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OREGON: CONTROVERSY OVER BEEKEEPING STANDARDS DEFUSED Page 7 Capital Press The West s Weekly FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2015 VOLUME 88, NUMBER 15 WWW.CAPITALPRESS.COM $2.00 Calif. won’t dictate crops, irrigation amid drought By TIM HEARDEN Capital Press SACRAMENTO — State authorities have no plans to mandate further water conser- vation efforts on farms even as Gov. Jerry Brown’s order that cities slash their water use by 25 percent has invited more scrutiny on agriculture. Some environmental groups, news outlets and us- OSU: Ban will hamper research Supporters, critics debate impact of local GMO measure By ERIC MORTENSON Capital Press Shawn Mehlenbacher, the Oregon State University ha- zelnut breeder who developed varieties resistant to deadly Eastern Filbert Blight, says a Benton County ballot mea- sure to prohibit genetically engineered organisms would restrict his research. Joseph Beckman, an OSU biochemistry and biophys- ics professor, believes he is closing in on a treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, the fatal and incur- able nervous system disor- der more commonly known at Lou Gehrig’s disease. He says the ballot measure would force him to close down his research or somehow move it off campus and out of Benton County. An OSU evaluation of Measure 2-89, which is on the May 19 ballot in Ben- ton County, says they aren’t alone. The university said the measure might effect 120 or more faculty and stop re- search projects that have at- tracted about $18.3 million in outside funding. Backers of the measure strongly disagree, and de- scribe the measure as protect- ing the local food system from “international food corpora- tions whose profi t motives lim- it what you eat and the quality of your life.” Turn to OSU, Page 12 ers of social media expressed astonishment last week that Brown’s drought-related wa- ter cutbacks mostly spared farmers. Administration of- fi cials have maintained that growers have already faced severe cutbacks which caused some 400,000 acres of farm- land to be fallowed last sum- mer. Though political pressure is sure to mount as urban vot- INSIDE Allan Fulton, a Uni- versity of California Cooperative Exten- sion farm advisor who specializes in irrigation, checks a drip irrigation sys- tem in a Corning, Calif., orchard in this fi le photo. IDAHO: Winter wheat farmers eagerly await water .................. Page 4 WASHINGTON: Snowpack smallest in 35 years ....................... Page 4 OREGON: Low snowpack means rivers will be low .................. Page 4 CALIFORNIA: Ag water providers must have drought plan ...... Page 9 ers start feeling the drought’s impacts, state offi cials told the Capital Press they have no plans for more drastic mea- sures such as requiring more widespread use of drip irriga- tion or dictating which crops can be grown in certain areas. Tim Hearden Capital Press Turn to DROUGHT, Page 12 THE TEST AHEAD Don Jenkins/Capital Press Washington Department of Ecology Director Maia Bellon works in her sunlit offi ce in Lacey. Bellon says she set out to mend a troubled relationship between the agency and agriculture. Ecology director Maia Bellon wins praise for her personal approach, but tough decisions remain By DON JENKINS Capital Press O LYMPIA — Maia Bellon had fences to mend with agriculture two years ago, when she became the Washington Department of Ecology’s new di- rector. Since then, many observers — including those who are leery of the agency — say Bellon has improved relations with the state’s farmers and ranchers. She’s personable, listens and visits ranches and farms. A year ago, Bellon invited the then-president of the Washington Cattlemen’s Association, Vic Stokes, to co-chair with her a committee on agriculture and water quality. If nothing else, the committee has ratcheted down the rancor between Wash- ington’s $706 million cattle industry and the state’s most controversial department. “She’s offered something different than we’ve seen before, and that’s the abil- ity to sit down and always have that open process,” Stokes, an Okanogan County rancher, told senators at a recent hearing. But the good feelings may soon be tested. The Bellon-Stokes committee has been working on what has been termed a “guidance document” that will outline how ranchers can manage livestock to comply with state and federal clean-water rules. As DOE director, Bellon will have the fi nal say on its contents, and the words she chooses may point to where the agency’s newfound relationship with agriculture is headed. “I think they’re more friendly,” Cattle Producers of Washington President Lee Engelhardt says of DOE leadership. “We’ll see if they’re sincere.” Turn to BELLON, Page 12 Matthew Weaver/Capital Press Washington Department of Ecology Director Maia Bellon addresses advisory committee members and guests Sept. 11 in Ritzville, Wash. “I felt it was imperative upon me to reach out to the producer community and say, ‘We need to do this work differently and start talking.’” Maia Bellon, Washington Department of Ecology’s new director. THIS WEEK IN THE CAPITAL PRESS HAY Western hay growers face challenges Harvested hay acres are expected to remain stable across the U.S. in 2015 Page 3 States adopt sage grouse protection plans Page 10 15-7/#5