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14 CapitalPress.com Idaho contract ag labor licenses up By JOHN O’CONNELL Capital Press BOISE — As unemploy- ment rates have dropped, the Idaho Department of Labor has issued more licenses to agricultural contract la- bor providers, according to agency records. Linda Castaneda, IDOL’s state farm labor contractor coordinator, said the state has issued 66 farm labor contractor licenses this year, compared with 45 licenses in 2012. The cost to apply for a li- cense is $250, and it must be renewed annually. Further- more, operations with more than 21 employees must car- ry a $30,000 bond, and the smaller providers must be bonded at $10,000. Castaneda explained the bonds protect farmers from having to pay contract work- ers if a provider were to fl ee the area without paying. “It takes the monkey off the back of the farmer or the employer and puts it on the farm labor contractor,” Castaneda said, adding the farm labor contractor bears the burden of carrying work- man’s compensation insur- ance and cutting individual checks to workers, upon receiving a single payment from a grower. Contract crews also save growers time in fi nding seasonal labor, with work- ers now in great demand. Idaho’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for July was 3.8 percent, up a tenth of a percent from the prior month. The national unem- ployment rate was 4.9 per- cent. “It’s tight to come across harvest workers,” Castaneda said. Agricultural contract labor has grown in Idaho despite the loss of one of the industry’s primary in- state niches — hoeing sugar beets. American Falls grow- er Kamren Koompin said his farm used to hire con- tract labor crews during beet season, but modern beet va- rieties have been genetical- ly engineered to withstand applications of glyphosate herbicide. Though Koomp- in still fi nds his own labor, more contract providers have been stopping by the farm lately to offer their ser- vices. Robert Corral, owner of Corral Ag Labor in Nampa, provides services to about 20 farms ranging in size from 400 acres to larger than 5,000 acres. His crews provide services such as picking fruit and detassel- ing corn, and often they fur- nish a farmer’s entire labor force. Corral said his business, started by his father, has experienced steady growth. Though a tight labor market has increased demand for his services, Corral said it has also made his own recruiting more challenging, partic- ularly given that he’s now competing for labor with a healthier construction sector and with Oregon, which has a higher minimum wage. Ann McGregor, own- er of ProPeople Staffi ng in Boise, has a pool of about 40 agricultural laborers, who mostly work in agricultur- al warehouses or fi elds for Nampa-area seed compa- nies. “The supply of employ- ees is diffi cult right now, and to get people to go into the fi eld is diffi cult now,” McGregor said. “They keep telling us the economy is not as robust and doing as well as it should be, but here in Idaho, there appears to be quite a few jobs and less people.” McGregor said it’s espe- cially hard to fi ll agricultural jobs because the work is un- pleasant. “The reason (agricultur- al employers) are asking us for more people is because they can’t fi nd them on their own,” McGregor said. August 26, 2016 Newhouse may join Trump ag committee Representative would be only PNW member of panel By DAN WHEAT Capital Press U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse may become the lone Pacifi c Northwest voice on the agri- cultural advisory committee of Republican Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. Three Californians are al- ready on it. The Trump campaign on Aug. 16 released a list of more than 60 people on its ag com- mittee chaired by Charles W. Herbster, owner of Herbster Angus Farms near Falls City, Neb., and owner of an agricul- ture and animal health prod- ucts company. The committee includes 10 former and current governors, Rep. Dan Newhouse members of Congress, farm- ers, ranchers and heads of agri- cultural trade associations. The identities of everyone on the committee were not readily clear, but it appeared there was no one on the list from the PNW. Washington state Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, director of Trump’s Washing- ton campaign and coordina- tor for the campaign in Ore- gon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska and Hawaii, said there was no intention to slight the Northwest. Advisory committees are added to as they go, he said, adding he’s gained campaign approval to add Newhouse and just needs approval from the Republican congressman, who serves Washington’s 4th District and is a Sunnyside farmer. Newhouse is on the House Agriculture Committee and is former director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture. “The folks on the commit- tee are top notch but it wouldn’t hurt to have someone from the PNW on grain exports and oth- er issues somewhat unique to us,” Benton said. Newhouse campaign man- ager, Sean O’Brien, said Ne- whouse hasn’t heard anything from the Trump campaign and that the congressman supports “the Republican nominee.” Rep. Cathy McMorris Rod- gers, R-Wash., was on Mitt Romney’s committee in 2012 