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8 CapitalPress.com March 11, 2016 Idaho Subscribe to our weekly Idaho email newsletter at CapitalPress.com/newsletters Bill solves dispute between Idaho trader lots, auction yards BOISE — A bill that would end a disagreement between auction yards and trader lots over livestock testing require- ments is gliding through the Idaho Legislature. Idaho lawmakers last year rejected a proposed rule by the Idaho State Department of Agriculture that would have placed stricter livestock re- moval testing requirements on trader lots. While they both sell cattle, trader lots are open six days a week and have less overhead than auction yards because they skip the public auction process and sell directly to customers. Trader lots handle mostly cull cows from dairies. The state’s livestock auc- tion industry petitioned the ISDA for last year’s proposed rule change as a way to pro- tect the health of Idaho’s cattle herds by ensuring trader lots play by the same rules when it comes to animal removal re- quirements. Auction yard representa- tives said Idaho’s animal re- moval requirements don’t ap- ply equally to trader lots. But lawmakers said the rule would have actually placed greater restrictions on trader lots than those auction yards face and they rejected it. A bill introduced this year by Sen. Bert Brackett, a Re- publican rancher from Roger- son, would solve the dispute. It passed the Senate 32-0 and the House ag committee has sent LWWRWKHÀRRUZLWKD³GRSDVV´ recommendation. Brackett told fellow law- makers his legislation would address the concern auction yards have over testing re- quirements for trader lots without unfairly burdening trader lots. He said it closes a loophole in Idaho code that allows bulls eligible to be tested for tricho- moniasis to be removed from a trader lot and returned to the country for breeding purposes without being tested for the venereal disease, which caus- es abortions and infertility in cattle. “This bill is about animal health, disease prevention and assuring traceability ... as live- stock move through the mar- keting channel,” he said. “I believe this bill strikes a good balance between protecting animal health and not interfer- ing with commerce.” The legislation requires brucellosis test-eligible cattle WR UHFHLYH D KHDOWK FHUWL¿FDWH prior to being released from a trader lot for breeding or graz- ing purposes. Brackett’s bill was support- ed by trader lot co-owner Joel Van Lith, who opposed the proposed rule change last year. University of Idaho Extension Sean Ellis/Capital Press &RUQLVKDUYHVWHGIURPD¿HOGQHDU:LOGHU,GDKRLQ2FWREHU$ELOOPDNLQJLWVZD\WKURXJKWKH,GDKR /HJLVODWXUHZRXOGPDNHLWDIHORQ\WRNQRZLQJO\LQWURGXFHDFURSRUOLYHVWRFNGLVHDVHRUSRLVRQRQWRD IDUPUDQFKRUDJIDFLOLW\ Bill imposes criminal penalties for breaches in biosecurity By SEAN ELLIS against crimes intended to in- fect crops or livestock products at agricultural operations with BOISE — A bill that seeks diseases or poison.” to prevent biosecurity breaches The bill, authored by the on Idaho farms and agricultur- Idaho Farm Bureau Federation, al facilities is making its way also makes it a crime to attempt through the Idaho Legislature. to introduce crop or livestock During the bill’s initial pub- diseases or poison, or to aid, lic hearing March 3, farm and abet or conspire with another food processing groups testi- person to do that. ¿HG LQ VXSSRUW RI WKH OHJLVOD- The crime is punishable tion, which makes it a felony to by up to 20 years in prison if knowingly introduce a conta- it causes more than $1,000 in gious crop, or livestock disease damage. or poison on a farm, ranch or The bill’s supporters walked agricultural facility. D ¿QH OLQH LQ H[SODLQLQJ WR The legislation also covers House Agricultural Affairs food processing facilities. Committee members why it It is “of the utmost impor- is necessary without provid- tance that Idaho continues to LQJ VSHFL¿F H[DPSOHV RI KRZ protect our food supply and someone can harm an ag facili- economic stability in agricul- ty in such a way. ture,” said Benjamin Kelly, “We just don’t want to pro- executive assistant of Food vide a how-to check list ... on Producers of Idaho, which rep- how to go on to any type of ag resents 40 ag groups. facility and create some signif- He said FPI “member- icant issues,” said IFBF Assis- ship agrees that their facilities tant Director of Governmental VKRXOG EH ¿UPO\ SURWHFWHG Affairs Dennis Tanikuni. How- Capital Press ever, he added, “any of us are more than happy to talk about those things privately.” Rep. Gayle Batt, R-Wilder, the House sponsor of the bill, said it addresses “the exploita- tion of agriculture’s vulnerabil- ity to breaches of biosecurity.” The legislation doesn’t af- fect normal farming practices such as spraying. Tanikuni said a key point of the bill is that it also addresses the attempt to commit such ac- tions and it’s needed because of the inherent vulnerability of farming operations and facili- ties. “In certain operations, dev- astating results can be achieved with cheap, easily obtainable chemicals,” he said. Tanikuni said the bill’s craft- ers ran its provisions by the Idaho State Department of Ag- riculture, farm groups and a lot of other possible stakeholders. “In preparing for this bill, we talked to everybody,” he said. ROP-10-4-2/#24 Farmers, ranchers tell lawmakers depredation program isn’t working By SEAN ELLIS Producers Association) mem- bers have real concerns with the depredation problem,” said BOISE — Idaho lawmakers Caribou County farmer Sid Cel- have been told the state’s big lan, past president of the IGPA. game depredation prevention “We have to be on top of it be- and compensation program fore we lose a lot of agricultural isn’t working and needs to be money.” ¿[HG Producers expect to feed a Farmers and ranchers from certain amount of wildlife but around the state told Senate the presence of increasingly Resources and Environment large ungulate herds has made Committee members last week the situation unmanageable in the depredation problem has many parts of the state, said Ida- reached near-crisis levels this ho Cattle Association Executive winter. Vice President Wyatt Prescott. In addition to eating crops “It’s a very widespread, LQ WKH ¿HOG ODUJH SRSXODWLRQV statewide issue,” he said. “The of deer and elk are consum- true management cost is an ex- ing even tarped hay stacks and treme challenge.” breaking down fences, they Lemhi County Farm Bureau said. President James Whittaker il- “Many of the (Idaho Grain lustrated the scope of the prob- lem by presenting his group’s estimate of the total depredation damage caused to 15 landown- ers in that area in the past year. It showed $118,800 in dam- DJHFDXVHGE\HONE\ deer, and $30,000 in fencing costs. In submitted written testi- mony, Chad Larsen Farms own- er Chad Larsen said his opera- WLRQ KDV ORVW EHWZHHQ DQG IURP HON GDPDJH to hay stacks since 2004. Capital Press &DWWOHJUD]HLQWKHXQGHU- story of a stand of larch that has been thinned and VHHGHGZLWKJUDVVQRUWKRI Blanchard, Idaho. Univer- sity of Idaho Extension is RIIHULQJDZRUNVKRSRQ IRUHVWODQGJUD]LQJ$SULOLQ Bonners Ferry. Workshop to help forest owners with grazing Course covers mutual benefits of raising animals, growing trees By MATTHEW WEAVER Capital Press Forest owners will learn better ways to manage live- stock grazing on their land during a workshop offered by the University of Idaho Extension. The session will begin at 1 p.m. April 9 at the UI Ex- tension Boundary County 2I¿FH .RRWHQDL 6W in Bonners Ferry. “There’s a lot of folks that like to turn cattle out in the woods and in certain stages of forest develop- ment. That’s something that’s entirely compati- ble with growing trees on those properties,” said Chris Schnepf, UI Extension for- estry educator in Coeur d’Alene. For some landowners, WKHUH¶VPRUHWRWDOEHQH¿WLQ raising cattle and growing trees, Schnepf said. Standard forestland graz- ing is releasing cattle and focusing on areas with un- derstory plants. Silvopasto- ral systems integrate forests with livestock and forage production. For example, a company in Missouri pas- tures livestock on soybeans planted among walnut trees, Schnepf said. Most landowners are in- terested in raising cattle in traditional conifer environ- ments, Schnepf said. “For the most part, cat- tle don’t munch on trees,” Schnepf said. The concern is whether livestock will cause tram- pling damage, but this can be solved using salt licks and fencing and by herding, Schnepf said. Landowners with young conifers should keep cattle RXW IRU WKH ¿UVW ¿YH \HDUV he said. “Once the trees are shoulder height to a steer, it’s not really much of an is- sue,” he said. Most concerns about for- estland grazing can be ad- dressed with more attention to management, Schnepf said. 9-7/#4x Capital Press 11-1/#4x By SEAN ELLIS 11-4/#4N
