April 21, 2017
CapitalPress.com
7
Washington
Washington’s hemp
plan suddenly hazy
Lawmakers move
ahead of federal
law
Farm Bureau to feds: Don’t
bring grizzlies to N. Cascades
Federal study
says harm to ag
‘inconsequential’
By DON JENKINS
Capital Press
By DON JENKINS
Capital Press
OLYMPIA — The Wash-
ington State Department of
Agriculture finalized rules
Thursday for growing hemp,
one day after lawmakers ap-
proved legislation that threat-
ens to undercut the program
before the first planting.
WSDA will start issuing
licenses to grow and process
hemp May 15. The Senate,
however, unanimously passed
a House bill Wednesday to
take hemp off the state’s
controlled substances list,
potentially taking away the
department’s authority to stop
unlicensed hemp cultivation.
The licensing program
was set up to protect the seed
supply and keep farmers who
want to test hemp within fed-
eral law.
Unlicensed hemp farmers
could gain a competitive ad-
vantage by not paying licens-
ing and inspection fees, and
increase the risk of hemp and
marijuana fields cross-polli-
nating.
“I think it does raise ques-
tions. Our policy team and
lawyers will have to look and
see how this impacts our pro-
gram,” WSDA hemp coordi-
nator Emily Febles said.
House Bill 2064’s pas-
sage and the finalizing of the
WSDA’s hemp rules occurred
on back-to-back days by co-
incidence, but it introduces
another twist in a state that pi-
oneered legalized recreational
marijuana, but had until now
moved cautiously on hemp.
Unlike some other states,
Washington has tried to fit
Courtesy of Richard A. Howard/USDA NRCS
Washington lawmakers have passed a bill to remove hemp plants
from the state’s list of controlled substances. The move is at odds
with federal law and could undercut the state’s fledging hemp
program by opening the door for unlicensed cultivation, according
to the state Department of Agriculture.
its program under the limit-
ed freedom granted to states
in the 2014 Farm Bill to “re-
search” hemp. The Drug En-
forcement
Administration
reaffirmed last summer that
despite loosening attitudes,
cannabis plants — whether
the grower calls them hemp
or marijuana — remain sub-
ject to the federal Controlled
Substances Act.
Federal lawmakers, in-
cluding Oregon Sen. Ron
Wyden, have introduced leg-
islation to remove hemp from
the Schedule I controlled sub-
stance list under the law.
State legislators apparent-
ly acted under the supposi-
tion that hemp was no longer
a federally controlled sub-
stance.
“Under federal law, hemp
is not considered a controlled
substance. This bill would put
our state in accord with that,”
said Senate Law and Justice
Committee Chairman Mike
Padden, R-Spokane Valley.
Through a spokesman, Pad-
den referred questions about
the statement to the bill’s
sponsor, Rep. Matt Shea, also
a Spokane Valley Republican.
Shea told Padden’s com-
mittee last month that taking
hemp off the state’s controlled
substance list would “harmo-
nize” state and federal laws.
In an email, Shea defend-
ed Padden’s statement as ac-
curate, pointing to a 2004 9th
U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
decision. The court struck
down DEA regulations that
banned hemp foodstuffs even
if they contained only non-py-
schoactive trace amounts of
THC.
DEA required Washington
state to apply for a permit to
import hemp seeds for plant-
ing. DEA instructed WSDA
to secure the seeds and super-
vise their planting.
“Clearly, the legislators do
not understand federal law,
which is very clear,” said
private hemp consultant Joy
Beckerman. “They think they
know better than the Depart-
ment of Agriculture.”
Beckerman has advised
policymakers to stay with-
in the Farm Bill, partly to
keep hemp farmers eligible
for USDA programs, finan-
cial services and federal wa-
ter. “Now we’re in the wild
West,” she said.
WSDA policy adviser
Steve Fuller had cautioned
senators about removing
hemp from the state’s banned
substances list.
The federal government
should abandon plans to turn
loose grizzly bears in the
North Cascades, according to
the Washington Farm Bureau.
Ranchers and farmers al-
ready have enough trouble
with coyotes, cougars and
wolves, the organization’s
director of government rela-
tions, Tom Davis, said.
“It’s death by a thousand
cuts. An active grizzly pop-
ulation is another assault on
farm families,” he said.
The Farm Bureau submit-
ted comments this week on a
proposal by the National Park
Service and U.S. Fish and
Wildlife to introduce grizzly
bears over 9,800 square miles
across seven counties. The
last confirmed sighting of a
grizzly bear in the region was
in 1996.
Restoring grizzlies would
allow Pacific Northwest res-
idents to again experience
grizzly bears in their native
habitat, according to a pre-
liminary federal report on the
proposal’s economic and en-
vironmental consequences.
