14 CapitalPress.com
July 28, 2017
California
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UC-Davis beekeepers’ conference to cover changes in industry
Courtesy of Kathy Keatley Garvey/UC-Davis
Honeybee expert Eric Mussen, an extension apiculturist emeri-
tus at the University of California-Davis, and his wife, Helen, are
planning the program for the 40th Western Apicultural Society
conference, to be held Sept. 5-8 at UC-Davis.
DAVIS, Calif. — Changes
and advances in beekeeping will
be highlighted in a conference
for bee producers Sept. 5-8 at the
University of California-Davis.
Early registration for the
Western Apicultural Society’s
40th annual conference costs
$175 and will be taken through
July 31. After that, sign-ups for
the entire conference will cost
$225, while a single-day registra-
tion is offered for $60.
The nonprofit WAS represents
mainly small-scale beekeepers
in the western portion of North
America, many of whom will
gather to hear the latest in sci-
ence and technology pertaining
to their industry and how to keep
their bees healthy, a news release
explained.
At the conference, Bee Cul-
ture magazine editor Kim Flot-
ton will address “The Rapidly
Changing Bee Scene”; beekeep-
er and author Les Crowder will
discuss managing honeybees in
top bar hives; and bee expert
Larry Connor will cover “Keep-
ing Your Bees Alive and Grow-
ing.”
“The beekeeping and honey
industries are, and have been,
extremely volatile,” Flottum
said in the release. “That’s what
happens when you have ani-
mals, the weather, government
and humans in the mix.”
His presentation will include
“what’s going on at the moment
that beekeepers should be aware
of, and more importantly, what to
expect in the near and not so near
future” that will affect the indus-
try, he said.
Some sessions will be held
outdoors at the Harry H. Laid-
law Jr. Honey Bee Research Fa-
cility and the adjacent Haagen
Dazs Bee Haven, a bee-friendly
garden sponsored by UC-Davis’
Department of Entomology and
Nematology.
For information or to reg-
ister, visit http://www.wester-
napiculturalsociety.org/.
Kim Flottum, editor of
Bee Culture magazine,
will be a key speaker at
the Western Apicultural
Society conference Sept.
5-8 at the University of
California-Davis.
Nominations Delta tunnels project reaches key milestone as opponents may sue
sought for San By TIM HEARDEN
Barrigan-Parilla would not ity to issue revenue bonds to
Capital Press
say where the lawsuit would finance the project.
Joaquin Ag
be filed or what it would al-
Meanwhile, the DWR and
lege.
SACRAMENTO — The
the U.S. Bureau of Reclama-
Hall of Fame state has reached a key mile-
“We always hope for tion have been involved in
STOCKTON, Calif. —
The San Joaquin County
Agricultural Hall of Fame is
seeking nominations for out-
standing agricultural leaders
and local mentors.
Now in their 33rd year,
the Greater Stockton Cham-
ber of Commerce-sponsored
awards recognize those who
have contributed to agricul-
ture and to the community in
significant ways. Awards are
given to at least three living
recipients as well as posthu-
mous ones.
All those previously rec-
ognized in the Hall of Fame
have their pictures and biog-
raphies on display at the San
Joaquin Historical Society
and Museum and in the lobby
of the Robert J. Cabral Agri-
cultural Center.
Nominations are requested
by 3 p.m. Aug. 11. For infor-
mation, contact Timm Quinn
at (209) 292-8423 or visit
www.stocktonchamber.org.
stone in its $15.7 billion pro-
posal to build tunnel bypasses
around the Sacramento-San
Joaquin River Delta as an en-
vironmental group is threaten-
ing to sue to stop it.
The twin tunnels, both 40
feet in diameter and 35 miles
long, would be California’s
most ambitious water project
since the 1950s and 1960s.
The project would enable
Sacramento River water to be
sent directly to Southern and
Central California farms and
cities, bypassing the Delta.
California’s Department
of Water Resources on July
21 certified that environmen-
tal reviews for the project,
dubbed California WaterFix,
meets all requirements un-
der the state’s Environmental
Quality Act.
The “notice of determina-
tion” is a key step as water
districts approach key deci-
sion points this fall, contrac-
tors said. Construction could
begin as early as 2018, DWR
Tim Hearden/Capital Press
The Delta-Mendota Canal leads to the C.W. “Bill” Jones Pumping
Plant, the federal Central Valley Project’s main pump that sends
water to farms and cities in Central and Southern California. The
state has reached a key milestone in its proposal to build tunnel
bypasses to send water from the Sacramento River to the pumps.
officials said.
“We’re pleased to be one
step closer to a reliable water
system that will protect water
for agriculture and millions
of Californians, and support a
healthier environment,” Jen-
nifer Pierre, general manager
of the State Water Contrac-
tors, said in a statement.
