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January 13, 2017 CapitalPress.com 11 Washington Inslee: Irrigation-minded GOP should rethink stance on carbon tax By DON JENKINS Capital Press OLYMPIA — Washing- ton Gov. Jay Inslee said Jan. 5 he hopes the chance to fund major irrigation projects will soften Republican opposition to a carbon tax, though two high-ranking GOP senators signaled that it’s unlikely. Inslee, speaking at a forum hosted by The Associated Press, said a carbon tax could provide money for ambitious water projects. The projects include in- creasing water supplies for Eastern Washington farm- ers in the Yakima Valley and Odessa Subarea, and con- trolling flooding of farms along the Chehalis River in Western Washington, he said. “This is very important to many places across the state. Places represented by Repub- lican legislators,” he said. “I hope people will consider that.” Inslee has made climate change a signature issue. Lawmakers, however, have rejected his previous propos- als to tax carbon to encourage businesses to curb emissions and to raise revenue for state government. The proposal has failed to pass either the Democrat-led House or the Republican-led Senate. Legislators also have been unable to identify a way to ensure completion of ambi- tious water-related projects such as the $4 billion, 30-year Yakima Basin plan. Lawmak- ers have been funding major projects piecemeal in two- year budgets. Yakima Valley Sen. Jim Honeyford proposed a state- wide property tax two years ago to raise billions of dollars for water projects. He said in an interview Thursday that he hasn’t been enticed to support a carbon tax. He said he doesn’t think other Republicans will be, either. “I think the chances are slim and none, and slim just got on the bus to get out of town,” he said. Senate Majority Leader Mark S c h o e s l e r, speaking earlier at the Washington AP forum, Gov. Jay said voters Inslee showed what they thought of a carbon tax by rejecting Initiative 732 in November. That proposal, he said, was sweetened with tax cuts to offset the expected increase in fuel and heating costs. “The voters had their say just two months ago,” said Schoesler, R-Ritzville. “A sugar-coated version didn’t do very well.” Legislators convene Mon- day for a 105-day session and have been ordered by the state Supreme Court to increase K-12 education spending. Lawmakers likely won’t identify a long-term source of money this year for water projects, Honeyford said. “I think with the issues we have this session, the chances are probably pretty small.” The property tax propos- al in 2015 proved unpopular. A House task force failed to come up with an palatable op- tion for the 2016 Legislature to consider. The governor’s office esti- mates a carbon tax on power plants and importers of nat- ural gas or petroleum would raise $1.9 billion the first year. The tax would increase each year. Inslee proposed putting $1 billion the first year into education and setting aside $250 million for water proj- ects. Other funds would go to renewable-energy projects and carbon-cutting programs, such as incentives to drive electric cars. At Inslee’s direction, the state Department of Ecology has set a carbon cap on man- ufacturers and oil refineries. The Washington Farm Bureau and other groups have sued to overturn the cap. DNR approves Stemilt Basin sale By DAN WHEAT Capital Press OLYMPIA — The state Board of Natural Resourc- es has approved the sale of 1,275 acres of Department of Natural Resources land in the Stemilt Basin, south of Wenatchee, to the Department of Fish and Wildlife for $1.95 million. The board did so at its reg- ular monthly meeting, Jan. 3. The Fish and Wildlife Com- mission is expected to act Jan. Capital Press A Jan. 20 workshop in Spokane will help small-scale farmers and ranchers deal will “natural risks” posed by wild- fire and drought. “We want to answer ques- tions specific to their proper- ty and not just spew out a lot of theory, have them listen or take notes or watch endless Powerpoints,” said Gloria Flora, executive director of Sustainable Obtainable Solu- tions in Colville, Wash., and a former U.S. Forest Service supervisor. The workshop begins at 9 a.m. at the Enduris Training Facility in Spokane. The program will help small-scale farmers and ranchers make management changes to address the risks of drought and wildfire, Flora said. The changes are designed to be affordable and increase water storage on the soil and vegetation, Flora said. The workshop demon- strates ways to provide fire breaks or barriers and distrib- ute water through the land- scape to increase its resiliency. “We’re focusing on the