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December 25, 2015
Idaho
New high-level UI position to
focus on agricultural issues
Meetings highlight sage
grouse mining reforms
By JOHN O’CONNELL
Capital Press
IDAHO FALLS — Mem-
bers of Idaho’s mining industry
are concerned that proposed
MOSCOW, Idaho — The
federal land-use restrictions
current interim dean of Uni-
to protect sage grouse in des-
versity of Idaho’s College of
ignated habitat go too far and
Agricultural and Life Scienc-
were developed with too little
es will become a special assis-
public input.
tant to the UI president for ag
Bureau of Land Manage-
initiatives.
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John Foltz, who has been
restrictions were key in the
interim dean for two years,
U.S. Fish and Service’s recent
will begin that newly created
decision against listing sage
job when the new dean, Mi-
grouse as an endangered spe-
chael Parrella, begins work
cies. If such habitat protections
Feb. 1.
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Having a person who works
say a listing could still result,
on special initiatives important
extending new burdens to pro-
to the farming industry and re-
tect the bird to private land and
ports directly to UI President
impacting a broad range of ac-
Sean Ellis/Capital Press
Chuck Staben — the dean
tivities, such as ranching.
reports to the provost — is a John Foltz, interim dean of the University of Idaho’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, meets
The BLM and U.S. Forest
major development, Foltz and people during an informal “coffee with the dean” event in April. Foltz will become a special assistant to Service held public scoping
the UI president for ag initiatives.
industry representatives said.
meetings on Dec. 15 in Boi-
“In my opinion, that raises
se and Dec. 16 in Idaho Falls
the stature of agriculture in the VXHV´*DUEHUVDLG
SURGXFWLRQ HI¿FLHQF\ ZDVWH stock center is an exciting de- on a proposal to stop all new
state,” Foltz said.
Foltz said he will likely management, animal health velopment.
mining claims within 10 mil-
Foltz said he would be initially focus on the livestock and welfare and a host of other
³,WZLOOEHWKH¿UVWWLPHZH lion acres of focal sage brush
careful not to step into the research center the university issues and a lot of focus will be have an individual who will be habitat in the West, including
new dean’s space, “but I think and industry have talked about put on environmental issues, singularly focused on this,” he 3.6 million acres in Idaho. The
there are some opportunities to creating for more than a de- “which are really some of the said. “That is going to be his withdrawal affects so-called
focus on some things that are cade.
major challenges the livestock main job and responsibility locatable minerals — which
important to our state.”
Momentum
on
the LQGXVWU\IDFHV´*DUEHUVDLG
and we’re looking forward to include metals such as gold,
Foltz has a lot of knowl- multi-faceted facility, which is
“I think the research center seeing ... how we can help the silver, copper and molybde-
edge on issues important to estimated to cost around $30 that we’ve been talking about college and university in their num. The action requires a full
Idaho’s farming industry and million and will focus on dairy IRU \HDUV ZLOO UHDOO\ EHQH¿W endeavor.”
environmental impact state-
having him focus 100 percent and beef cattle research, halted and we will really have the
Other areas that Foltz might PHQWJLYHQWKDW¿OLQJFODLPVLV
of his efforts on major ag is- during the recession.
potential to move this thing focus on in the future include authorized by Congress. Valid
sues could result in big bene-
“The need for this center forward, if we have somebody the use of drones and precision claims made prior to Sept. 24,
¿WV VDLG 5LFK *DUEHU &$/6¶ has not gone away but in fact available to ... focus their full- agriculture to help farmers be- when the proposal was printed
director of industry and gov- ... it’s really increased in terms WLPH HQHUJ\ RQ LW´ *DUEHU FRPHPRUHHI¿FLHQWDVZHOODV LQWKH)HGHUDO5HJLVWHUZLOOEH
ernmental affairs.
of nutrient management, waste said.
the Dubois sheep experiment grandfathered in.
“There are a lot of exciting management, labor and all
Idaho Dairymen’s Associ- station, which is jointly oper-
Public comments may be
things out there that could hap- the issues the industry faces,” ation Executive Director Bob ated by USDA and UI and has submitted by Jan. 15 at sage-
pen if we had somebody with Foltz said.
Naerebout said having Foltz in the past been targeted for brush_withdrawals@blm.gov.
the time to focus on these is-
The center would focus on dedicated solely on the live- closure.
Input will help shape a draft
By SEAN ELLIS
Capital Press
EIS, planned for release by next
winter, triggering additional
public meetings. The prohibi-
tion on new claims would be up
for renewal in 20 years.
