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10 CapitalPress.com September 29, 2017 Idaho Subscribe to our weekly Idaho email newsletter at CapitalPress.com/newsletters Forest Service, Idaho work to boost logging on federal land By KEITH RIDLER Associated Press BOISE, Idaho — The U.S. Forest Service and Idaho have forged 10 agreements for log- ging and restoration projects on federal land in what offi- cials say could become a tem- plate for other Western states to create jobs and reduce the severity of wildfires. Under the deals, Idaho for- esters will administer timber sales on about 10,000 acres the federal agency has on its to-do list but can’t complete because the money for the work is in- stead going to fight wildfires. So far this year, the cost of that fight has surpassed $2 billion — more than half the federal agency’s annual budget — during one of the worst fire seasons on record in the West. The state work involves managing timber sales to a lumber company after deter- mining how much is available and sometimes even marking what can and can’t be cut. Money generated from the sales goes into accounts in the national forest where the timber was harvested, less ex- penses incurred by the Idaho Department of Lands for ad- ministering the sales. The federal money is held in accounts to be used for addi- tional work, which can include thinning projects to reduce wildfire threats and projects to improve habitat for fish and wildlife. The federal-state partner- ship is possible under the Good Neighbor Authority passed by Congress more than a decade ago that initially involved Colorado and Utah. The 2014 Farm Bill expanded the mea- sure to include other states. Michigan, Wyoming, Ore- gon, Nevada and in particular Wisconsin have moved ahead with the partnership. But of- ficials say Idaho — where 38 percent of the land is managed by the U.S. Forest Service — has made rapid progress. “Idaho has really stepped up to fully embrace that abil- ity for us to work with our state partners to get more work done,” said Intermountain Re- gion Forester Nora Rasure, whose area includes 53,000 square miles of forest lands in Utah, Nevada and portions of Wyoming, Idaho and Califor- nia. Government, industry and environmentalists have devel- Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review, via AP In this 2016 photo, a plane drops a load of fire retardant near Spo- kane, Wash. The U.S. Forest Service and the state of Idaho have forged agreements leading to more logging on federal land in what officials say could become a template for other Western states and reduce the severity of wildfires. oped a collaborative approach in Idaho following years of stalemated litigation over for- ests that were sometimes con- sumed by flames as decisions were delayed. “They’re building agree- ments on being able to man- age the forest in such a way that you can get timber off of them but you don’t compro- mise environmental values,” said John Freemuth, a Boise State University environmen- tal policy professor and public lands expert. “It’s not a pana- cea, but it’s better than forest wars. That exhausted a lot of people.” Watchdog groups say they’re concerned the policy might have more to do with avoiding environmental reg- ulations than enhancing forest health. But for now, they are cau- tiously supportive. The Idaho Department of Lands manages 2.4 million acres of state endowment land it received at statehood to pri- marily benefit public schools. About a million of those acres are forested. Tom Schultz, director of the Idaho Department of Lands, said the work with the Forest Service helps Idaho by reducing the threat of giant wildfires spilling onto state and private forest land, and removing stands weakened by insects or disease to help prevent the spread of those problems to state and private lands. Another major benefit is jobs. Shultz said an analysis suggests 12 to 15 direct and indirect jobs will be created for every million board feet of lumber harvested. The watchdog groups won- der how well Idaho can mesh its forestry program, which is geared to maximize revenue over the long term, with the Forest Service’s multiple-use mandate that includes timber sales, recreation and wildlife habitat. “We’d like to see them rec- ognize that you can still have a profitable timber sale while protecting some of those sensi- tive resources,” said Jonathan Oppenheimer of the Idaho Conservation League. The Idaho Department of Lands has received a three- year grant for $900,000 from the Forest Service for the program and Idaho lawmak- ers have authorized $250,000 from the state general fund. State officials say the goal is to have the program paying for itself with profitable timber sales in three to five years. “We want to significantly increase the number of acres being treated,” Idaho State Forester David Groeschl told Gov. Butch Otter and other elected officials during a Tues- day meeting of the Idaho Land Board, which previously ap- proved entering into the agree- ments