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July 17, 2015 CapitalPress.com 5 Local GMO control initiative faces setback Proposal would overturn Oregon’s statewide legal pre-emption By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI Capital Press John O’Connell/Capital Press Craters of the Moon National Monument Superintendent Dan Buckley tours the Eastern Idaho recreation area on July 10. Advocates for the monument have proposed to change it to a national park, which has raised some concerns within the agriculture industry. Ag wary of park designation for Craters of the Moon By JOHN O’CONNELL Capital Press ARCO, Idaho — Advo- cates for creating a Craters of the Moon National Park insist their proposal would boost tourism to the scenic Eastern Idaho basalt flows simply by changing the names on signs. Some local ranchers and Idaho Farm Bureau Feder- ation officials, however, ar- enCt sold on upgrading the national monumentCs status, concerned about new restric- tions on grazing and shipping forage, or the possibility that its borders could expand. A grassroots group sup- porting the name change, led by Butte County Com- missioner Rose Bernal, has been meeting with surround- ing county commissions, organizations, agricultural interests and politicians to garner support. The group hopes Congress will act by 2016, in time to benefit from publicity surrounding the centennial anniversary of the National Park Service. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, has told the group heCd consider backing their cause if they can produce broad local sup- port. Bernal said the group is about ready to approach the congressional delegation. The national park would encompass only the original 54,000-acre monument, cre- ated by presidential decree in 1924. A 411,000-acre Na- tional Park Service preserve and a 273,000-acre Bureau of Land Management por- tion that allows grazing were Blaine County on July 14. Supporters note Idaho is the only western state with- out a national park fully contained within its borders. Bernal said she sent a letter about the proposal to every grazing permittee using the monument and hasnCt heard back from any of them. Idaho Farm Bureau lead- T ‘ hey have very good intentions, but good intentions don’t get you that far when you’re dealing with a bunch of bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.’ Farm Bureau spokesman John Thompson added to the monument in 2000. Since the national park campaign started in April, the Idaho Senate has unan- imously approved a resolu- tion in support and a House resolution had strong back- ing before it was tabled. The group has also circu- lated petitions and obtained blessings from the Idaho Association of Counties and all surrounding county com- missions but Blaine Coun- ty. Bernal was scheduled to have another meeting with ers joined Craters Superin- tendent Dan Buckley on a tour of the monument in late June. Farm Bureau spokes- man John Thompson said the organization remains concerned the change could open the door for the federal government to later restrict grazing, or charge a fee for highway access, despite BuckleyCs assurances that the highway is state-owned and both scenarios are un- likely. “They have very good in- tentions, but good intentions donCt get you that far when youCre dealing with a bunch of bureaucrats in Washing- ton, D.C.,” Thompson said. He said Farm Bureau will wait for county chapters to vote on the issue before tak- ing a formal position. “Every year we see recre- ation interests putting pres- sure on grazing, and then the Forest Service or BLM will reduce grazing,” Thompson said. Sheep rancher Hen- ry Etcheverry opposes the change, worried heCd lose half his herd if his grazing access to the monument were restricted. Etchever- ry said he was barred from grazing in the monumentCs Bear Park area shortly after the 2000 expansion. “I donCt trust (the federal government) at all,” Etch- everry said. “I think they would take away our graz- ing rights.” Buckley said tourism has increased by roughly 30,000 visitors on average at the last three monuments to be- come national parks. A 2014 Park Service study shows Craters of the Moon had a $6.6 million economic im- pact and contributed to 112 local jobs. A proposed ballot initiative to overturn statewide pre-emp- tion laws for biotech crops and pesticides in Oregon has been dealt a legal setback. Under the “Right to Local, Community Self-Government” initiative, counties and cities would be immune from OregonCs pre-emption statutes, allowing them to regulate issues currently under the stateCs sole jurisdiction. Proponents have gathered more than 1,000 signatures in favor of the initiative, which was enough to begin the ballot title drafting process for the 2016 general election. However, the Oregon Sec- retary of State’s office recently rejected the initiative for making overly broad revisions to the Or- egon Constitution. Specifically, the initiative would “effectuate fundamental constitutional changes to the structure and division of powers of state and local governments” and alter the power of the legis- lative and executive branches, according to state attorneys. Such a sweeping “revision” canCt be accomplished with a ballot initiative, they said. A revision of the Oregon Constitution must instead be approved by two-thirds of both legislative chambers before a re- ferral to voters, said Paul Diller, a law professor at Willamette University. The initiative was also reject- ed for making multiple changes to the Oregon Constitution that werenCt closely related. Proponents now have the choice of challenging those find- ings in court or attempting to write a new initiative that over- comes the hurdles identified by the stateCs attorneys. Mary Geddry, a chief pe- titioner for the initiative, said that proponents havenCt yet de- cided on a course of action but disagree with the governmentCs conclusions. “It does not mean everybody is just going to roll over,” she said. “We believe itCs a worthy cause and weCll try to get it done one way or another.” Apart from genetically mod- ified organisms and