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10 CapitalPress.com January 1, 2016 Repeal of COOL saves apple exports to two largest markets By DAN WHEAT Capital Press WENATCHEE, Wash. — The potential loss of tens of millions of dollars in apple exports to Canada and Mex- ico was avoided with resolu- tion of the country of origin labeling trade dispute with the two countries. The World Trade Organi- zation had approved Canada and Mexico imposing $1 bil- lion in tariffs on U.S. prod- ucts. That was averted when Congress repealed COOL in the omnibus federal spending bill Dec. 18. “This is extremely good news for the U.S. apple in- dustry and we thank Con- gress for fixing this critical trade problem,” said Mike Wade, U.S. Apple Associ- ation board chairman and general manager of Co- lumbia Fruit Packers in Wenatchee. The association said the omnibus bill also ensures continuity of federal Mar- ket Access Program dollars for the Washington Apple Commission and Specialty Crop Research programs and grants and crop insurance for the industry. Under COOL it cost Ca- nadian beef producers over $100 more per head to have cattle slaughtered in the U.S. because feedlots and slaugh- ter houses had the added expenses of tracking cattle to label beef by country of origin. Apples and cherries were on a preliminary list of Cana- dian tariffs and while Mexi- co had not released a list, ap- ples, pears and cherries may have been on it, said Kate Woods, vice president of the Northwest Horticultural Council in Yakima. “We don’t know what the tariff rate would have been and how long it would have lasted, but it would have cost the industry tens of millions of dollars,” said Mark Pow- ers, the council’s executive vice president. Mexico and Canada are the Washington apple indus- try’s top export markets. Washington had average annual exports to Mexico of $230 million in apples over the past three years, $70 million in pears and $5 mil- lion in cherries, Woods said. Average annual exports to Canada were $155 mil- lion in apples and $90 mil- lion in cherries, she said. Pears were not on the list in Canada. From a record 2014 apple crop, Washington shipped 16 million boxes of apples to Mexico and 7.1 million to Canada, according to the Washington State Tree Fruit Association. With a smaller crop this year, the volumes will be a more normal 9 million to 10 million boxes to Mexico and 4 million to 5 million boxes to Canada, said Todd Fryhover, president of the Washington Apple Commis- sion in Wenatchee. Meanwhile, Mexican allegations of U.S. apple dumping in Mexico are still pending and could result in tariffs, Powers said. Courtesy of Oregon State University 2UHJRQ6WDWH8QLYHUVLW\¿VKHULHVUHVHDUFKHU6HOLQD+HSSHOOWDONVDERXW¿VKVXUYH\VZLWKVFLHQFHDQGPDWKWHDFKHUVDWWKH<DTXLQD%D\ <DFKW&OXELQ1HZSRUW2UH6KHLVWKHQHZKHDGRI268¶V'HSDUWPHQWRI)LVKHULHVDQG:LOGOLIH Biologist appointed head of Oregon 6WDWH¶V¿VKHULHVDQGZLOGOLIHGHSDUWPHQW By ERIC MORTENSON Capital Press Selina Heppell, a conser- vation biologist, is the new head of the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Or- egon State University. Heppell is the first wom- an to head the department in 1-2/#13 its 80-year history. The de- partment is the largest with- in the College of Agricul- tural Sciences, with nearly 800 students, and among the largest natural sciences department on campus. Heppell replaces Dan Edge, who earlier in 2015 was appointed the college’s associate dean. Heppell had been serving as interim de- partment head since Edge’s appointment. In a prepared statement, ag college Dean Dan Arp described Heppell as a dis- tinguished researcher and teacher who had provided “terrific leadership” as in- terim head of the depart- ment. Heppell has been on the OSU faculty since 2001. She has specialized in studying slow-growing species such as sturgeon, sea turtles, sharks and West Coast rockfish. Among other work, she has used computer models and simu- lations to study how fish re- spond to human impacts and climate change — and how they may respond to future climate