with the Forest Service. The 10 projects in Idaho are in various stages, with two currently being logged and a lot of curiosity about how state-managed timber sales on federal land will turn out. “There’s probably a natu- ral tension between agencies, but I think that we’re making real progress in getting beyond some of that,” said Jane Dar- nell, a deputy regional forester with the Forest Service whose area includes northern Idaho. “We’ll get there.” UI plans ag technology ‘boot camp’ in Pocatello Idaho bean, seed groups to seek legislation to protect crops from soybean diseases By JOHN O’CONNELL Capital Press POCATELLO, Idaho — Nephi Harvey’s company has developed technology that enables feedlot operators to diagnose sick cattle about two days before clear symptoms surface by tracking how often they drink from the watering trough. Harvey, with Fort Supply in Kaysville, Utah, will be among the presenters featur- ing the latest innovations in crop and livestock production at an Ag Tech Boot Camp, scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 4 at Idaho State Universi- ty’s Roy F. Christensen Build- ing. University of Idaho Ex- tension officials, private in- dustry representatives and state commodity group lead- ers have formed an informal committee to plan the inau- gural event, which is support- ed by the USDA Risk Man- agement Agency. Admission will be $30, and organizers expect a crowd of about 100 people. Jon Hogge, UI’s Ex- tension cereals educator for Eastern Idaho who is heading the planning committee, said the event will likely rotate among different regions of the state in the future. Organizers are also mull- ing a possible trade show and a second day of activities, fo- cused on technology demon- strations. “These types of education- al conferences are important because a lot of producers don’t know what’s out there that may help them with just a little bit of change in what they’re doing,” Harvey said. “We have to be making more money per animal, not just By SEAN ELLIS Capital Press Courtesy of Nephi Harvey Electronic cattle tags are read as part of a system developed by Fort Supply Technologies of Kays- ville, Utah, to compile data on cattle operations and predict when cattle may become sick based on how often a cow associated with a specific ear tag needs to drink from its trough. The technology will be featured in an ag technology event scheduled for Jan. 4 in Pocatello. have more animals making less money.” Harvey’s animal health-monitoring system uses electronic ear tags that can be read from as far away as 25 feet, reducing labor and animal handling. An antenna by the watering trough re- cords when a given ear tag approaches. The company’s algorithm analyzes devia- tions from normal drinking, factoring in temperature and humidity data from a weather station. Harvey said he’s ap- proached researchers, includ- ing from University of Idaho, about conducting third-party studies on his products. His company has found the pro- ducers quickly recoup their investments — $3,500 per pen, plus a monthly charge of 25 cents per head — by reduc- ing livestock mortality and weight loss, as they can take proactive steps to boost cattle immune systems. The event’s keynote speak- er will be Brent Hillman, with Progressive Crop Systems in Shelley. Hogge said Hillman’s staff helps producers integrate yield monitoring equipment into their harvests, and to use the data effectively in making decisions. Hogge said other event topics may include drones, variable-rate fertilizer, irri- gation innovations, running pivots using a cell phone and other topics commodity group leaders may suggest. He’s planning a panel discussion featuring farmers who have effectively implemented tech- nology into their businesses. Les Nunn, an event orga- nizer with Bear Lake County Extension, anticipates ranch- ers will be especially inter- ested in advancements in ge- nomics and genetic testing of livestock. Laura Johnson, with the state Department of Agricul- ture, said last winter, during an annual agricultural out- look seminar, UI Extension hosted a two-hour discussion on agricultural technology. Surveys of attendees showed the session was extremely popular and prompted UI to “look at something bigger,” she said. BOISE — The Idaho Bean Commission and Idaho-East- ern Oregon Seed Association will turn to the legislature to try to ensure soybean seed doesn’t bring in diseases that could harm the state’s $70 million dry bean industry. Idaho is the nation’s leader in dry bean seed production because of strict testing guide- lines that require bean seed to undergo serology testing and be certified as disease-free. Idaho dry bean industry representatives say soybeans have the potential to bring in diseases that could signifi- cantly harm their industry, a claim supported by a Univer- sity of Idaho plant pathologist and the Idaho State Depart- ment of Agriculture. The bean and seed groups earlier this year asked the ISDA to initiate a rule that would prohibit soybeans