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4 CapitalPress.com January 20, 2017 Deregulation of Roundup Ready bentgrass criticized Final organic rule focuses on poultry GMO escaped 2003 trials, took root in Oregon Capital Press By SEAN ELLIS Capital Press ONTARIO, Ore. — Envi- ronmental groups blasted the USDA’s Jan. 17 decision to deregulate a genetically engi- neered creeping bentgrass that has taken root in two Oregon counties. In a joint news release, the Center for Biological Diversi- ty and Center for Food Safety sharply criticized USDA’s de- cision to deregulate the grass, which was genetically modifi ed to resist applications of glypho- sate, the active ingredient in Monsanto Corp.’s Roundup weed killer. Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. and Monsanto developed the grass for use mainly on golf courses. Since it escaped fi eld trials in 2003, it has taken root in Malheur and Jefferson coun- ties in Oregon, as well as part of Canyon County in Idaho, and Scotts has been tasked by USDA with controlling it and eradicating it where possible. The CBS and CFS news re- lease said that in approving de- regulation, USDA relinquishes any authority it had over the grass, “leaving local landown- ers and the state of Oregon to wrestle with the problem.” Lori Ann Burd, director of CBD’s environmental health program, said USDA “has left us with no choice but to ex- plore our legal options to return the burden of controlling this weedy grass back to the shoul- ders of the corporate profi teers who brought it into the world.” A fi nal environmental im- pact statement released by USDA Dec. 7 recommended deregulation of the genetically engineered creeping bentgrass because it “is unlikely to pose a plant pest risk. ...” Sid Abel, assistant deputy Sean Ellis/Capital Press A genetically engineered creep- ing bentgrass plant is shown Oct. 10 during an outreach meeting in Ontario, Ore. On Wednesday USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service deregulated the plant. director of USDA’s Biotech- nology Regulatory Services, said deregulation does not af- fect a 10-year memorandum of understanding and memo- randum of agreement USDA reached with Scotts in Septem- ber 2015. The agreement requires the company in 2017 and 2018 to provide technical assistance to affected farmers and irrigation districts and provide incentives for the adoption of best man- agement practices to control the grass. After that, the com- pany will pull back a little but still continue to analyze the situation, educate growers and provide technical assistance. As part of the agreement, Scotts and Monsanto agreed not to commercialize or further propagate the plant. “The MOU and MOA re- main in place,” Abel said. “De- regulation does not affect those agreements at all.” Some farmers and water managers in the affected coun- ties worry that because the bentgrass is resistant to gly- phosate and diffi cult to kill, it could clog irrigation ditches and affect shipments of hay and other crops to nations that don’t accept traces of geneti- cally modifi ed organisms. By CAROL RYAN DUMAS A fi nal rule on organic live- stock and poultry practices is- sued by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service is intended to bolster consumer confi dence in the organic seal and level the playing fi eld among producers, the department said. New provisions for outdoor access and indoor and outdoor space for poultry produc- tion are the focus of the rule, which was fi nalized Wednes- day — two days before the Obama administration hands over the government to Don- ald Trump. “It ensures that everyone competes on a level fi eld and plays by the same rules,” Ela- nor Starmer, administrator of USDA AMS, said. Outdoor space is already required for organic poultry, but that access varies widely in practice, with some operations providing large, open-air areas and others providing minimal outdoor space or using screened and covered enclosures. Provisions of the fi nal rule seek to resolve the ambiguity about outdoor access to clear up consumer confusion about organic production practices and address the disparity in cost of production between produc- ers, AMS stated. Farm-state lawmakers and some farm groups remain op- posed to the rules, which they said could raise food prices and force some farmers out of busi- ness. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., chairman of the Agriculture Committee, said he’d work with the Trump administration after he is inaugurated Friday to try and reverse them. Trump has yet to name an agriculture secretary. “With less than 48 hours left in power, this administra- tion has overstepped its bounds with this damaging rule,” Rob- erts said. The rules won’t go into ef- fect until 2018, and some of the Courtesy of Agricultural Research Service Broiler chickens mill around in a barn. New provisions for outdoor access and indoor and outdoor space for poultry production are the focus of a fi nal rule on organic livestock and poultry practices issued by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. changes aren’t required for sev- eral years. The changes will primarily affect egg and broiler produc- ers, which will incur costs to provide additional indoor space for broilers and outdoor space for layers. Broiler operations might need to acquire more land and build new housing to comply with indoor stocking rates. Egg producers might also need more land and need to modify facilities, as the fi nal rule does not allow enclosed porches to be considered outdoors or to meet the requirement for out- door access. The rule also prohibits forced molting, restricts the use of artifi cial light, limits the amount of ammonia in the air indoors and requires perching space for laying chickens in- doors. Broiler operations must comply with the indoor space requirements by March 2020, and all poultry operations must comply with the outdoor space requirements by March 2022. Assuming all current pro- ducers remain in organic pro- duction and it grows at a sta- ble rate, AMS estimates the annualized cost of compliance over 15 years at $29 million to $31 million industrywide. The agency estimates annualized benefi ts of $16 million to near- ly $50 million. The cost-benefi t analysis used data from the 2014 Ag Census, which showed 722 or- ganic egg operations and 245 organic broiler operations. In addition to the outdoor access and spacing require- ments for chickens, there are other requirements in the fi nal rule that apply to all organic an- imal operations. It requires that producers provide animals with daily ac- cess to the outdoors and that outdoor areas include vegeta- tion and/or soil. Additionally, exit doors must be distributed to ensure animals have ready access to the outdoors. It also lays out when pro- ducers can confi ne animals in- doors temporarily and codifi es fl exibility for producers to con- fi ne animals when their health, safety or well-being could be jeopardized. It adds humane handling requirements for transporting livestock and poultry to sale or slaughter and clarifi es humane slaughter requirements. It prohibits several kinds of physical alteration, such as de-beaking chickens or dock- ing cows’ tails, but does allow some alterations for health and well-being. Producers must comply with all requirements, except the outdoor access for layers and indoor space for broilers, by March 2018. AMS also made changes to the fi nal rule based on public comment and input from other federal agencies. It removed the requirement that animals be able to lie down in full lateral recumbence, which would have required ex- pensive housing modifi cations and could have had negative consequences, particularly for dairy cattle health. It also re- moved size requirements for doors on poultry operations for outdoor access. The agency clarifi ed the var- ious requirements for soil and vegetation in outdoor areas to differentiate between the needs and management of avian and ruminant species and to protect soil health and water quality. And it deferred establishing indoor and outdoor stocking rates for turkeys and other avi- an species to future rulemaking. WSDA issues much-anticipated revised CAFO permit By DON JENKINS Capital Press H ANNU T 8 L A 4 3-7/#4x OLYMPIA — The Wash- ington Department of Ecology released new rules Wednesday for storing and applying ma- nure, capping a two-year pro- cess that alarmed both produc- ers and environmentalists. The revised Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation permit — known by the acro- nym CAFO — is expected to cover about 200 mid-sized and large dairies. Ecology exempt- ed dairies with fewer than 200 cows, a nod to the cost of com- plying with the new rules. Only a few dairies currently have a CAFO permit. An Ecology offi cial said the new permit “builds on” the state Department of Agricul- ture’s dairy nutrient manage- ment program. The permit will set new re- quirements for when manure can be spread on crops. If soil tests show high ni- trates, a farm must stop or limit manure spreading or moni- tor groundwater, according to Ecology. Manure lagoons will have to be assessed to determine the risk of groundwater pollution. Ecology will offer two ver- sions of the CAFO permit. One version will be based solely on state law and will cover discharges to ground- water. Environmental groups opposed a state-only permit because private groups will not be able to sue farmers in federal court. The other version will cover groundwater and surface water discharges. The permit com- bines federal and state laws. 2-1/#14 JANUARY 24 · 25 · 26 • PORTLAND, OR The Northwest’s Largest Ag Show! OVER 200 EXHIBITORS FROM THE NORTHWEST, ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND AROUND THE WORLD! EVERYTHING FOR EVERY FARMER! Twelve and Under Free! Single Day -$17 Adult/$8 Senior Multi-Day - $18 Adult/$14 Senior FREE PARKING ALL THREE DAYS! Free Parking Courtesy of Kubota Tractor Corp. 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