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4 CapitalPress.com April 8, 2016 ODA eyes adding ‘stop work’ to its authority By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI Capital Press CORVALLIS, Ore. — Food manufacturers and pesticide applicators could be subject to “stop work” orders under new regulatory authority being con- sidered by Oregon’s farm reg- ulators. The Oregon Department of Agriculture may seek new reg- ulatory power to halt specific unlawful actions that endanger public safety. Currently, the agency can suspend or revoke the license of a food establishment or pes- ticide applicator that’s violating the law, but such sanctions may be overkill in some situations, said Lauren Henderson, ODA’s assistant director. “We don’t have anything that’s specific to an activity. It’s all or nothing,” he said during this week’s meeting of the Or- egon Board of Agriculture in Corvallis. Revoking a license or ob- taining a temporary restraining order in court also involves fairly high legal hurdles, Hen- derson said. Taking such drastic steps would be overly burdensome for the agency and the business in the case of minor violations, such as a faulty thermometer in a refrigerated meat cooler, he said. Under the proposed “stop work” authority, the ODA could simply require a com- pany to cease using that cooler until it’s fixed, he said. “We’re looking at some- thing very narrow and probably short-term,” Henderson said. At this point, the proposal is in a very early stage but the agency is considering it as a Ranchers pack Jordan Valley gym to oppose monument plan By SEAN ELLIS Capital Press possible “legislative concept” for the 2017 legislative session, he said. Henderson acknowledged the “stop work” idea has met with some trepidation among regulated companies. “The industry as a whole is pretty nervous about us having that authority,” he said. Aside from possibly affect- ing pesticide applications, the proposal could impact on-farm processing, such as dairymen who make farmstead cheese. Doug Krahmer, a blueberry farmer and board member, said companies should have a way to challenge a “stop work” order. “I would caution you to put some sort of judicial mecha- nism in there, so if a grower or an owner takes issue with a stop work order, there is a quick way to get adjudication,” he said. SJ Valley to get some CVP water after March storms By TIM HEARDEN Capital Press JORDAN VALLEY, Ore. — Ranchers and others who would be in the middle of a proposed 2.5 million-acre na- tional monument strongly op- posed the idea April 3 during a town hall meeting. People who oppose the proposal should speak up and make sure their voices are heard, said Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., who hosted the meet- ing, which attracted about 300 people, most of them ranch- ers. When someone asked what locals could do to make a dif- ference, Walden said, “Edu- cation, education, education. Because people just don’t get it and we’re outnumbered. Your involvement matters and it makes a difference.” The Bend-based environ- mental group Oregon Natural Desert Association, backed by the Keen Footwear company of Portland, has proposed the establishment of the Owyhee Canyonlands national monu- ment and wilderness area on 2.5 million acres of Bureau of Land Management land in Malheur County. The Obama administra- tion, which could establish the canyonlands area by presiden- tial proclamation, has given no sign what it will do. Though proponents say traditional land uses would be allowed under the propos- al, opponents believe having more than 40 percent of the county’s land designated as Sean Ellis/Capital Press A sign is posted April 3 in Jordan Valley showing opposition to a proposed 2.5 million-acre national monument in Malheur County, Ore. a national monument would restrict grazing and access to these lands and harm the local economy. When people who support the proposal say the Owyhee Canyonlands is one of the most extraordinary places on earth, “I say, it’s that way be- cause of how it’s being man- aged today,” Walden said. “It’s that way because of the way you’re taking care of it.” He encouraged local resi- dents to repeat that point. “We need to show them what good stewardship looks like and move the public de- bate because we have a good story to tell,” he said. “It’s critical to show them the good work being done today on the range.” Jordan Valley is in the middle of the proposed mon- ument area. “It would have a huge impact on this area,” local rancher Bob Skinner, former president of the Oregon Cat- tlemen’s Association, told Capital Press. “These people are really scared.” The April 3 meeting is among several town hall meetings being held to help inform people of the proposal and allow them to weigh in, Skinner said. “We’re trying to make a statement every time we meet,” he said. “We think it’s going to have an impact ... because politicians listen to numbers.” Walden said a national monument designation could have a huge negative effect on ranching. “Their plan is to get cattle off the range. Let’s just say it,” he said. The proposal would en- compass about 33 percent of the county’s total grazing land and local ranchers are con- cerned about access, not only for grazing but to fight fires, manage noxious weeds and maintain water resources, said rancher Elias Eiguren. He said locals, in conjunc- tion with federal and state land managers, are doing a good job now managing the area. Stripe rust confirmed in southeast Idaho Capital Press IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — Stripe rust has been confirmed in southeast Idaho and Mag- ic Valley commercial wheat fields, according to a Univer- sity of Idaho emailed disease alert. The southeast Idaho cases were confirmed on April 4 by UI Extension cereals patholo- gist Juliet Marshall. One southeast Idaho field south of Aberdeen was planted to Brundage, which is a highly susceptible variety. Marshall said she also con- firmed stripe rust in volunteer Brundage in another field be- tween American Falls and Po- catello. Marshall said she’s also received a report from a repu- table source of stripe rust in a field of Brundage planted east of Wendell. The fungal disease spreads by yellow-orange spores, weakening plants and shriv- eling grains, and likes high humidity and early season temperatures. It can cause sig- nificant yield losses. Marshall advises growers to spray fungicides at herbicide timing on susceptible varieties, select