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Cap i t a l P r e s s T h e W e s t s W e e k l y FR IDA Y , MARCH 2 7 , 2 0 1 5 VO LUME 8 8 , NUMBER 1 3 WWW .CAP IT A LPRESS .COM $ 2 . 0 0 I l l u s t r a t i o n b y A l a n K e n a g a /C a p i t a l P r e s s ONE WASH INGTON TWO S IDES Th e C a s c ad e Cu r t a in h a s b e en a p a r t o f No r thw e s t h i s to ry s in c e th e b eg inn ing E a s t v e r s u s W e s t : B y DON JENK INS C a p i t a l P r e s s OLYMP IA — R e s id en t s o f E a s t - e rn W a sh ing ton a r e f ru s t r a t ed w i th th e mo r e popu lou s W e s t s id e o f th e s t a t e . And nowh e r e w a s th a t f ru s t r a t ion mo r e p rom in en t th an on e d ay l a s t mon th in th e C ap i to l . On th e do ck e t w e r e coug a r s and wo lv e s , two ho t -bu t ton i s su e s th a t sp l i t th e s t a t e r igh t down th e c en t e r o f th e C a s - c ad e R ang e . In on e h e a r ing , E a s t s id e r an ch e r s w e r e a sk ing s en a to r s to loo s en th e s t a t e ’ s l aw ag a in s t u s ing hound s to ch a s e cou - g a r s and k e ep th e p r ed a to r s aw ay f rom l iv e s to ck . In ano th e r h e a r ing , an E a s t s id e coun ty comm i s s ion e r to ld l eg i s l a to r s th a t h i s con s t i tu en t s w e r e f ed up w i th wo lv e s . Th ey con t inu e to a t t a ck c a t t l e and sh e ep , co s t ing r an ch e r s t en s o f thou s and s o f do l l a r s . A l l th e wh i l e wo lv e s r em a in p ro t e c t ed und e r s t a t e and f ed e r a l end an - g e r ed sp e c i e s l aw s th a t d r aw mo s t o f th e i r suppo r t f rom W e s t s id e g roup s and ind iv idu a l s . In th e w e ek s s in c e , l awm ak e r s h av e ag r e ed to t ak e a c lo s e look a t th e wo l f p rob l em . Th e hound s , how ev e r , w i l l r e - m a in on th e l e a sh . W a s h i n g t o n s t a t e b y t h e n um b e r s E a s t e r n W a s h i n g t o n 1 . 5 m i l l i o n 2 2% D o n J e n k i n s /C a p i t a l P r e s s S p o k a n e R e p u b l i c a n M a t t S h e a p a s s e s o u t p a p e r s M a r c h 5 o n t h e o o r o f t h e W a s h i n g t o n s t a t e H o u s e . H e s a y s E a s t e r n W a s h i n g t o n w o u l d b e s t r o n g e c o n om i c a l l y o n i t s ow n . Fo r th e d ay , E a s t e rn W a sh ing ton w a s 1 fo r 2 . No t b ad , con s id e r ing th e W e s t - s id e ’ s popu l a t ion — and r ep r e s en t a t ion in th e C ap i to l — i s mo r e th an th r e e t im e s a s l a rg e a s th e E a s t s id e ’ s . The s ta te ’ s long s tand ing ea s t -we s t d iv ide ha s popped up seve ra l t ime s th i s leg i s la t ive se s s ion , and i t u sua l ly invo lved ag r icu l tu re . D iv i s ive i s sue s such a s wo lve s , couga r s , t ra i l s and even honeybee s have a l l su r faced th i s se s s ion in the s ta te Cap i to l . Tu rn to S IDES , Pag e 12 W e s t e r n W a s h i n g t o n I t em P o p u l a t i o n 5 . 4 m i l l i o n o r 7 8% 36 P e o p l e p e r s q u a r e m i l e 217 2 2 , 7 6 2 N um b e r o f f a rm s 1 4 , 4 8 7 $ 7 . 6 b i l l i o n M a r k e t v a l u e / c r o p s a n d l i v e s t o c k $ 1 . 