Friday, March 19, 2021 CapitalPress.com 5 Phil Ward named CEO of Oregon FFA By GEORGE PLAVEN Capital Press Conservation Northwest State forestland in Whatcom County in northwest Wash- ington. The state Supreme Court has accepted a case brought by environmentalists alleging the Department of Natural Resources focuses too much on logging. Washington high court takes case on state logging LEGAL PURSUANT TO ORS CHAPTER 87  Notice is hereby given that the following vehicle will be  sold, for  cash to the highest bidder, on 03/22/2021. The sale will be held at 10:00am by  COPART OF WASHINGTON INC  2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR  2014 NISSAN NVP VAN VIN = 5BZAF0AA4EN161164 Amount due on lien $1,855.00  Reputed owner(s) HARMONY & EDGAR KYSAR LEGAL PURSUANT TO ORS CHAPTER 87  Notice is hereby given that the following vehicle will be  sold, for  cash to the highest bidder, on 03/22/2021. The sale will be held at 10:00am by  COPART OF WASHINGTON INC  2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR  2009 PORS 911 CP VIN = WP0AB29959S721010 Amount due on lien $2,635.00  Reputed owner(s) MERDAD & SUSAN CHAMLOU ALLIANT CREDIT UNION S234328-1 Kirk Maag, chairman of the Oregon FFA Founda- tion board of directors, said the organization was able to secure fi nancial footing under Dooley’s leadership. In 2020, Oregon FFA raised more than $1 million, Maag said, includ- ing a $500,000 donation from Northwest Farm Credit Services to establish a new endowment fund. Ward started as a high school agriculture teacher and FFA adviser in Jeff erson and Independence, Ore., before fi lling his resume with prom- inent roles at state agencies. He spent four years as direc- tor of the Oregon Depart- ment of Agriculture from 1999 to 2003, and 10 years as director of the Oregon Water Resources Department from 2004-14. Most recently, Ward spent three years as state executive director for the USDA Farm Service Agency from 2014-17 and has served as an adjunct professor in the College of Agriculture at OSU. He is also a former executive president of the Oregon Farm Bureau, and served on the boards of directors for the Oregon FFA Foundation and Oregon Dairy Nutrition Council. Ward’s experience manag- ing complex budgets, leading large teams of employees and working collaboratively with volunteer organizations were all key factors in the board’s decision, Maag said. “Oregon FFA is so fortu- nate to have someone with Phil’s passion for agricul- ture education join our team,” Maag said. “We look forward to collaborating with Phil to ensure that Oregon FFA not only survives, but thrives going forward.” USDA seeks comment on climate solutions Capital Press USDA has called for public input on a climate-smart agriculture and forestry strategy, in a notice pub- lished in the Federal Register on March 16. The notice is an important step toward implementing President Biden’s executive order on Tack- ling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, USDA said in a press release. The order, signed on Jan. 27, states “America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners have an import- ant role to play in combating the cli- mate crisis and reduc- ing greenhouse gas emissions, by seques- tering carbon in soils, grasses, trees, and other vegetation and sourcing sustain- Tom Vilsack able bioproducts and fuels.” The order directs Agriculture Sec- retary Tom Vilsack to solicit input from stakeholders as USDA develops a climate-smart agriculture and for- estry approach. “USDA is committed to address- ing climate change through actions VT 100 SERIES GII VERTICAL MAXX ® that are farmer, rancher and forest landowner-focused and that create new market opportunities for the sec- tor in a fair and equitable way,” Vil- sack said. “We want your ideas on how to position the agriculture and for- estry sectors to be leaders on cli- mate-smart practices to mitigate climate change. This includes mak- ing the most of USDA programs, developing new USDA-led cli- mate strategies, strengthening exist- ing markets and developing new markets that generate income,” he said. 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Led by Conservation Northwest, the plaintiff s are asking the left-leaning court to toss out the depart- ment’s historic focus on funding public institutions, especially rural schools and counties, with sustainable timber sales. The suit claims DNR cuts old-growth forests and plants Douglas fi r trees to maximize logging reve- nue and benefi t a “few des- ignated institutions,” while ignoring the state constitu- tion’s requirement to hold the land in trust for “all the people.” American Forest Resources Council general counsel Lawson Fite said Monday the suit relies on an incomplete reading of the state constitution and pur- sues a policy that’s not sup- ported by history or law. “It’s very