4
CapitalPress.com
February 3, 2017
Legislature shuffles some ag-related
committee assignments as session opens
Proposed changes
to Oregon’s ‘Right
to Farm’ law would
remove protections
for pesticides
By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI
Capital Press
SALEM — Lawmakers
with strong track records of
supporting pesticide restric-
tions are chairing two Senate
committees that are posi-
tioned to affect Oregon agri-
cultural policies in 2017.
Senate Bill 499 — a
proposal to strip pesticide
protections from Oregon’s
“Right to Farm” law — was
introduced at the behest of
the Senate Judiciary Com-
mittee, whose chairman is
Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene.
The “Right to Farm” law
prohibits local ordinances re-
stricting common farm prac-
tices as well as nuisance and
trespass lawsuits against such
farm and forest management
practices.
People who lose such law-
suits are required to pay the
opposing party’s attorney
fees, which has discouraged
such cases against farm prac-
tices from being filed in Or-
egon.
Under SB 499, however,
complaints alleging nuisance
or trespass from pesticides
are exempted from the “Right
to Farm” law.
The bill’s introduction
at the request of the Senate
Judiciary Committee bodes
well for its chances for a
vote before the full Senate,
particularly since Prozanski
LEGAL
SECRETARY OF STATE
NOTICE OF TEMPORARY
ADMINISTRATIVE RULE
Oregon
Department
of
Agriculture, Market Access &
Certification
Program,
Administrative Rules Chapter
#603, Sue Hooch, Rules
Coordinator (503) 986-4583.
Amend: OAR 603-048-0700.
RULE SUMMARY: The industrial
hemp program (program) is
financially insolvent. Current
registration fees to do not
generate funds sufficient to
cover the cost to pay for
administration of the program.
The only mechanism available
for financing the program under
the current statute (ORS 571.300
to 571.315, as modified by
Oregon Laws 2016, Chapter 71)
is annual registration fees. The
proposed fee change increases
annual registration fees for
industrial hemp as follows:
Industrial
hemp
grower
registration increases from $500
to $1300;
Industrial
hemp
handler
registration increases from $500
to $1300;
Agricultural hemp see producer
registration increases from $25
to $120.
A delay in adopting these rules
to increase fees would cause the
program to go further in debt,
impair the program’s ability to
register
and
regulate
registrants, and ultimately
seriously prejudice this new
industry.
It
is
therefore
necessary to immediately adopt
temporary rules.
5-1/#4
EO Media Group
Oregon legislators who back more restrictions on pesticide use
have taken over as chairmen of key committees that could change
the state’s “Right to Farm” law.
has supported a harder line
against pesticide usage.
In 2015, for example,
Prozanski sponsored bills
that would ban neonicotinoid
insecticides and increase no-
tification and reporting re-
quirements for spraying pes-
ticides.
All of those bills died in
the Senate Committee on
Environment and Natural
Resources, which was then
chaired by Sen. Chris Ed-
wards, D-Eugene.
Edwards left the Legis-
lature last year to take a job
at the University of Oregon,
so Sen. Michael Dembrow,
D-Portland, will replace him
as chairman.
Dembrow was a chief
sponsor of legislation in
2015 — Senate Bill 613 —
that would have increased
notification
requirements
for aerial pesticide spraying
of forestland, which died in
committee.
The Oregon League of
Conservation Voters gives
Dembrow a 94 percent “life-
time score” based on his sup-
port of environmental bills.
Scott Dahlman, policy di-
rector of the Oregonians for
Food and Shelter agribusi-
ness group, said his organiza-
tion hasn’t always seen “eye
to eye” with Dembrow.
Even so, Dembrow is
known for having an “open
door” policy and will hope-
fully keep an open mind on
issues affecting agriculture,
LEGAL
PURSUANT TO ORS
CHAPTER 87
Notice is hereby given that the
following vehicle will be sold, for cash
to the highest bidder, on 2/17/2017.