4 b i l l i o n A p p l e s , w h e a t , p o t a t o e s , p e a r s , c h e r r i e s , h o p s , g r a p e s N o t a b l e c r o p s R e d r a s p b e r r i e s , v e g e t a b l e s e e d s , c r a n b e r r i e s 68 8 N um b e r o f w o l v e s 0 51 (Y a k im a ) A v e r a g e a n n u a l r a i n f a l l ( i n c h e s ) S o u r c e s : U .S . C e n s u s B u r e a u ; USDA C e n s u s o f A g r i c u l t u r e ; W a s h i n g t o n D e p t . o f F i s h a n d W i l d l i f e (O l ym p i a ) D o n J e n k i n s a n d A l a n K e n a g a / C a p i t a l P r e s s . E c o l o g y d e t a i l s D r o n e i n d u s t r y aw a i t s Wash d r ou gh t r e l i e f bud g e t g o v e r nm e n t r e g u l a t i o n s Agency seeks to e a s e w a t e r i n E n t r e p r e n e u r s s h o u l d l a y p l a n s n ow , e x p e r t s s a y l B y MA TEUSZ PERKOWSK I A f o u r - r o t o r , c am e r a - e q u i p p e d d r o n e h o v e r s d u r i n g a d em o n - s t r a t i o n i g h t a t a M cM i n n v i l l e , O r e . , f o r um . C a p i t a l P r e s s R egu l a t ion s fo r comm e r c i a l d ron e s a r en ’ t exp e c t ed un t i l n ex t y e a r bu t en t r ep r en eu r s shou ld p r ep a r e fo r th e gov e rn - m en t to op en th e oodg a t e s , exp e r t s s ay . Wh i l e th e F ed e r a l A v i a t ion Adm in i s t r a t ion i s un l ik e ly to n a l i z e ru l e s fo r unm ann ed a i r c r a f t by th e end o f th e y e a r , a s m and a t ed by Cong r e s s , i t do e sn ’ t m ak e s en s e fo r com - p an i e s to w a i t to g e t th e i r bu s i - n e s s p l an s in o rd e r , a c co rd ing to sp e ak e r s a t th e r e c en t P r e c i s ion F a rm ing Expo in S a l em . I t ’ s no t too e a r ly to g e t you r sk in in th e g am e , s a id An - d r ew M cCo l lough , an an a ly s t Y a k im a B a s i n B y DON JENK INS C a p i t a l P r e s s OLYMP IA — Th e W a sh - ing ton D ep a r tm en t o f E co l - ogy h a s r equ e s t ed $9 m i l l ion in d rough t r e l i e f , bu t on ly $5 m i l l ion wou ld b e sp en t un l e s s EO M e d i a G r o u p th e d rough t wo r s en s in th e Y a - k im a B a s in . DOE ’ s d rough t r e spon s e w i th SkyW a rd , a comp any th a t rd in a to r , J e f f M a r t i , ou t - m ak e s d ron e op e r a t ion s so f t - coo l in ed fo r s en a to r s Tu e sd ay a w a r e . sp end ing p l an th a t in c lud e s Tu rn t o DRONES , P a g e 1 2 $2 m i l l ion fo r mun i c ip a l w a - 0000000 -ROP -M6585 -Ca s cadeFa rm - Page 1 - Compo s i te t e r sy s t em s , $1 .5 m i l l ion to in c r e a s e s t r e am ow s , $1 m i l - l ion fo r s t a t e sh h a t ch e r i e s and $500 ,000 fo r adm in i s t r a - t iv e co s t s . Ano th e r $4 m i l l ion cou ld b e sp en t on l e a s ing w a t e r r igh t s to o f f s e t th e imp a c t s o f d r aw ing f rom em e rg en cy w e l l s in th e Y ak im a B a s in . W e ’ r e cu r r en t ly p ro c e ed - ing w i th a low e r - l ev e l d rough t r e spon s e , and w e ’ r e p r ep a r ed to go a h igh e r l ev e l o f d rough t r e spon s e i f cond i t ion s d e t e - r io r a t e , M a r t i s a id a t a jo in t m e e t ing o f th e S en a t e ag r i cu l - tu r e and env i ronm en t com - m i t t e e s . e 12 Tu rn to WATER , Pag 13 -1 /#5