but is not on Trump’s. Her campaign manager, Jeff Mc- Crea, said the congresswom- an supports “the Republican nominee” and would consider serving if asked. State Sen. Mark Schoesler, a Ritzville, Wash., wheat farm- er and majority leader of the state Senate, said he’s voting for Trump and would serve on the committee if asked. People may have reserva- tions about Trump, “but there are not many Hillary fans out there,” he said, speaking of Eastern Washington. Heather Hansen, executive director of Washington Friends of Farms & Forests, said the farm labor shortage and trade are important to Washing- ton and it would be good for Trump to hear a PNW perspec- tive on those issues. Barry Bushue, president of the Oregon Farm Bureau, had no comment when asked why no one from the PNW is on the committee and if he supports Trump. Bushue said he’s had no contact with the Trump campaign and that his time is taken up with other things. Jeff Stone, executive direc- tor of the Oregon Association of Nurseries, did not respond to a call for comment. Tom Nassif, president and CEO of Western Growers in Irvine, Calif.; A.G. Kawamu- ra, former California agri- culture secretary; and John Kautz, CEO of Ironstone Vineyards north of Sonora, Calif., are on the committee. Nassif and Kawamura served on Romney’s agriculture committee. Large Western U.S. wildfires * (As of Aug. 23) Fire Don Jenkins/Capital Washington House Agriculture Committee members and staff walk through a fi eld during a tour June 14 of Whatcom County farms. The Army Corps of Engineers proposes to convert 800 acres of prime farmland in the county into fi sh habitat, a loss of cropland the agency calls “insignifi cant,” but one that farm groups say the county can ill afford. Army Corps downplays value of prime farmland in Washington Farm groups fret losing land base By DON JENKINS Capital Press The Army Corps of En- gineers proposes to convert about 800 acres of prime farmland in Whatcom Coun- ty to fi sh habitat, a loss of cropland the agency calls “insignifi cant,” but that farm groups say could threaten ag- riculture’s long-term surviv- al in the state’s northwestern corner. “We just can’t continue to see farmland erode,” What- com Conservation District Executive Director George Boggs said. “Agriculture needs a land base and also the support- ing industries. If there aren’t enough farms, those services won’t be available,” he said. “Things will start to fall like dominoes.” Government agencies have spent years reviewing hundreds of sites for the state-federal Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Res- toration Project. The corps has narrowed the project to converting 2,100 acres in Jefferson, Skagit and What- com counties into fi sh hab- itat, mainly by removing dikes. The largest project would breach dikes along the Nook- sack and Lummi rivers in Whatcom County. The $260 million project would expose 1,800 acres to tides and riv- ers, including the 800 acres characterized by the corps as prime farmland. According to a recent- ly released report by the corps,“impacts would be minor and insignifi cant … the loss of crop production would likely be absorbed by other nearby farms.” Boggs said the corps’ dismissal of the land’s im- portance to agriculture was “callous.” “You can’t just pack up and go somewhere else. That’s wrong,” he said. “This why people get angry at gov- ernment, because they don’t consider the real impact.” The conservation dis- trict and the now-disband- ed Whatcom Farm Friends urged the corps in 2014 to offset the loss of farmland by purchasing land rights else- where to ensure the county maintains at least 100,000 acres in farm production. The county had 115,000 agricultural acres, accord- ing to the 2012 federal farm census. Many of those acres are eligible to be developed, Boggs said. The corps’ report ac- knowledged that some local governments have adopted ordinances to stop the loss of farmland, but concluded those policies aren’t intended to stop fi sh projects. “The spirit of ‘no net loss of farmlands’ is to prevent development,” the corps as- serted. “This loss (of farm- land) is often a necessity of ecosystem restoration.” Drought, labor costs concern table olive growers in down year By TIM HEARDEN Capital Press SACRAMENTO — Drought is still a concern for California table olive grow- ers, whose production in 2016 is expected to come in about 17 percent lower than last year’s bumper crop. This year’s table olive crop statewide is expected to come in at 65,000 tons, about 57,000 of which are the Man- zanillo variety and 7,000 of which are Sevillanos, accord- ing to the National Agricul- tural Statistics Service. Such a crop would be be- low the 78,000 tons produced in 2015, which was an “on” year for the alternate-bearing trees. The winter rains that eased drought conditions throughout the state were only a marginal help to olive Tim Hearden/Capital Press Freshly harvested olives are ready for processing in October 2013. The National Agricultural Statistics Service expects the 2016 table olive crop in Cali- fornia to be 17 percent smaller than last year’s bumper crop. growers, who are also expe- riencing varying crop yields as well as labor shortages, NASS reported. “We’re down a little bit from last year, but it’s not a short crop per se,” said Adin Hester, president of the Visa- lia-based Olive Growers Council of California. “It’ll be pretty close to fulfi lling the needs of the processors, I think.” The harvest of table ol- ives is expected to begin just after Labor Day and continue through October, Hester said. Though they naturally fl uctuate somewhat, ta- ble olive yields have seen wild ups and downs in the last decade, peaking at a record 170,000 tons in 2010 but coming in below 40,000 tons four times since 2006, according to NASS. Last year’s crop was more than double the size of the 2014 yield of 37,120 tons as freezes and a lack of water diminished production two years ago, the agency reported. 