The sale will be held at 10:00am by
RANDY’S TOWING
925 WILCO RD., STAYTON, OR
2014 MAZDA 6 4DR
VIN-JM1GJ1W51E1113459
Amount due on lien $2877.00
Reputed owner(s) PATRICK LUTHER SMITH
SANTANDER CONSUMER USA INC.
Legal-5-2-1/#4
Dahlman said.
Beyond Toxics, an envi-
ronmental nonprofit, believes
Dembrow is the right choice
to chair the Senate Commit-
tee on the Environment and
Natural Resources, though
it’s too early to say how he
might influence legislation,
said Lisa Arkin, the group’s
executive director.
Arkin said Oregon’s ap-
proach to pesticides in farm-
ing and forestry is “outdated
and unscientific” and the
state’s pesticide laws are
overdue for reform.
In the House, the elimina-
tion of the Committee on Ru-
ral Communities, Land Use
and Water has created some
uncertainty for legislation
that affects agriculture, said
Dahlman.
Bills that would have pre-
viously been steered to that
committee will now likely
wind up before the House
Agriculture and Natural Re-
sources Committee and the
House Energy and Environ-
ment Committee, he said.
The Agriculture Commit-
tee is chaired by Rep. Brian
Clem, D-Salem, who is a
part-owner of a farm and is
familiar with agricultural is-
sues, Dahlman said.
The Energy panel chair-
man, Rep. Ken Helm, D-Bea-
verton, isn’t as familiar with
natural resource issues but
there’s no reason to think he
won’t be receptive to indus-
try concerns, he said.
Don Jenkins/Capital Press
Mediator Francine Madden leads a meeting of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Wolf
Advisory Group March 14, 2016, in Tumwater. WDFW is looking to fill three vacancies on the panel.
State seeks nominations to fill three
Wash. wolf advisory panel openings
By DON JENKINS
Capital Press
Washington state’s Wolf
Advisory Group, a panel with
no legal authority but a high
profile, has three vacancies,
including two spots once held
by representatives of cattle
producers.
The state Department of
Fish and Wildlife will take
applications and nominations
for the positions until 5 p.m.
Feb. 17.
WDFW has staked time
and money in hopes the
18-member group can soothe
tensions and reconcile wolf
recovery with livestock pro-
duction. After presiding over
several years of contentious
meetings between ranch-
ers and environmentalists,
WDFW hired a mediator,
Francine Madden, to lead the
group’s two-day conferences,
awarding her a two-year,
$850,010 contract in 2015.
The group has found com-
mon ground, but has also
been criticized by ranchers
and environmentalists. Panel
members representing conser-
vation groups were criticized
last summer for agreeing to
a policy that led WDFW to
shoot seven wolves to stop at-
tacks on cattle in the Colville
National Forest.
Outgoing Washington Cat-
tlemen’s Association Execu-
tive Vice President Jack Field
recently resigned, creating
a third vacancy. Previously,
Stevens County sheep ranch-
er Dave Dashiell of the Cattle
Producers of Washington and
Colville teacher Janey Howe,
a part-time range rider, left
the group.
The Cattle Producers
pulled out in 2015, saying it
was a cover for WDFW pol-
icies that allowed depreda-
tions to escalate into heavy
losses for ranchers.
The Cattle Producers’
president, Scott Nielsen, said
Monday that he still would
like to see the advisory group
dissolved. But he didn’t rule
out entirely having a repre-
sentative on the panel.
“I don’t want to say ‘ab-
solutely not,’” Nielsen said.
“Someone has to convince
us it’s productive. It’s really
difficult for me to say I want
to join something if it isn’t
going to help us fix our prob-
lems.”
Field has represented
the Cattlemen’s Association
since the advisory group’s in-
ception. He said Monday that
he resigned because he will
soon become director of the
Washington Cattle Feeders
Association.
He said he expects several
cattle producers to be interest-
ed in filling his position.
