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Friday, December 13, 2019 CapitalPress.com 5 ODFW Commission to revisit greater protections for marbled murrelet Oregon hazelnut growers look to penetrate new export markets Environmental groups seek endangered species status Research will focus on new Chinese regions, S. Korea, Japan, Canada By GEORGE PLAVEN Capital Press SALEM — Oregon fish and wildlife commissioners are reconsidering whether to grant endangered species protections for the mar- bled murrelet, a small sea- bird that nests in coastal old growth forests. The commission voted 4-1 on Dec. 6 to revisit the status of the marbled mur- relet after deciding not to “uplist” the bird from threatened to endangered in 2018. Environmental groups petitioned the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to classify the marbled murrelet as endan- gered in 2016. The species was listed as threatened under the federal Endan- gered Species Act in 1992, and listed as threatened by ODFW in 1995. Since then, the groups — including Cascadia Wildlands, Defenders of Wildlife, Oregon Wild, the Audubon Society of Port- land and Oregon Chapter of the Sierra Club — have argued the marbled mur- relet could go extinct in Oregon within the next cen- tury, due in part to declin- ing habitat from logging in state forests. The ODFW Commis- sion initially voted 4-2 in favor of uplisting the mar- bled murrelet in February 2018, ordering the agency to develop a new manage- ment plan and survival guidelines for the species in state forests where the birds nest. But commissioners changed course in June 2018, reversing the deci- sion and denying the envi- ronmentalists’ petition. The groups promptly sued ODFW, and earlier this year a Lane County Circuit Court judge ruled the com- By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI Capital Press U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission will recon- sider listing the marbled murrelet on the state’s en- dangered species list. mission violated state law by not adequately explain- ing the contradiction between the two results. Now the commission will taker another look at uplisting, with meet- ing dates to be announced sometime next year. Bob Spelbrink, of Siletz, Ore., was the only commissioner to vote against the motion. Quinn Read, North- west program director for Defenders of Wildlife, said in a statement that the deci- sion to list the marbled murrelet as endangered is a matter of science and law, not compromise or politics. “We are encouraged by the commission’s actions today, but we will con- tinue to demand that they follow the science, respect public process and protect this bird for future genera- tions,” Read said. Members of agricultural, timber and private forest- land organizations also tes- tified at the Dec. 6 commis- sion meeting, saying the decision not to uplist was based on the best and most up-to-date science, which indicates marbled murrelet populations are on the rise in Oregon. Seth Barnes, director of forest policy for the Oregon Forest and Industries Coun- cil, pointed to monitoring work conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service between 2000 and 2017 showing marbled murrelet populations grew in Ore- th 50 c c c Anniversar gon by 1.8% per year. At the same time, the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement used data from the For- est Service to analyze growth and logging of for- ests potentially used by the marbled murrelet. The results found that, since 1995, coastal forests have added an average of 64,710 acres of trees 50 years or older each year. “We have abundant hab- itat in Oregon,” Barnes said. “More older forest structure exists today than we’ve had in decades and continues to grow across ownership.” Jim James, executive director of the Oregon Small Woodlands Associa- tion, said family woodland owners are dedicated to doing the right thing, but remain concerned about over-regulation. “If this commission were to decide to uplist the murrelet, I believe the only outcome from that ... is that family woodland own- ers would be concerned, as you would be if your 401(k) is challenged,” James said. “It would take away any incentive to have any large, old trees on your property.” Jerome Rosa, execu- tive director of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association, said uplisting the murrelet could have “significant negative consequences” on grazing and access to pub- lic lands. growth in Oregon’s hazel- nut production, as acre- age has grown from fewer than 30,000 acres to roughly 85,000 in the past decade. Between 2007 and 2015, growers focused on planting varieties meant for producing the in-shell hazelnuts that are popular in China, said Larry George, president of the George Packing Co. More recently, packers have been urging growers to plant more cultivars meant for the production of kernels that can be used by domestic food manufacturers, George said. However, the industry is “just barely starting to see production increase now” of the kernel varieties, so it needs to focus on widening sales channels for the in-shell nuts that represent the bulk of new production, he said. “We’re trying to develop those markets first,” George said. “It takes years to develop markets.” The Oregon Hazelnut Marketing Board is paying for the export research ini- tiative with about half of the $385,000 it recently received in grant funding from USDA’s Agricultural Trade Promotion Program. The study is intended to pave the way for the Oregon Hazelnut Marketing Board to receive export-oriented fund- ing more regularly through the USDA’s Market Access Program, Nagely said. Justus Bag Company is committed to exceeding customer expectations both in the quality of our products and the services we provide. We consider ourselves to be in a direct partnership with our customers and their businesses. N o rt h w e st JAN 15–17 SAL E M, OREGON S h ow OREGON STATE FAIRGROUNDS 2 3 3 0 1 7 t h St re e t N E S a l e m , O R 9 7 3 0 1 110 EXHIBITORS & PARTNERS Our customers’ success is our success. 20 seminars & workshops 3 BIG DAYS IN 3 BUILDINGS For more information visit, NorthwestAgShow.com BAG NEEDS Bulk Burlap Bopp Cotton Onion Paper Polypropylene Pouch Sand Retail Finishing Supplies Courtesy of : Northwest Ag Show Sponsors S147686-1 DISCOUNTED & FREE ADMISSION wages are rising and who are looking for new sources of protein, he said. Canada is a close neigh- bor that offers an opportunity to maximize “bang for the buck” in terms of marketing, but current exports are dom- inated by one confectionary company, Nawn said. While China is already an important market for Oregon hazelnuts, most shipments end up in Beijing and sur- rounding areas, he said. It may be possible to enlarge the Oregon industry’s footprint to include other major metropolitan areas in China, where in-shell hazel- nuts could similarly be eaten as a snack food, he said. “Even though it’s a nice market for hazelnuts, it could be better with some strategic marketing work,” Nawn said. Last year, Chinese tariffs on Oregon in-shell hazelnuts — the most popular type con- sumed there — jumped from 25% to 65% due to the ongo- ing trade dispute with the U.S. The tariff hike convinced Oregon’s industry to look for ways to increase sales despite the higher barrier while also diversifying beyond the Chi- nese export market, said Meredith Nagely, manager of the Oregon Hazelnut Market- ing Board. “Tariff mitigation was the impetus for it,” she said. The trade turbulence comes at a time of looming y 2020 MORE THAN Mateusz Perkowski/Capital Press File Hazelnuts are swept into rows in preparation for har- vest. The Oregon hazelnut industry is looking to ex- pand export opportunities beyond its traditional mar- ket in Northeast China. JUSTUS BAG COMPANY Agricultural OVER Oregon’s hazelnut indus- try is looking to expand beyond its traditional export market in Northeast China and gain a better foothold in other Asian countries as well. A new research export ini- tiative overseen by the Ore- gon Hazelnut Marketing Board will examine improv- ing the crop’s reach into China while better penetrat- ing markets in Japan, South Korea and India. The study will also ana- lyze ramping up exports into Canada, which is already the second-largest destination for Oregon hazelnuts behind China. “The potential is quite remarkable to access con- sumers around the world. It’s going to yield long-term ben- efits for all the growers and packers in the region,” said Jeff Nawn, whose North Hill Group consulting firm will conduct the analysis. “For the industry, it’s the right time to do this type of work.” Of the 18,000 metric tons of Oregon hazelnuts exported last year, nearly 80% were shipped to China and most of the rest to Canada, with nominal amounts destined for other countries. Oregon’s total annual production has averaged more than 37,000 metric tons in recent years. Japan and South Korea are attractive potential mar- kets because they’re wealthy countries that already con- sume hazelnuts incorporated into high-end chocolates, and Oregon has strong “brand equity” in both nations, Nawn said. “Oregon has the image of being very clean, natural, wholesome,” he said. India, meanwhile, has the “largest collection of vege- tarians in the world” whose PLANT LOCATIONS: Spokane, WA and Portland, OR 800-456-7878 • Justusbag.com S155591-1
