March.
The training is set for:
• Jerome, Feb. 20, Idaho
Fish and Game regional office,
324 W, 417 E
• Idaho Falls, Feb. 24-27,
ISU Student Union, 1784 Sci-
ence Center Drive.
• Lewiston, March 3-6,
LCSC Williams Conference
Center, Fourth Street and
Communications Alan Lev-
itt told the Capital Press in an
email that U.S. dairy exports in
2015 are expected to be below
2014 levels due to more chal-
lenging world conditions.
Cheese exports are expected
to be down 5 to 10 percent, he
said, butter could be down by
as much as 60 to 70 percent and
whey and lactose are expected
to be flat.
The world market is soft-
er this year because of heavy
supply from Europe and New
Zealand and decreased demand
from China and Russia, Levitt
said.
“As a result, world prices
are much lower this year, which
creates more competitive pres-
sure for the United States,” he
said.
Miscellaneous grain and
seed was Idaho’s No. 2 ag ex-
port category in 2014 with
$135 million in sales, a 5.7 per-
cent increase over 2013. That
category was led by vegetable
seed sales of $44 million, rape-
seed at $36 million and alfalfa
seed at $13 million.
Idaho vegetable exports to-
taled $130 million, 3 percent
more than the 2013 total. That
category was led by kidney bean
sales of $22.7 million and green
pea sales of $22.2 million.
The totals are based on Cen-
sus Bureau data calculated for
the ISDA by Global Trade In-
formation Services. The data,
which is released quarterly, is
based on the zip code of the ex-
porter of record and doesn’t cap-
ture a lot of Idaho farm products,
such as wheat, that are shipped
to other states before being ex-
ported.