change. Heppell and her husband, Scott Heppell, teach a con- servation biology course in Eastern Europe and have done fish research in the Caribbean. John O’Connell/Capital Press Turkeys congregate along Green Canyon Road in Inkom, Idaho. The birds are part of a turkey population that has grown too large and begun causing problems for Bannock County farmers and dairies, according to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. The department, which is also concerned about turkeys in Franklin County, plans to revise its southeast Idaho turkey hunting regula- tions to control the turkeys and provide growers relief. Turkey hunt changes aimed at helping Idaho producers sidered turkeys to be a novel- W\ ZKHQ WKH ÀRFN LQ KLV DUHD numbered about 20 birds. “Now we’ve got about 200 POCATELLO, Idaho — The Idaho Department of of them, and the novelty is Fish and Game has proposed gone,” Westover said. During the past couple of to expand its southeast Idaho turkey hunt to provide area months, he said, turkeys have farmers and dairymen relief been “really working” his from excessive populations winter grain. They also get of the non-native game bird. into mangers and dump out The region has thus far feed while they scratch for offered a fall controlled hunt seeds, and they’ve torn apart for turkeys in the region, re- straw bales. “Going to a general hunt, quiring hunters to win a lot- tery for tags. Jason Beck, an I think more people will get a IDFG wildlife biologist, said hunting tag,” Westover said. Beck said wild turkey the odds of winning that lot- tery have ranged from 20 to populations vary widely, de- SHUFHQWZLWKVLJQL¿FDQWO\ pending on chick survival, and past counts for the Ban- higher odds for youths. The proposed change nock County population have would establish a regional ranged from 500 to 2,000 general hunt, open to every birds. However, Beck said interested hunter, spanning the department has set the from Sept. 1 through Oct. 31. number of tags for turkey The department hosted a pub- controlled hunts before re- lic open house on the plan on ceiving any information about Dec. 21 and will accept pub- FKLFNVXUYLYDO+H¶VFRQ¿GHQW OLFFRPPHQWDW¿VKDQGJDPH the change will lead to more hunting pressure when turkey idaho.gov through Dec. 28. The hunting change is ÀRFN VL]HV EDOORRQ DV WKH\ welcome news to Preston did during 2015. “That general season just farmer Gerald Cole, though he fears it may not go far DOORZV WKDW JUHDWHU ÀH[LELOLW\ enough to help local produc- for hunters to respond to what the turkey populations are ers. Cole didn’t bother to plant doing,” Beck said. “In those D DFUH ¿HOG KH¶G VFKHG- lean years, I don’t think peo- uled for winter wheat this fall ple will put a lot of effort into when he saw about 150 tur- chasing turkeys, so we’re not keys milling on the property concerned about wiping out the population.” at seeding time. Beck acknowledges reg- “They’d dig it up as fast as I could plant it,” Cole said. ulations for the hunt may “My neighbor planted, and change from year to year, giv- they dug all of his up, so he HQWKHGUDPDWLFÀXFWXDWLRQVLQ turkey populations. wasted all of his seed.” Beck said Idaho was on Cole once fed the birds, and charged hunters a small the fringe of the historic fee to access his property to turkey range, and the birds help cover the feed costs. But have taken hold throughout he believes the lack of ade- the state since the 1980s, quate population controls has as they’ve been introduced resulted in turkeys overrun- both by the department and ning the area — to the point sportsmen. Beck said there’s also a that they’ve been causing traf- spring turkey hunt, which in- ¿FDFFLGHQWVWKLVZLQWHU “We’ve got a terrible prob- cludes some general hunts. He lem up here when I can’t plant said the department offers no grain,” Cole said. “That’s my funding to producers to com- pensate for turkey depreda- livelihood.” Dean Westover, who runs tion, given that problems for a small dairy in Clifton, con- producers are relatively new. By JOHN O’CONNELL Capital Press ROP-1-2-2/#14