physical design and structure of the property,” Flora said. The workshop uses holistic and permaculture principles, including prevailing wind patterns and how neighboring property owners are managing their land. “From what direction is your greatest risk?” Flora said. Gutzwiler and other mem- bers of the community group Stemilt Partnership have sup- ported the sale of Sections 16 and 22 by DNR to WDFW to preserve the land for wild- life and recreation. Howev- er, many of them oppose the easement saying agricultural development on the Mathi- sons’ Section 17 will disrupt wildlife. The area is a migra- tory path for the 6,000-head Colockum elk herd. The Mathisons, owners of the large Wenatchee tree fruit company Stemilt Growers, unsuccessfully tried to buy or lease Section 16 in the past from DNR for cherry expan- sion. DNR said it will use the money from the sale to buy replacement property else- where that is more conducive for producing school con- struction revenue. DNR sold two other sec- tions of land in the same area to WDFW in 2013. Industry to air concerns about herbicide-resistant weeds Listening session set for Jan. 24 in Pasco, Wash. By MATTHEW WEAVER Capital Press Concerns about the in- creasing number of cases of herbicide-resistant weeds have prompted the industry to hold seven listening sessions across the country to look for an- swers. The only Pacific Northwest meeting will be 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Jan. 24 at the Red Lion Conference Center in Pasco, Wash. The listening session is limited to the first 160 regis- trants. “Specialists who are man- aging weeds are throwing their hands up,” said Ian Burke, as- sociate weed science professor at Washington State Univer- sity. “We’re really sort of out of options. We need industry, stakeholder and grower input to chart a path forward.” Burke said he’s documented dozens of new types of herbi- cide resistant weeds in recent years, calling it a “widespread” problem in the Pacific North- west. “We don’t produce a Round- up Ready crop on a widespread basis, but we’re working on new cases of Roundup resistant weeds because we use a lot of Roundup,” he said. Glyphosate herbicide is the active ingredient in Roundup. For example, Russian this- tle in fallow areas can some- Workshop offers ways to deal with ‘natural risk’ By MATTHEW WEAVER 13. Before closing the sale, DNR will grant a utility ease- ment over Section 16 of the land to the Mathison family enabling it to expand cher- ry operations on its land that neighbors oppose. Jerry Gutzwiler, the Wenatchee Sportsmen’s pres- ident, said he and another member planned to testify against the easement at the board meeting but didn’t go because of illness and weath- er. “In permaculture, as we like to say, the problem is the solu- tion. If you have a problem, how are we going to solve it in a way that actually brings benefit instead of another lia- bility?” Programs are available to help farmers make adjust- ments, Flora said. “We want to connect peo- ple with their landscape in a way that helps them under- stand it better, and we want to help connect people with the resources out there that can help them implement positive change,” she said. Courtesy of Oregon State University Herbicide resistance in weeds will be the topic of a Jan. 24 listen- ing session in Pasco, Wash. times harden under hot sum- mer conditions and not absorb herbicide like it would under optimum conditions, for one example, said Jim Fitzgerald, executive director of the Far West Agribusiness Association in Spokane. “They may get sick but they don’t die, but in that process, they develop some resistance,” he said. “None of these herbicide companies profit when one of their products becomes obso- lete due to resistance,” Burke said. It’s important that the Pa- cific Northwest perspective be represented when discussion leads to new policy, Burke said. “Ideally, we want to get to a place where everyone wins,” he said. “Where we can apply the latest science to manage herbicide resistance in a way growers can make the income they need over the short term, and make them more sustain- able in the long term.” It takes roughly 10 years to develop and gain approval for new chemistries, Fitzgerald said. “Look what’s going to hap- pen in the next 10 years as far as chemical resistance,” he said. “It’s tending to the need that’s right here in front of us in the next few years.” Ignoring the problem could lead to more weeds developing resistance, Fitzgerald said. “This is sort of an interven- tion before there’s any kinds of mandates or requirements,” he said. WE SPECIALIZE IN BULK BAGS! 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