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Friday, December 28, 2018 CapitalPress.com 7 Trump wraps farm WDFW loses 9 percent of yearly chinook production in hatchery disaster bill for Christmas By DON JENKINS Capital Press Washington’s cam- paign to rear more salmon for orcas suffered a setback Dec. 14 as 6.2 million chi- nook fry suffocated at a Fish and Wildlife hatchery in Pierce County. The losses amounted to about 9 percent of the 68 mil- lion chinook raised annually at Fish and Wildlife hatcher- ies. The department’s hatch- ery division manager, Eric Kinne, called the loss devas- tating and one that won’t be easy to make up. Increasing hatchery pro- duction is part of Gov. Jay Inslee’s proposed $1.1 bil- lion orca-rescue plan. The plan was based on recom- mendations from the South- ern Resident Orca Task Force. Inslee also embraced a recommendation to look at removing four dams on the Lower Snake River to increase fish runs. The dams are part of a river system that allows wheat farmers to barge grain to export terminals on the Columbia River. Other ele- ments of the orca recovery plan could affect land regu- lations and water rights. The chinook fry at Minter Creek Hatchery in Gig Har- bor died during an early evening windstorm that knocked out electricity to pumps that constantly flow water through about 900 small trays. Each tray held about 6,800 fry, Kinne said. recommendations sent to Inslee, primarily because of the recommendation to study removing the four dams. The dams generate enough electricity to power a city the size of Seattle, according to the Bonne- ville Power Administration. The dams have long been criticized by environmen- tal groups as impediments to fish. The dams were built between 1962 and 1975 and have fish passages. Accord- WDFW ing to NOAA Fisheries, the Workers harvest chinook salmon. Millions of salmon number of wild spring and fry were lost after a power outage shut down pumps at summer chinook return- the Minter Creek Hatchery, one of 83 operated by the ing to the river has declined Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. since the dams were built, but increased hatchery pro- Hatchery workers were uled to be released in May duction has more than off- unable to start a backup die- or June. Out of the 6.2 mil- set any loss of prey base for sel generator to keep the lion fry, about 14,700 could orcas caused by the dams. water flowing. “It was a mad have been expected to return There is no evidence orcas scramble,” Kinne said. after three to five years in the distinguish between wild and After a half hour, ocean to be harvested or to hatchery fish, according to deprived of oxygen in fresh- spawn. NOAA Fisheries, which con- water, the fish began to die, Fish eggs at the hatchery, cluded in 2014 that removing Kinne said. Fish and Wild- including roughly 4.2 million the dams was not necessary life has not said why the chum salmon and 2 million to recover orcas. generator did not start. coho salmon, survived the Inslee said he wants “We’re still investigating the power outage. a task force to study root cause,” Kinne said. The losses were higher whether the hydroelectric- The mishap killed 4.2 than the 2.4 million chi- ity could be replaced with million Deschutes fall chi- nook fry that died when mud, wind and solar power, and nook fry, 1.5 million Minter gravel and trees flooded whether the barges could Creek fall chinook fry and a Kalama River hatchery be replaced with trucks and 507,000 White River spring in southwest Washington trains. The Army Corps of chinook fry. Fish and Wild- during a storm in 2015. Engineers operates the fed- life had planned to end the The Washington Farm eral dams. Inslee said a production of White River Bureau, which is repre- state task force could con- spring chinook fry, but sented on the orca recovery tribute to a court-ordered decided to rear more this year task force, said it supported environmental review of in an early effort to increase increased hatchery produc- the dams. Inslee has pro- tion. It abstained, however, posed spending $750,000 prey for orcas. The chinook were sched- from endorsing the slate of on the task force. Irrigation transfer bill passes U.S. House By DAN WHEAT Capital Press KENNEWICK, Wash. — A bill to transfer title of U.S. Bureau of Reclamation irriga- tion assets to the Kennewick Irrigation District passed the U.S. House, 358-1, Dec. 19. H.R. 6652, introduced by Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., in August passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee Nov. 15. It must pass the Senate before the end of the year to make it through this Congress. The bill is in keeping with a December 2017 agree- ment between the district and bureau. It transfers title of a portion of lands and irrigation canals from Chandler Pump Station, 11.2 miles east of Prosser, and running 40 miles east. The district has already paid the bureau nearly $4.6 million on a lease-loan over 65 years for the system, pays its maintenance and is liable for it, district officials have said. By CAROL RYAN DUMAS Capital Press The signing of a new farm bill by President Trump on Nov. 20 deliv- ers just what farmers and ranchers were wishing for this Christmas season. Farm groups were quick to register their appreciation and relief in press statements thanking Trump, his administration and Congress for securing a bill before the clock ran out on 2018. The American Farm Bureau Federation said enactment means risk-management tools, foreign market develop- ment and environmen- tal stewardship programs continue to be available — and on terms that reflect a much tougher economy than when the last farm bill became law. “The farm bill helps to ensure the food secu- rity and economic secu- rity of our nation. Directly or indirectly, it benefits everyone in towns large and small,” Zippy Duvall, AFBF president, said. National Farmers Union said the leaders and staff of House and Senate agricul- ture committees delivered on much-needed improve- ments to the previous farm bill and continued support for programs that aid fam- ily farm sustainability and emerging markets. “Farmers Union mem- bers are relieved to have the support of the farm bill heading into an uncertain future for American agri- culture,” Roger Johnson, NFU president, said. “We’re entering a sixth year of devastatingly low farm prices, leading to substantial financial stress for farm families and forc- ing many out of business,” he said. USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue said Trump’s sig- nature is a Christmas present to American agriculture. President “Farmers Donald take finan- Trump cial risks every year as a matter of doing busi- ness, so having a farm bill in place gives them peace of mind to make their deci- sions for the future,” he said. The National Associ- ation of Wheat Growers said the signing marked a historic event for all of U.S. agriculture. “The 2018 Farm Bill provides farmers with the certainty and stability they need to continue pro- ducing a safe and nutri- tious food supply while using fewer resources and maintaining healthy soil for crops,” Jimmie Musick, NAWG president, said. National Corn Grow- ers Association said farm- ers will be able to look for- ward to a new year with the certainty of a new farm bill. “Between depressed commodity prices, record- low farm incomes and tar- iffs and trade uncertainty, today’s signing is very welcome news,” NCGA stated. The American Soybean Association said it’s a suc- cess to have the legislation signed before the end of the year. “We appreciate the level of assurance the bill pro- vides and will now be able to better focus on work- ing with the administra- tion and Congress on other issues affecting the com- petitiveness and profitabil- ity of U.S. beans,” Davie Stephens, ASA president, said. 51-2-3/HOU