The BLM and Forest Ser-
vice implemented changes
affecting mining, grazing and
other activities within focal
areas when they updated 98
Western land-use plans, ad-
dressing the Fish and Wildlife
Service’s prior concerns that
the government lacked ade-
quate regulatory mechanisms
to protect sage grouse. The
bird’s status will be reviewed
HYHU\¿YH\HDUV
BLM special projects man-
DJHU %UHQW 5DOVWRQ H[SODLQHG
grazing permits within focal
areas will be prioritized for re-
view, and permit changes may
be necessary where bird popu-
lations are declining.
Ethan Lane, who advocates
for the cattle industry as ex-
ecutive director of the Public
Lands Council, argued that
in some cases the land-use
plan changes are more restric-
tive than a listing would have
been. Furthermore, he said
sage grouse numbers have in-
creased 63 percent during the
past two years.
“A not-warranted decision
isn’t truly not warranted if the
conservation ledger is being
balanced on the backs of public
lands permittees,” Lane said.
5DOVWRQ H[SODLQHG SURKLEL-
tions on new sand and grav-
el leases are already in place
within focal areas, and new
oil and gas leases in focal ar-
eas won’t allow surface alter-
ations, requiring drilling to
originate from private land.
Idaho growers plan precautionary late blight programs to limit expenses
By JOHN O’CONNELL
Capital Press
583(57,GDKR²)DUP-
er Tim Eames will take no
chances with late blight this
season.
Following a widespread
late blight outbreak in Ida-
ho potato country in 2015,
Eames plans to apply foli-
DU IXQJLFLGHV ZLWK HI¿FDF\
against late blight every two
weeks. When rain is in the
forecast, he’ll spray every
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report of late blight surfaces
in his area.
He’s among a group of
Idaho growers hoping to lim-
it late blight expenses by be-
ing proactive.
“You start with the cheap
sprays,” Eames said. “If you
get behind, it’s a big prob-
lem. Nobody wants to spend
the money, but I’d rather
spend the money than have a
catastrophe.”
$EHUGHHQ IDUPHU 5LWFKH\
Toevs also plans to switch to
spraying a low-cost fungicide
RQDZHHNO\EDVLVDWWKH¿UVW
sign of wet weather.
“In Idaho, we just wait for
someone to get burnt,” Toevs
said. “With the presence of
seed-borne (late blight) and
the chances for overwinter-
ing and volunteer issues next
year, it’s best we do a full
preventative program.”
Toevs said “playing catch-
up” requires growers to use
premium products, though a
preventive program involv-
ing cheaper products is more
effective.
“If we have the weather
there, it’s going to be a tight
program,” Toevs said.
Jeff Miller, who studies
ODWHEOLJKWZLWK5XSHUWEDVHG
0LOOHU 5HVHDUFK QRZ VXV-
pects late blight cases in Min-
nidoka County originated
from tainted seed, due to the
clustered distribution and the
common seed source of the
LQIHFWHG ¿HOGV +H DGYLVHV
growers who are concerned
about their seed source to
treat seed with products such
as Mancozeb or Curzate.
In Power and Bingham
counties, he still believes
spores overwintered on vol-
unteer potatoes or cull piles.
He advises growers to
manage cull piles and volun-
WHHUV VFRXW WKHLU ¿HOGV DQG
watch the weather.
“We’ll have to wait until
March to see what the over-
wintering does,” Miller said.
+HVDLG¿HOGVWUHDWHGZLWK
fungicides before storms
arrived fared much better
WKDQ ¿HOGV WUHDWHG IROORZLQJ
storms, regardless of the pro-
grams.
Miller believes grow-
ers in the Magic Valley and
Treasure Valley may be OK
spraying every two weeks
next season, and waiting until
late blight is reported in their
areas before stepping up their
programs. In Bingham Coun-
ty, he agrees a weekly spray
program may be advisable,
especially if overwintering
poses a threat.
“You’re looking at (pota-
to) psyllid management on
top of this, too,” Miller said.
“It’s getting very, very ex-
pensive.”
Idaho’s 2015 late blight
strain was U.S.-23, which can
be treated effectively with
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Miller said growers who used
5LGRPLO WR WUHDW SLQN URW DW
row closure delayed the on-
set of late blight by roughly
a month compared with other
¿HOGV GHPRQVWUDWLQJ WKH OR-
cal strain is especially sensi-
tive to the chemical.
+LV ¿HOG WULDOV DOVR FRQ-
¿UPHG -5 6LPSORW¶V ,QQDWH
line of biotech potatoes was
highly resistant to late blight.
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