The report says the harm
to agriculture and livestock
production would be “incon-
sequential,” especially since
ranchers would be eligible
for compensation. The Farm
Bureau, however, says its
members nearest where the
bears would be released are
concerned about their safety,
livelihoods and communities.
“Every time a ranch family
or family leaves it’s another
attack on the local economy.
And it just does not make
sense for the rest of an econ-
Courtesy of National Park Service/Jake Bortscheller
A grizzly bear approaches a backpacker in the Katmai National
Park and Preserve in Alaska. The Washington Farm Bureau says
the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
should drop a proposal to import grizzlies into the North Cascades.
omy based on outdoor recre-
ation,” Davis said.
Washington law forbids
the state from importing griz-
zly bears. Nevertheless, feder-
al official have proposed trap-
ping grizzlies in Montana and
Canada and releasing them on
federal lands in Washington.
Another option, favored
by the Farm Bureau, is the
“no-action alternative.” Since
the agencies say grizzly bears
are unlikely to return to Wash-
ington on their own, the Farm
Bureau is essentially asking
federal officials to give up
returning grizzly bears to the
North Cascades.
“Absolutely,” Davis said.
The agencies will take
comments on the draft envi-
ronmental impact statement
until April 28.
Under one scenario, fed-
eral wildlife managers would
release up to 10 bears over
two summers, watch for two
years and either release 10
more bears or take a more-ag-
gressive course. That would
mean releasing five to sev-
en bears a year for five to 10
years. The goal would be to
have 200 bears within 60 to
100 years.
In a more aggressive op-
tion, wildlife managers would
not cap the number of bears
released each year. The goal
would be to have 200 bears
within roughly 25 years.
More than 220,000 cattle
graze in the recovery region,
according to the report. Even
with 200 bears, only one cow
and two sheep a year would
be attacked by grizzles, and
maybe not that many, accord-
ing to an estimate in the study.
“I think we were hearing
the same thing about wolves
before they were firmly en-
trenched in the state,” Davis
said.
In 2011, the Washington
Department of Fish and Wild-
life estimated that once the
state had 100 wolves, there
would be two to 12 confirmed
attacks on cattle each year.
The state reached that mark
last year, and WDFW con-
firmed 10 depredations.
Updated state rules for restricted-use
herbicides released for comments
By MATTHEW WEAVER
Capital Press
The Washington State
Department of Agriculture
is seeking comments on pro-
posed restricted-use herbicide
rules.
The new guidelines would
be simpler for farmers to
navigate, said Drew Lyon, a
Washington State University
weed science professor.
Each county in Eastern
Washington currently has its
own specially designated ar-
eas, meaning that a farmer
needs to know the rules for
the particular area he is spray-
ing.
The proposal will create
one set of rules, Lyon said.
Matthew Weaver/Capital Press file
Washington State University weed
science professor Drew Lyon.
“I think it should help,
because everyone should be
aware of what they have to
do,” Lyon said.
“Basically, if you get with-
in a certain distance of an or-
chard or a vineyard, you have
to follow certain guidelines.
That’s true wherever you hap-
pen to be,” he said.
The changes modernize
the rules and get rid of redun-
dancies, Lyon said.
Lyon believes it’s a good
change, but advises farmers
to look over the proposal and
let the state know what they
think, Lyon said. “They need
to get comments from grow-
ers.”
A task force of industry
members and WSU research-
ers helped develop the pro-
posed changes, he said.
“I think it’s a good-faith
effort, and now people who
have to live by these rules
should take a look and see
what they think of them,”
Lyon said.
WE SPECIALIZE IN BULK BAGS!
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!
HAY PRESS SUPPORT:
• Hay Sleeves
• Strap
• Totes
• Printed or Plain
• Stretch Film
(ALL GAUGES)
WAREHOUSE
PACKAGING:
• Stretch Film
• Pallet Sheets
• Pallet Covers
Local Money Working For Local People
Contact a Loan Officer Today
to Discuss Your Financing Needs!
Adrian Harguess
Joseph, OR
Mollie Hulse
La Grande, OR
Cliff Schoeningh
Baker City, OR
541-432-9050
541-963-3434
541-524-7667
Christina Smith
Pendleton, OR
John Ngo
Hermiston, OR
Todd Wood
College Place, WA
541-278-9000
541-289-4480
509-525-9860
Tyler Fenn
College Place, WA
Darrin Eberhardt
Clarkston, WA
John Gass
The Dalles, OR
509-525-9860
509-758-6878
541-296-0779
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
16-2/#5
www.communitybanknet.com
1-800-472-4292
Member FDIC
16-2/#17