pesticides, the initiative would allow local governments to regulate “frack- ing” in oil and gas develop- ments, coal exports and other activities that affect air and wa- ter quality, Geddry said. “WeCre talking about funda- mental rights,” she said. “Com- munities donCt have the right to say ‘noC under the current system.” Oregonians for Food and Shelter, an agribusiness group, worries that the ballot initiative would preclude any statewide regulations, resulting in a patch- work of rules from county to county, said Scott Dahlman, its policy director. “Anything that keeps it off the ballot, we are excited to see,” he said. The Secretary of StateCs de- termination is a “substantial” re- versal for initiative proponents, since they now face the prospect of a legal battle or an overhaul of their proposal, Dahlman said. “Either way, theyCve got a significant process ahead of them,” he said. Revising the initiative to pass constitutional muster would be very difficult, Dahlman said. “It looks like a pretty fatal blow to this effort.” Diller of Willamette Univer- sity said thereCs little case law dealing with how far-reaching constitutional changes must be to qualify as a “revision,” so the proponents face an uncertain le- gal landscape. “ItCs a bit of an open question whether they might achieve suc- cess by appealing this decision to the courts,” he said. Even if proponents do ulti- mately obtain approval to circu- late their petition for signatures, the initiative still faces a steep obstacle to getting on the ballot. Constitutional measures such as this initiative must re- ceive more than 117,500 valid signatures, about one-third more than initiatives that alter Oregon statutes. Onion assessment cut Farm Bureau leaders praise Stallman Organization’s in half for Oregon, president says he Idaho growers won’t seek new term next year Capital Press By TIM HEARDEN NYSSA, Ore. — The assess- ment fee for onions grown in Eastern Oregon and Southwest- ern Idaho has been cut in half. Onion growers in the area are under a federal marketing order and were being assessed 10 cents for each 100 pounds of onions they produced. That assessment has been trimmed to 5 cents by the Ida- ho-Eastern Oregon Onion Com- mittee, which administers the marketing order. The new rate became effective July 1. The assessment cut will save the av- erage grower about $25 an acre, said Grant Kitamura, chairman of the IEOOCCs promotion com- mittee, which recommended the assessment cut. “It’s definitely going to save us some money,” said Oregon farmer Bruce Corn. “Every little bit helps.” About 20,000 acres of big bulb onions are grown on both sides of the border in the Trea- sure Valley and the assessment generates a little more than $900,000 a year. The IEOOCCs research and export budgets will not be im- pacted by the assessment cut but the majority of the reduced revenue will come out of the committeeCs promotions bud- get, which will be slashed from $635,000 a year to $250,000, Kitamura said. Promotion committee mem- ber Paul Skeen, a Nyssa, Ore., farmer, said a lot of people thought the money spent on pro- motions wasnCt being used as effectively as it could. “There were people who felt like we werenCt getting the right bang for our buck,” he said. Capital Press Sean Ellis/Capital Press An onion field near Ontario, Ore., is shown in this July 8 photo. The assessment fee for onions grown under a federal marketing order in Eastern Or- egon and Southwestern Idaho has been cut in half. Kitamura said there would be a major reduction in travel and local promotions, but the com- mittee will continue to maintain a major presence at industry trade shows and in the media. Gone will be the feel-good type of promotions, particularly those aimed locally, he said. “Those are effective at pro- moting good will but theyCre not really effective for moving product,” he said. “WeCre trying to get lean and mean.” Farm Bureau leaders in the West say outgoing American Farm Bureau Federation presi- dent Bob Stallman oversaw big changes in agriculture during his tenure and has fought for na- tional policies beneficial to the regionCs growers. Oregon Farm Bureau presi- dent Barry Bushue, who is also the AFBFCs vice president, called Stallman a “transformational leader” whose “strong and deci- sive style” has set a new standard for ag leaders nationwide. StallmanCs legacy “ensures that agriculture will not be taken for granted and that public pol- how the financial pinch produc- ers are feeling translate into very serious food security challenges for our country.” “HeCs been a real champion for us on the Western issues, on the Endangered Species Act and that type of stuff,” said Frank Priestley, president of the Idaho Farm Bureau. “Right now heCs leading the charge fighting the change (to water policy under) Waters of the U.S. Those types of issues are critical to Idaho and to all of agriculture.” Such praise is profuse among ag industry leaders for Stallman, who announced July 14 he will not seek re-election again in Jan- uary after 16 years at the helm of the 97-year-old organization. A cattle and rice producer from Columbia, Texas, Stallman said heCs ready to hand over leadership after serving as the 11th president in the AFBFCs history. The Farm Bureau is the nationCs largest agri- cultural advocacy group. 29-4/#6 BUYING 6” and UP Alder, Maple, Cottonwood Saw Logs, Standing Timber www.cascadehardwood.com ROP-27-5-4/#24 By SEAN ELLIS icy-makers never forget how im- portant agri- culture is to our nation,” Bushue said in an email. Bob Stallman Bushue hasnCt decided whether to seek StallmanCs seat, OFB spokes- woman Anne Marie Moss said July 15. Washington Farm Bureau state president Mike LaPlant said that although farmers and ranchers represent less than 2 percent of the U.S. popula- tion, Stallman has been “tire- less” in telling their story. “He has helped the broader audience of American consumers understand how increasing regu- lations and production costs make the hard job of feeding a growing population even harder,” LaPlant said in an email. “Most impor- tantly, Bob has helped them see 29-2/#6