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OPINION | COURT HANDS FISH AND WILDLIFE DANGEROUS NEW POWER PAGE 6 EMPOWERING PRODUCERS OF FOOD & FIBER Friday, December 14, 2018 Volume 91, Number 50 CapitalPress.com $2.00 IT’S ALL ABOUT THE NICHE Dan Wheat/Capital Press Ray Norwood, Auvil Fruit Co. director of sales and marketing, on the company’s new apple packing line. Vertically integrated tree fruit company thrives by innovating and carving out a portion of the market By DAN WHEAT Capital Press O Grady Auvil was the fi rst to introduce high-density apple plantings in the U.S., using a Tatura V-trellis system from Italy. RONDO, Wash. — Ninety years ago, the Auvil brothers, Grady, Robert and David, bought 22 acres in this commu- nity north of Wenatchee, and began liv- ing their dream of owning and operating an orchard. They cleared sage brush and rocks and planted apple, apricot and pear trees. By 1940, they owned 40 acres. A year later, they were the fi rst to estab- lish Red Haven peaches in the Pacifi c Northwest. They kept expanding. Grady Auvil became famous within the Northwest tree fruit industry as a visionary and innovator. Growers looked to him for horticultural tips and which varieties to plant next. He became a tree fruit leader and by the end of his life was regarded as an industry giant. Now, 20 years after Grady Auvil’s death, the company he started remains comparatively small and is resisting the industry trend of rapid growth or merging with another company to survive the pres- sures of labor shortages, escalating labor costs and more government regulations. Other companies of similar size have not been as fortunate. Two to the north, Gold Digger Apples in Oroville, and Smith & Nelson in Tonasket, are gone. See Niche, Page 14 Dan Wheat/Capital Press Auvil Fruit Co., nestled along the Columbia River 22 miles north of Wenatchee, Wash., has survived by growing, packing and selling only its own premium fruit. Farmers, ranchers welcome WOTUS rollback By CAROL RYAN DUMAS Capital Press Agricultural organizations are applauding the Trump administra- tion’s proposal to rein in what they contend was federal overreach by the Obama administration to defi ne waters regulated under the Clean Water Act. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Army on Tuesday announced they are proposing a clear, understand- able and implementable defi nition of “waters of the United States” that clarifi es which waterways are federally protected. The rule also details which waters do not fall under federal jurisdiction — such as ephemeral streams, groundwater, most road- side or farm ditches and previously converted cropland. Obama’s 2015 WOTUS rule has been one of the most conten- tious issues in farm country, result- ing in numerous lawsuits against the federal government brought by states and other entities. The new proposal clearly defi nes the difference between fed- erally protected waterways and state protected waterways, Andrew Wheeler EPA acting administrator, said. “Our simpler and clearer defi ni- tion would help landowners under- stand whether a project on their property will require a federal per- mit or not without spending thou- sands of dollars on engineering and legal professionals,” he said. Agricultural groups were quick to respond to the announce- ment, pointing out that farmers and ranchers rely on clean water and are committed to protecting the environment. The previous WOTUS rule, however, created uncertainty about which waters fell under federal jurisdiction and See Rollback, Page 11 Groups call for ‘mega-dairy’ moratorium Air, water pollution among concerns By GEORGE PLAVEN Capital Press A coalition of groups is asking Oregon leaders to put a morato- rium on large, commercial dairies, claiming inadequate oversight by state regulators and insuffi cient laws to protect the environment, animal welfare and small farms. The request comes after the highly publicized breakdown of Lost Valley Farm near Boardman, Ore., which was permitted in March 2017 for up to 30,000 cows, making it the second-largest dairy in Oregon. A dozen groups are now seeking to halt new or expanded “mega-dair- E.J. Harris/EO Media Group File The Lost Valley Dairy outside Boardman, Ore., has sparked legislative discussions about how large dairies are regulated in Oregon. ies.” The coalition includes Colum- bia Riverkeeper, Environment Ore- gon, Friends of Family Farmers, Friends of the Columbia Gorge, Human Voters Oregon, Oregon Rural Action, WaterWatch of Ore- gon, Animal Legal Defense Fund, Center for Biological Diversity, Center for Food Safety, Factory Farm Awareness Coalition and Food & Water Watch. Ivan Maluski, policy director for Friends of Family Farms, said the proposed moratorium would cover any dairy with more than 2,500 cows, or dairies with at least 700 cows that do not provide the animals with seasonal daily access to pas- ture. It would apply only to new per- mits, Maluski said, and not existing operations. “We’ve always believed the real issue here is these huge operations that have thousands, if not tens of thousands, of cows,” Maluski said. Exhibit A in the argument for a moratorium is the state’s approval of the ill-fated Lost Valley Farm over the objections of critics who sub- mitted more than 4,200 comments against the facility. Lost Valley See Dairy, Page 11