Capital press. (Salem, OR) 19??-current, September 22, 2017, Image 3

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Newspaper Page TextSeptember 22, 2017 CapitalPress.com 3 ODA: ‘Right Cranberry harvest begins with volume controls on table to farm’ law Surplus laps annual Since then, the marketing thing about the oversupply committee has reportedly because it just gets bigger and squelched talk about Canada bigger.” protects hemp demand The cranberry industry in meetings. A USDA spokesman Tues- last used volume controls to growers day said he couldn’t estimate reduce a surplus in 2001. The By DON JENKINS Capital Press KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. — Oregon’s Douglas Coun- ty attempted to restrict hemp production under rules for growing marijuana before be- ing warned the policy violated the state’s “right to farm” law. Hemp is considered a crop under Oregon’s land use law, which means it can be grown outright in farm zones. Medical and recreational marijuana, meanwhile, can be subject to reasonable “time, place and manner” regulations by local governments. Before planting hemp, farmers must ﬁ rst obtain a permit from the Oregon De- partment of Agriculture. As part of its hemp policy, Douglas County requested that ODA not approve hemp licenses unless county ofﬁ - cials issued a “land use com- patibility statement” to the growers. The ODA refused because such regulation of hemp would violate Oregon’s “right to farm” law, which prohibits local ordinances restricting common farming practices as nuisance or trespass activities. Douglas County and ODA have now agreed that hemp production isn’t subject to re- strictions, though county ofﬁ - cials can still ask to inspect a grower’s state hemp license, said Jim Johnson, ODA’s land use specialist, during a Sept. 19 meeting of the Oregon Board of Agriculture in Klam- ath Falls. However, Johnson said other counties — including Jackson, Josephine and Clack- amas — may be considering similar regulatory approach- es to hemp as had Douglas County. “All these counties have vocal rural residential popula- tions that don’t like cannabis,” he said. While hemp doesn’t con- tain enough of a psychoactive substance to cause similar mind-altering effects as mar- ijuana, some residents none- theless worry about strong odors and potential “criminal elements,” he said. “It’s all the same concerns being expressed,” said John- son. While ODA objected to regulation of hemp growing, it has acknowledged Douglas County can restrict processing of the crop, similarly to other farm products. Exactly what constitutes “processing” — as opposed to crop “preparation,” which is allowed outright in farm zones — will likely vary on a case-by-case basis, Johnson said. Another concern is if coun- ty governments begin charging fees to inspect hemp-growing licenses, he said. “It’s something we’re go- ing to keep an eye on,” John- son said. Other battles over land use in agriculture are also brew- ing, Johnson said. Solar projects on high-val- ue farmland are controversial, and two proposals approved by local ofﬁ cials in Jackson and Clackamas counties are being challenged before the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals, he said. “We’re going to start to get some case law on that,” he said. Oregon’s Land Conser- vation and Development Commission may also soon decide to review rules for so- lar facilities on farmland, he said. Such efforts are likely to be opposed as unnecessary by the solar industry, Johnson said. “I anticipate this will be a real fun one.” Another likely source of controversy is the proposed rezoning of about 800 acres in Columbia County from farm use to industrial use, he said. The expansion of “Port Westward” is located close to the Columbia river but it also contains prime farmland with irrigation infrastructure and “phenomenal” drainage facil- ities, Johnson said. when USDA will make a de- cision on the cranberry indus- try’s petition. According to the proposal, cranberry farmers would de- liver their crop as usual this fall, but handlers would be responsible for disposing or diverting to noncommercial uses, such as food banks, 15 percent of the crop, excluding some exemptions. Volume controls would not apply to organic cranberries or the ﬁ rst 12.5 million pounds delivered to a handler. The handler would have to dispose of or properly divert the berries by Aug. 31, 2018. In 2018, 25 percent of a grower’s historical produc- tion would be restricted. “I’m very much in favor of withholding,” McPhail said. “You have to do some- Don Jenkins/Capital Press Blane Saunders loads cranberries into a container Sept. 19 at a farm on the Long Beach Peninsula in southwest Washington. U.S. cranberry growers are petitioning the USDA to order volume controls for this year and 2018 because of a surplus. 