“I believe in the process,”
he said. “I honestly don’t see
any alternative to being there
and battling our way through
this.”
WDFW says it will accept
applications and nominations
from Washington residents
and organizations.
Submissions can be sent
by email or mail to WDFW
wolf policy leader Don-
ny Martorello at Donny.
martorello@dfw.wa.gov or
Washington Department of
Fish and Wildlife, 600 Cap-
itol Way N., Olympia, WA
98501-1091.
Submissions must include
the candidate’s name, address,
telephone number, email, rele-
vant experience, organization
affiliations and reasons for
wanting to be on the advisory
group. Candidates also should
describe their familiarity with
the state’s wolf recovery plan
and experience collaborating
with people who have differ-
ent views.
The group has at least four,
two-day meetings each year
around the state. The depart-
ment’s policy is that meetings
are open to the public. Mem-
bers are reimbursed for travel
expenses.
Senate, House resolutions would overturn BLM Planning 2.0
By CAROL RYAN DUMAS
Capital Press
Concurrent resolutions in
the U.S. Senate and House
were introduced on Monday to
disapprove of sweeping chang-
es in how BLM develops re-
source management plans that
opponents say shift planning
away from states and other
stakeholders to bureaucrats in
Washington, D.C.
The resolutions, introduced
by Senate Energy and Natural
Resources Chairwoman Lisa
Murkowski, R-Alaska, and
Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., ad-
dress BLM’s Planning 2.0 rule,
which was finalized in Decem-
ber.
Western governors, local
governments and numerous
agricultural groups oppose
the rule, including the Public
Lands Council and National
Cattlemen’s Beef Association
— which contend the rule rep-
resents a wholesale shift from
BLM’s mandate to manage
for multiple use and eliminates
stakeholder and local input.
BLM’s stated purpose in
the proposed rule, published in
February 2016, was to stream-
line the planning process, allow
more public input and better
respond to social and environ-
mental change.
But PLC Executive Director
Ethan Lane said the propos-
al failed on public comment,
reducing it to as little as 30
days and not even mentioning
stakeholders — including the
22,000 ranchers who hold graz-
ing permits on federal lands. As
for managing for social and en-
vironmental change, “that’s not
their mandate. Their mandate is
to manage for multiple use and
sustained yield,” he said.
State and local governments
also raised strong concerns the
rule diminishes their roles and
the input of BLM state direc-
tors and field office managers
and eliminated requirements
for economic analysis.
Lane said the rule was in-
credibly problematic, received
a lot of backlash and was the
target of congressional hear-
ings. Nonetheless, a final rule
was rolled out quickly with
several other “midnight regu-
lations” under a directive from
the outgoing administration,
Lane said.
The final rule illustrates that
BLM “heard our input and ig-
nored it,” he said.
While the final rule does at
least mention stakeholders, it
still fails to recognize the role
of permittees — people who
have contractual agreements
with federal agencies and are
directly impacted by land-man-
agement decisions, he said.
WE SPECIALIZE IN BULK BAGS!
HAY PRESS SUPPORT:
• Hay Sleeves
• Strap
• Totes
• Printed or Plain
• Stretch Film
(ALL GAUGES)
WAREHOUSE
PACKAGING:
• Stretch Film
• Pallet Sheets
• Pallet Covers
LOCATIONS:
Albany, Oregon (MAIN OFFICE)
Ellensburg, Washington
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Phone: 855-928-3856
Fax: 541-497-6262
info@westernpackaging.com
.......................................................
CUSTOMER SERVICE
IS OUR TOP PRIORITY!
w w w. w e s t e r n p a c k a g i n g. c o m
5-2/#5
5-2/#14
BAGS:
• Seed Bags
• Fertilizer Bags
• Feed Bags
• Potato Bags
• Printed Bags
• Plain Bags
• Bulk Bags
• Totes
• Woven Polypropylene
• Bopp
• Polyethylene
• Pocket Bags
• Roll Stock & More!