from being grown in southcen- tral and southwestern Idaho, where the state’s dry bean in- dustry is located. That idea was nixed by the office of Gov. Butch Ot- ter, whose spokesman, Jon Hanian, told Capital Press the governor needed a lot more information about the ratio- nale for the proposed ban. During their quarterly meeting in June, IBC mem- bers also discussed the idea of taking soybeans under the commission’s umbrella to en- sure they have to follow the same strict testing rules and regulations that dry beans do. IBC and IEOSA members discussed those ideas during an August conference call. IEOSA Executive Director Roger Batt told Capital Press the groups will pursue legis- lation to accomplish both of those ideas during the 2018 Idaho Legislature. “We’re pretty hopeful we can get both those things done during the 2018 legislative session,” Batt said. Soybean acres in Idaho have fluctuated between a few dozen and a couple hundred over the last decade, mostly on a trial basis, but some bean industry leaders believe it’s only a matter of time before they are grown on a larger scale in Idaho. “Dry beans are a 100-year- old industry in the state of Idaho; it doesn’t make any sense to jeopardize it with a few acres of soybeans,” said IBC board member Don Tol- mie, an agronomist and pro- duction manager for Treasure Valley Seed Co. “On the surface, it sounds like we are trying to restrict an ag business,” he said. “That’s not it at all. We’re trying to protect an ag business that is already established.” If a moratorium is passed, soybeans could still be grown in North and East Idaho. But the moratorium idea is not supported by some IBC members, including farm- ers Doug Huettig and Mike Goodson, who both spoke against it during the IBC’s June meeting. Goodson said it makes more sense to pursue other means of protecting the in- dustry, such as placing soy- beans under the IBC’s au- thority. Friends’ hobby preserves farm history By JOHN O’CONNELL Capital Press SAGE Fact #145 Did you know that the Port of Morrow Warehousing ships approximately 6,000 export containers, 7,200 domestic truck loads and 1,200 rail cars annually. 39-1/101 BLACKFOOT, Idaho — Ken Tuck spends his free time much as he did in high school — tinkering in his shop with his best friend, Tony Rushin. Only back when they were younger, they built hot rods. Nowadays, the friends from Idaho Falls, who are both re- tired from long careers at the Idaho National Laboratory, re- store antique tractors for area farmers. Their projects were on dis- play in the antique tractor ex- hibit at the Eastern Idaho State Fair on Sept. 1-9. “The fair started and oper- ates in the fall as an agricultural event, when the crops are in, but you look at a lot of it over here and it’s commercialized,” Tuck said. “To see old farm equipment or any kind of farm- ing stuff boosts up the farmers.” Tuck said he relishes time spent in the shop behind his house with Rushin and his Labrador, listening to classi- cal music and giving new life to long-neglected farm relics. Though he admits he’d prefer to work on hot rods, Tuck ex- plained his hobby now serves a higher purpose, as several “farm buddies” have old trac- tors in line awaiting his and Rushin’s attention. With each machine they re- store, Tuck said, they also pre- serve a piece of family history. Nostalgic family members tell them stories about childhood memories and great-grandfa- thers — pioneers in East Idaho agriculture — who once used the tractors. “Farmers have a tie to it be- cause it’s part of their heritage,” Tuck said. One of their earliest and favorite tractor projects was restoring a small 1936 John Deere for a group of siblings, who wanted to surprise their fa- John O’Connell/Capital Press Tony Rushin, left, and Ken Tuck with a John Deere tractor they restored. They displayed some of their projects at the antique tractor exhibit during the Eastern Idaho State Fair in Blackfoot. ther. The old tractor had been in a cellar for years, buried under burlap potato sacks. Rushin is always struck by the simplicity and longevity of the old farm implements. “You get a computer (prob- lem) that shuts down a big trac- tor for weeks,” Rushin said. “But the 1936 here, we fixed it up and put gas in it, and it started right up after sitting that long.” The rarest tractor they’ve restored is an International Far- mall MD, which starts on gaso- line and switches over to diesel fuel. As much as they value fam- ily history, they most enjoy the new memories they help shape. In lieu of a limousine, the Far- mall tractor they rehabilitated pulled the bride and groom on a wagon when a daughter in the family got married. Though most farmers have modern tractors for working fields, Tuck said some of them still enjoy driving the antiques “like go-carts.” Rushin said their tractors are also routinely entered in local Fourth of July and homecom- ing parades. Retired cattle rancher Duane Jensen, of Rockford, restored four of the antique tractors dis- played at the fair.