2018 to at least prevent the surplus from growing. The surplus of cranberries exceeds one year’s demand. The surplus has developed over several years, driven by abundant harvests in Wis- consin and the emergence of Canada as a major cranber- ry producer. The marketing committee petitioned the USDA for volume controls in 2014, but the USDA cut off consideration, complain- ing there had been too much chatter between U.S. growers and their Quebec counterparts about reducing the surplus. USDA authorized a 35 per- cent reduction in output after prices fell to 15 to 20 cents a pound. Average prices rebounded to 58 cents a pound by 2008, but have fallen to about 30 cents a pound, according to the USDA. Prices vary widely depending on whether grow- ers are independent or in the Ocean Spray cooperative. Growers also receive premi- ums for color, quality and harvesting earlier or later in the season. The USDA has forecast the U.S. crop will be 905 million pounds, down 6 percent from 2016. But last year’s crop was a record 962 million pounds. Oregon and Washington are the fourth and ﬁ fth top cran- berry-producing states, re- spectively. Wolf plan update may be ready for review in December By ERIC MORTENSON Capital Press WELCHES, Ore. — State wildlife officials have made more than 50 changes so far to a draft wolf manage- ment plan and hope to have it ready for public and Ore- gon Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission review by the end of the year. Conservation groups have criticized what they consider a delay in updating the plan, especially as five wolves have been legally shot since August due to re- peated attacks on livestock. Groups such as Oregon Wild argue that ODFW should not authorize lethal action on wolves while a management plan review is pending. Commission Chairman Michael Finley defended the process. “I will say there is no in- tention to delay or pause for the sake of delay,” he said by email. “We have a re- sponsible wolf plan in place and are working to replace it with an updated plan that reflects lessons learned and works to recover the wolf.” At a Sept. 15 commis- sion meeting at Resort at the Mountain, on the flanks of Mount Hood, ODFW wolf program coordinator Russ Known Oregon wolf packs Confirmed pack/individual range NOTE: Polygons represent estimated ranges for known wolf packs with radio-collared animals. 82 Pendleton 197 Unnamed Heppner 5 26 Minam Meacham 97 101 Chesnimnus Wenaha Shamrock Snake Walla Walla River N. Emily 395 84 Portland Salem (As of Dec. 31, 2016) Estimated pack/individual range OR30 Desolation 22 Mt. Emily Catherine 26 Harl Butte OR29/36 84 OR37 20 26 126 OREGON Bend Eugene 20 97 58 Silver Lake OR25 5 101 Rogue N Keno (status unknown) 25 miles 199 Medford 5 *At least one breeding pair 395 Ontario Wolf pack population Pack/area Total Wenaha* Walla Walla* Snake River* Minam* 12 11 9 11 Mt. Emily Meacham* Rogue 8 7 6 Desolation Shamrock Catherine* 1 4 5 (cont.) Total Keno Heppner Silver Lake OR30 pair Chesnimnus* Harl Butte* N. Emily OR29/36 Lone/misc. Minimum total Source: Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife 1 3 1 2 9 10 3 2 7 112 Alan Kenaga/Capital Press Morgan said most of the changes are based on input from the public and from commission members. “To me that strengthens this document,” said Mor- gan, who is retiring effective Oct. 1 and was making his last report to the commis- sion. Commission members thanked Morgan for his work in managing a contro- versial species, a process in which conservation groups and livestock producers hold opposing and hotly debated points of view. Commissioner Greg Wol- ley said people recognize “what a tough spot” Morgan has been in. “What I’ve found is re- spect for your professional- ism and objectivity,” Wol- ley said. “It reflects on the whole department and on all of us.” Morgan was questioned about Oregon’s wolf popu- lation. The state confirmed a minimum of 112 wolves at the end of 2016, only one more than the previous year after many consecu- tive years of rapid popu- lation increases. ODFW officials maintain the pop- ulation survey late last year was hampered by extreme weather and that Oregon has more wolves than were counted. Morgan said new wolves have shown up this year, ODFW placed more tracking collars on wolves than ever before, and he is encouraged by the numbers. “There was talk of a stalled population, but one data point doesn’t make a