resistant spring varieties for planting, consider two or more applications of fungicide throughout the growing season on susceptible varieties and to scout all varieties, noting “there are sometimes changes in the fungal strains, and those varieties that are currently re- sistant may become suscepti- ble.” She said susceptible variet- ies should be scouted weekly throughout the season. Based on the symptoms, Marshall suspects the stripe rust overwintered, and she emphasized snow cover this winter likely insulated some spores from low temperatures. Marshall said strobilurin fungicides are well-suited for preventive applications, and triazoles or triazole and strobilurin mixtures are ideal for treating established infec- tions. SHASTA LAKE, Calif. — Last winter’s big storms mean farms in Northern California will receive their full federal water allocations, while San Joaquin Valley farms without senior water rights will get at least some water for the first time in three years. The U.S. Bureau of Recla- mation’s initial allocations on April 1 gave farms and cities north of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta 100 per- cent of requests, while some Friant Division customers south of the Delta will get 30 percent and other ag contrac- tors in the San Joaquin Valley will get 5 percent of normal supplies. Urban contractors south of the Delta will get 55 percent of their historic use, while wildlife refuges and San Joa- quin River exchange and set- tlement contractors will see 100 percent of their normal supplies, according to the bu- reau. The only zero allocation this year was for customers of the Central San Joaquin Wa- ter Conservation District and Stockton East Water District because of a lack of available CVP water in New Melones Reservoir. It was at only 26 percent of its capacity and 41 percent of its historical aver- age as of March 31. “The allocation is based on a cautious estimate of the amount of water that will be available for deliveries to CVP water users,” bureau re- gional deputy manager Pablo Arroyave told reporters in a conference call, noting that allocations were based on such factors as snowpack, reservoir levels, water quality needs, water rights priorities and endangered species pro- tections. “While conditions have greatly improved … the drought proclamation enact- ed by (Gov. Jerry Brown) in 2014 still remains in effect,” he said. “2016 has already been a challenging year and we certainly foresee some challenges throughout the re- mainder of the water year. … We are, in our view, still in the middle of a drought.” The Friant Division’s 30 percent allocation is dedicat- LEGAL NOTICE OF CLOVER COMMISSION PUBLIC BUDGET HEARING TO: ALL OREGON CLOVER SEED GROWERS 15-2/#4N Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held pursuant to ORS 576.416 (5), on Wednesday, May 11, 2016, at 7:00 a.m., at West Salem Roth’s IGA, Founder’s Room “0”, 1130 Wallace Road, Salem, Oregon, upon a proposed budget for operation of the Clover Commission during the fiscal year July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017. At this hearing any producer of Oregon Grown Clover seed has a right to be heard with respect to the proposed budget, a copy of which is available for public inspection, under rea-sonable circumstances, in the office of each County Exten-sion Agent in Oregon. For further information, contact the Clover Commission busi-ness office, P.O. Box 3366, Salem, Oregon 97302, tele-phone (503) 364- 2944. The meeting location is accessible to persons with disabilities. Please make any requests for an interpreter for the hearing impaired or for other ac-commodation for persons with disabilities at least 48 hours before the meeting by con-tacting the Commission office at 503-364-2944. 15-4/#4 Tim Hearden/Capital Press Shasta Lake, the centerpiece of the federal Central Valley Project, was 88 percent full and at 109 percent of its normal supply as of March 31. The high lake level enabled the CVP to give farms north of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta their full alloca- tions of water. ed to Class 1 customers, or the most senior landowners, and will apply to a majority of the prime citrus-growing region in Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties, said Joel Nelsen, president of California Citrus Mutual. In addition, sched- uled releases of 185,000 acre- feet will be made in blocks in May for flood management, according to the bureau. “We expect more, but it’s a heck of a lot better than the last two years,” when no sur- face water was available to the region, Nelsen said. “By the first of June, we expect another announcement that they’ll increase that some- what, but at least it’s a good start.” The 5 percent south-of- Delta allocation will largely affect growers on the west side of the valley, where hun- dreds of thousands of acres have already been fallowed because of a lack of water. Farm groups criticized the allocation, arguing that too much water from the winter’s abundant rainfall was allowed to wash through the Delta and out to the Pacific Ocean. In a statement, Fresno County Farm Bureau chief executive officer Ryan Jacobsen called the allocations “despicable.” “Reservoirs throughout the state have been filling,” Jacobsen said. “However, the government’s restrictive interpretation has resulted in the permanent loss of 789,000 acre-feet of water.” LEGAL NOTICE OF OREGON HOP COMMISSION PUBLIC BUDGET HEARING The Oregon Hop Commission will hold a public hearing, pursuant to ORS 576.416(5), for the purpose of receiving comments on the Commission’s proposed 2016- 2017 budget on Thursday, April 21, 2016, 12:00 noon, at Gustav’s Bargarten, 6045 Keizer Station Blvd, Keizer, OR 97303. At this hearing any producer of Oregon grown Hops has the right to be heard with respect to the proposed budget. Any person wishing to comment on the budget is welcome to do so either orally or in writing. A copy of the proposed budget is available for public inspection during normal business hours, under reasonable circumstances, at the Oregon Hop Commission office located at 3037 G Street - Hubbard, Oregon. For further information, contact the Oregon Hop Commission office at (503) 982-7600 or nancy@oregonhops.org. The meeting location is accessible to persons with disabilities. A request for an interpreter for the hearing impaired or for other ac- commodations for persons with disabilities should be made at least 48 hours in advance. 15-4/#4