1. Clayton 2. Soberanes 3. 0501NW Sheridan 4. Chimney 5. Withers 6. Mokelumne 7. Rey 8. Cedar 9. Kahlotus 10. Rail 11. Rock Hill 12. Blue Cut 13. Spokane Com. 14. Cherry Rd. 15. Gun Club 16. Pioneer 17. Copper King 18. Moose 19. R. Horse Gulch 20. Strawberry 21. Motoqua 22. Stein 23. Toponce Ck. 24. Henry’s Ck. Size Percent (Acres) contained 3,929 86,294 191 33,173 3,424 147 27,096 20,148 20,000 31,127 1,766 36,274 3,750 32,000 2,084 96,469 12,500 3,000 4,580 4,657 307 104 265 10,000 96 60 80 35 90 0 30 5 19 40 72 96 0 60 63 47 30 0 96 100 100 100 90 15 MONT. 19 9 ORE. 14 16 5 IDAHO 11 6 UTAH NEV. 20 CALIF. 25 21 7 ARIZ. 0-75 percent contained 76-100 percent contained Size Fire 25. Sand Ledges 26. Boundary 27. Berry Percent (Acres) contained 3,022 192 5,300 0 85 0 *100 acres or more occurring in timber; 300 acres or more in grass/sage. Sources: activefiremaps.fs.fed.us; inciweb.org Alan Kenaga/Capital Press Changing weather doesn’t help fi refi ghters By MATTHEW WEAVER Capital Press Changing weather condi- tions will likely bring little re- lief to fi refi ghters as they battle wildfi res across the West. Lower temperatures are a positive sign, said Jeanne Klein, information offi cer for Northwest Team 7, which is fi ghting the Hart Road Fire near Davenport, Wash. “With the cold front, though, does come the wind,” she said. “That’s more poten- tially impacting than the cool- er temperatures. Higher winds — that could cause fi re size to increase.” Ronda Bishop, public infor- mation offi cer for Great Basin Incident Management Team 7, said she expects erratic winds on the Henry’s Creek Fire near Idaho Falls, Idaho. “They are expecting a cold front to come in, which will change the wind direction, but then we’re supposed to get back to being hotter and drier by the weekend.” Which doesn’t help fi ght fi res, she said. “Especially with the gusty winds.” Wildfi res have burned more than 429,000 acres across the West as of Wednesday, includ- ing major blazes in Idaho, Cali- fornia, Oregon and Washington state. The largest single blaze is the Pioneer Fire in the Boise National Forest, burning near- ly 102,000 acres. The exact amount of ranch land burned or threatened isn’t known, but ranching, commercial timber and public land are impacted. Following is a regional wildfi re update according to the multi-agency InciWeb website: • The Soberanes Fire in the Los Padres National Forest in Southern California has burned nearly 89,000 acres. The Rey Fire has burned more than 31,000 acres in the same national forest. • The Blue Cut Fire has burned roughly 36,000 acres in the San Bernardino National Forest, also in Southern Cali- fornia. • The Cedar Fire has burned nearly 23,000 acres in the Se- quoia National Forest, also in California. • The Henry’s Creek Fire, 7 miles southeast of Idaho Falls, Idaho, has burned more than 43,000 acres. The cause is be- lieved to be human and is under investigation. Some agriculture and sage grouse habitat are in the affect- ed area, Bishop said. • The 35,000-acre Cherry Road Fire has burned brush and grass 16 miles west of Homedale, Idaho, near Lake Owyhee in Oregon. It is being fought by the Vale District of the Bureau of Land Management. • The Rail Fire has burned more than 32,000 acres west of Unity, Ore. Fuels include mixed conifers and insect-killed lodge pole pines. The total burned area includes 26,610 acres on the Wallowa-Whitman Natural Forest, 3,650 acres on Malheur National Forest and 13 acres of private land. • Total acreage estimates for the Kahlotus Fire in southeast- ern Washington state dropped from 22,000 acres to nearly 5,500 acres, according to the Washington State Patrol. Field agents estimate it is 95 percent contained. • The Hart Road Fire, 9 miles north of Davenport, Wash., has burned 4,200 acres. The cause is still under investi- gation. “There are some agricultur- al areas impacted by the fi re,” Klein said. • The Yale Road Fire north of Spangle, Wash., has burned roughly 3,500 acres. The cause is under investigation. • The Maple Fire has burned more than 27,000 acres in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. It was fi rst reported Aug. 8. Lightning caused the fi re. The national park is manag- ing the fi re, allowing it to play its natural role in the ecosystem to the greatest extent possible while protecting at-risk values and special locations, such as natural and cultural resources, said Barbara Dougan, public information offi cer. The fi re is part of the 32,000-acre Tatanka Fire Complex burning within the park.