trend,” he said. “I think we will see a promising increase in wolves. Oregon wolves, I’m confident, are doing well and will continue to do well.” The majority of Oregon wolves remain in the north- east corner of the state, but Morgan said they will con- tinue to disperse into the Cascade Mountains and elsewhere. Decision expected soon on proposed Galloway dam project By SEAN ELLIS Capital Press WEISER, Idaho — The moment of decision is near- ing on whether to move for- ward with a new dam and reservoir that could bene- ﬁ t thousands of farmers in Southern Idaho. The proposed Gallo- way dam would add about 700,000 acre-feet of reser- voir storage capacity on the Weiser River. Ofﬁ cially called the Weis- er-Galloway Project, the dam and reservoir would be built on the Weiser River near its conﬂ uence with the Snake River, about 13.5 miles from the city of Weiser. It would have the peak capacity to generate 40-60 megawatts of hydropower, which would help pay for the estimated $500 million cost of the project. Idaho Water Resource Board Chairman Roger Chase said the board expects to make a decision on the project in the next several months. Chase said the board has to weigh whether the beneﬁ ts of the project match the cost. “Finding more storage is a high priority for (the board),” he said. “Galloway is a great site. The money issue is what’s driving it now. Can it pay for itself?” The Idaho Department of Water Resources and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have studied the project. Two additional studies are still outstanding, and the IDWR plans to have those completed and provide the results to the water board and public in the next few months, said Cynthia Bridge Clark, a staff engineer in the IDWR’s water planning section. One of those studies is an operational analysis of what the potential beneﬁ ts of the project would be “and wheth- er they are substantial enough to advance a project of that scale,” she said. The other study looked at whether the project design could be optimized to reduce construction costs. The project would pro- vide a major beneﬁ t to farm- ers who depend on irrigation water from the Weiser River system, which doesn’t have a lot of storage capacity, said Grass Expertise. Over 40 Years Experience Weiser Irrigation District Chairman Vernon Lolley. “It would guarantee us a full supply of water every year,” he said. “It would make our life so much easier.” He said it could also bene- ﬁ t other irrigators in southern Idaho because some of the 400,000 acre-feet of water the state is required to send downstream each year to the Columbia River system to augment ﬂ ows for endangered ﬁ sh could be delivered from the Galloway dam. The upper Snake, Payette and Boise river system are required to release 200,000, 160,000 and 40,000 acre-feet of water, respectively, each year for that purpose. Delivering much of the state’s required ﬁ sh ﬂ ow wa- ter from the Galloway site could free up a lot of water for irrigation in those basins, project supporters say. WID Secretary Jay Ed- wards said the reservoir could open the possibility of a cou- ple thousand additional acres of cropland in the Weiser area. “It would be humongous for the whole Weiser River drainage,” he said of the res- ervoir. “It would make the situation much better for ev- erybody.” Congratulations TO OUR WINNERS They won the prizes given away at the Capital Press booth as part of the Oregon State Fair. Thank you to everyone who entered our sweepstakes and visited with us at the Fair. See you next year! Collectible Trucks Winner LET’S TALK! A. McGilvra Halsey W. Barnwell Rogue River GREENWAY SEEDS Caldwell, Idaho • Alan Greenway, Seedsman Cell: 298-259-9159 • MSG: 298-454-8342 Alan Greenway, Seedsman $50 Visa Gift Card Winners K. Keep S. Klover N. Shaw Terrebonne Aumsville Ellensburg, WA To subscribe, call 800-882-6789 or visit CapitalPress.com 38-3/HOU Capital Press LONG BEACH, Wash. — Cranberry growers, whose production has far outstripped demand, have started harvest- ing the 2017 crop, unsure of the percentage of their berries that will enter the market. The USDA isn’t expected to decide whether to grant the industry’s petition for volume controls for several months. In the meantime, it’s farming as usual, said Malcolm McPhail, a grower on the Long Beach Peninsula. “You’re still trying to pro- duce as much as can,” he said. The federal Cranberry Marketing Committee, made up of growers and handlers, asked the USDA in August to order withholding approx- imately 15 percent of this year’s crop and 25 percent in 38-1/108 By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI