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EMPOWERING PRODUCERS OF FOOD & FIBER Friday, January 15, 2021 Volume 94, Number 3 CapitalPress.com $2.00 Jonathan Richards Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, welcomed farmers to the organization’s virtual convention for 2021, which began Jan. 10. FARM BUREAU HOLDS STEADY DESPITE POLITICAL SHIFT By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI Capital Press D espite the upcoming shift in political power at the national level, the Amer- ican Farm Bureau Federation expects to remain plugged into top-level pol- icy discussions about COVID-19 relief and other issues facing agriculture. The organization’s president, Zippy Duvall, recounted AFBF’s accomplishments under the Trump administration during the Jan. 10 online commencement of the group’s annual convention — including the disbursal of billions of dollars in farm aid, reduced taxes, updated trade deals and regulatory reforms. “We have made the most of our time,” Duval said. Even so, the organization is well prepared for ADDITIONAL COVERAGE ON PAGE 4 the new make-up of Congress and the change in presidential administrations, he said. “Folks, let me assure you, it’s still our time,” Duvall said. “Farm Bureau has built strong relationships with every administration, every Congress, and we’re already building those relationships again to continue to be the strong national voice of agriculture.” On Jan. 11, the Farm Bureau’s congressio- nal advocates are scheduled to expand on the “new challenges and opportunities” facing farmers, now that both the presidency and both chambers of Congress will be controlled by Democrats. The theme of the organization’s 2021 vir- tual convention — “Stronger Together” — was chosen before the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S., Duvall said. “Little did we know how appropriate that theme would be.” Disruptions to the food chain from the pandemic See Farm Bureau, Page 11 Oregon irrigators gain access to Willamette dam water By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI Capital Press Corps of Engineers The Lookout Point Dam on the Middle Fork Willamette River is one of 13 in Oregon’s Willa- mette Basin. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has won Congressional approval to allocate 1.6 million acre-feet stored annually behind the dams among irrigators, cities and fish. Farmers, under new federal law, have gained access to about 328,000 acre-feet of water stored behind 13 dams in Ore- gon’s Willamette Valley. However, they’d be wise to wait until further regulatory processes are finished before installing irrigation structures to take advantage of the newly available water, experts say. “We’re not going to encourage people to invest money on-the-ground until we have a better sense of what we’re talking about long-term here,” said Mary Anne Cooper, vice president of public policy with the Oregon Farm Bureau. Congress approved a plan to split nearly 1.6 million acre-feet of water in Willamette Valley reservoirs among irri- gators, cities and in-stream flows in a broader, $1.4 trillion spending bill that became law in the final days of 2020. The legislation contains several cave- ats that are subject to different interpre- tations among the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which developed the plan, and various groups that will compete for the water. Irrigators are allocated 327,650 acre- feet under the plan, while municipal and industrial users get 160,000 acre-feet. More than 1.1 million acre-feet will be dedicated to fish and wildlife purposes, but the exact amounts are subject to revi- sion based on regulatory findings. The water’s division between agri- cultural, municipal and environmental purposes has been undefined for more than two decades while the Corps navi- gated legal obstacles, so the Congressio- nal affirmation of its reallocation plan is a major step forward. Even so, the specifics of how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will adminis- ter the water — especially when reservoir levels are lower than normal — remains ambiguous and will require clarification, Cooper said. “It’s one of the most complex water management issues we’ve seen state- wide,” she said. “You’d need a crystal ball to accurately predict the future.” While the recent federal legislation See Irrigators, Page 11 Timberland owners face challenges after 2020 fires Timberland owners face seedling, labor and equipment shortages after 2020 fires By SIERRA DAWN MCCLAIN Capital Press Timberland owners across the West are facing a hard winter as they struggle to replant millions of acres of burned trees after 2020’s devastating fire season. The work is hard every year; workers shovel, climb rough terrain and hack cold ground while carrying sacks of 100 seedlings around their waists. This year, fire damage pres- ents even greater challenges, includ- ing seedling, labor and equipment Rayonier Companies and individual landowners face challenges replanting timberlands after 2020’s devastating fires. shortages. “The fires are having major ripple effects,” said Cindy Mitchell, senior director of public affairs at the Wash- ington Forest Protection Association. California’s fires burned more than 4 million acres of forestland last year, according to officials. In Oregon, according to the state Department of Forestry, more than 1 million acres were scorched, includ- ing at least 250,000 acres of industrial forestland. Clearing debris has been diffi- cult — made more so by the fact that many logging companies lost equip- ment, with equipment losses ranging from $200,000 to $1.5 million apiece. Timber companies are also facing a major labor crisis. The shortage is not as critical as it was last summer when President Trump’s immigration ban capped the number of H-2B work visas; industry groups have since won an exemption. But Tim O’Hara, director of governmental affairs at the Forest Resources Association, said national demand for forestry workers is inten- sifying, especially after the fires. He estimated that for fiscal year 2021, See Timberland, Page 11