But
Barbara
Barrig-
an-Parilla, executive director
of the organization Restore the
Delta, said the plan is “deeply
flawed” in that it would not
create water supply reliabili-
ty amid a period of increased
and prolonged droughts but
will saddle ratepayers with up
to 75 years of debt.
Restore the Delta has long
been an opponent of Gov. Jer-
ry Brown’s twin tunnels pro-
posal, and the organization is
working with other environ-
mental groups and parties in
the Delta region to prepare
litigation, its leaders said.
the best and prepare for the
worst,” she told the Capital
Press, “so that work is being
done right now.”
The state’s notice was
signed by acting DWR direc-
tor Cindy Messer and filed
with the Governor’s Office of
Planning and Research. It fol-
lows recent federal biological
opinions that state the project
is consistent with environ-
mental and wildlife protection
laws.
DWR officials say they
screened more than 100 pro-
posals before analyzing 18
alternatives in depth in the
50,000-page final environ-
mental impact report, which
was certified July 21. Changes
were made to shrink the proj-
ect’s footprint and minimize
impacts to Delta landowners,
officials said.
In addition to the certifica-
tion, the DWR filed a “valida-
tion action” with the Sacra-
mento County Superior Court
to affirm the agency’s author-
proceedings before the State
Water Resources Control
Board to change the point of
diversion for the state and fed-
eral water projects.
Supporters say the project
would mean more reliable wa-
ter for nearly 4 million acres
of farmland south of the Delta
as well as urban residents in
Southern California and parts
of the San Francisco Bay area.
Opponents argue the proj-
ect would devastate the Del-
ta’s agriculture, as well as its
historic towns and native spe-
cies. Delta growers have told
the Capital Press the project
would take land in its path
out of production and worsen
water quality throughout the
region.
The proposed tunnels are
a key agenda item for Brown,
who has made a solution to
many of the Delta’s water
quality woes a focus of his
administration. The gover-
nor’s fourth term runs through
2018.
Lisa Hanson stacks hay at her farm.
Lisa Hanson and her daughter Ellie, 16,
enjoy raising and showing their flocks
of Southdown and Hampshire sheep.
By Mary Stewart
OSU Extension Service
Standing atop a semi-truck trailer loaded with grass hay,
Lisa Hanson lifts and then drops bales on the conveyor
belt, which moves the forage into her Century Farm’s
ancient barn. Earlier that evening, Hanson coached her
oldest daughter, Ellie, as she trained her ewe for
competition at the Marion County Fair. During the day,
Hanson concentrated on the state’s agricultural issues
and initiatives in her office at the Oregon Department of
Agriculture, ODA, where she serves as deputy director.
Hanson is a remarkable combination of farmer, agency
administrator and mom who exhibits the energy,
commitment and passion that makes her a success in all
three aspects of her life.
“When I talk about my career and how I have moved
through my career, I usually talk about it in terms of
doors opening and walking through them. 4-H opened
the door of opportunity for me,” she said.
As deputy director of ODA, Hanson works to bring
practical solutions to Oregon agriculture’s difficult
problems.
Growing up on a bucolic small farm in Monitor, Ore.,
Hanson’s first 4-H club project was horses in a club led
by Peggy Erwart and Gail Bucholz. At the suggestion of
a 4-H volunteer livestock leader, she expanded her 4-H
horizons to include the sheep project. Her parents,
Norman and Kathy Charpilloz, and Linda Dennis led the
Monitor 4-H Livestock club.
OSU 4-H Extension agent Roger Fletcher brought
together a group of older youths from around the county
to give them some additional exposure in leadership and
opportunities. Hanson’s membership in this group
strengthened her soft skills in communications, writing,
and gave her practical experience working collaboratively
with people of different persuasions. Jim and Shirley
Heater were adult leaders for this group.
“It was through that leadership group that I got my first
exposure to Oregon Department of Agriculture,” says
Hanson. In that time frame, the state FFA president and a
4-H member would sit in on the Board of Agriculture
meetings. “I was asked to represent Marion County and sit
ODA Deputy Director Lisa Hanson, left,
agency staff and board members learn about
the impacts of the Canyon Creek Complex
fire near John Day during a tour led by
Ken Holliday, right, a rancher who was
directly impacted.
in on those meetings. And that was the first time I had
exposure to the department. It is kind of ironic.”
Daughter Ellie, 16, is a junior at Silverton High School.
Daughter Katie, 14, attends Gervais High School. Both
girls are top scholars, active in 4-H and FFA, and show
Hampshire and Southdown sheep at the state and national
level.
“I hope my daughters have a real sense of what
agriculture does for them personally and for Oregon,
and they are respectful of the contribution that our
farmers and ranchers make to Oregon and our economy,”
Hanson said.
“The exposure I had in 4-H — all these different facets
— has instilled the pure passion I have for agriculture
and to serve farmers and ranchers in the best way I can,”
Hanson said.
4-H is the Youth Development program of OSU Extension Service. For more information http://oregon.4h.oregonstate.edu/
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