much an attack on public timber from state lands in Washington,” Fite said. The suit specifi cally alleges the Board of Natu- ral Resources in late 2019 authorized too much log- ging and too little protection for the marbled murrelet, a federally protected bird that nests in old trees. The forest council and several rural school districts and counties also sued. They claim the board set aside too many acres for murrelets and cut harvests by too much, violating its duty to fund public services. That lawsuit is pend- ing in Thurston County Superior Court. Conser- vation Northwest’s law- suit has already been dis- missed. The early dismissal gave environmentalists a chance to get their case to the Supreme Court fi rst. Justices Steven Gonza- lez, Charles Johnson, Susan Owens, Sheryl Gordon McCloud and Raquel Mon- toya-Lewis unanimously agreed March 2 to take the case, bypassing the appeals court. No date has been set for oral arguments. DNR did not have a com- ment on the lawsuit Monday. Conservation Northwest Executive Director Mitch Friedman said in a state- ment that he “can’t wait for the state Supreme Court to speak on the matter.” “These lands are a gift that should not have to be squeezed for every dollar when they already benefi t us in so many ways, from storing carbon to providing clean water, wildlife hab- itat and healthy recreation access,” Friedman said. As a prelude to Wash- ington becoming a state in 1889, Congress granted Washington millions of acres to support public insti- tutions. Beginning in the 1930s, DNR acquired more timberland through tax foreclosures. The forest board in 2019 reduced harvest levels over the previous decade and set aside 168,000 acres for mar- bled murrelets. The bird has been seen on 59,000 acres. As trees grow, DNR antic- ipates setting aside more land for the bird. The forest council, whose members buy most of the timber cut on DNR land, argues that the board set aside habitat that mur- relets will never inhabit. The council estimated the lower harvest levels will reduce funding for pub- lic services over 10 years by 23% or $200 million compared to the previous decade. It warns the reduc- tion will cause a further deterioration in the econo- mies of rural communities. In contrast, Conservation Northwest alleges DNR has chosen to “operate like a pri- vate timber company.” By DON JENKINS Capital Press As the son of a high school agriculture teacher, Phil Ward was introduced to FFA at a young age. “I remember going to FFA events with him from the time I could walk,” Ward said with a chuckle. Ward, 66, would later earn his bachelor’s and mas- ter’s degrees in agricultural education from Oregon State University, becoming a high school agriculture teacher and FFA adviser himself for seven years. That would launch a career spanning decades serving farmers and ranchers while heading various gov- ernment agencies. Now Ward is coming back to where it all started. He was introduced Tuesday as Ore- gon FFA CEO, kicking off the fi rst day of the annual state convention. “I’m just really excited to be part of the Oregon FFA Ward Phil Ward team,” said. “I think it’s a tremendous organization that has made a diff erence in the lives of so many people.” Ward replaces Shawn Dooley, who stepped down in October. Dooley was hired as the fi rst Oregon FFA CEO in 2019, which at the time was a brand new position created to oversee staff , fi nances and fundraising for the Oregon FFA Foundation, Association and Alumni. The three groups had pre- viously voted to join together under a single management structure, governed by a 10-person joint policy board. NOTICE OF OREGON MINT COMMISSION PUBLIC BUDGET HEARING - TO: ALL OREGON MINT GROWERS Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held pursuant to ORS 576.416 (5), on Thursday, April 15, 2021 at 8:00 a.m., via Zoom upon a proposed budget for operation of the Mint Commission during the fiscal year July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022. At this hearing any producer of Oregon Mint oil has a right to be heard with respect to the proposed budget, a copy of which is available for public inspection, under reasonable circumstances, in the office of each County Extension Agent in Oregon. For further information, contact the Oregon Mint Commission business office, P.O. Box 3366, Salem, Oregon  97302, telephone 503-364-2944. The meeting is accessible to persons with disabilities.  Please make any requests for an interpreter for the hearing impaired or for other accommodation for persons with disabilities at least 48 hours before the meeting by contacting the Commission office at 503-364-2944. S235134-1 LEGAL NOTICE OF BLUEBERRY GROWERS COMMISSION BUDGET HEARING TO:  ALL OREGON BLUEBERRY PRODUCERS Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held pursuant to ORS 576.416 (5), on Monday, April 26, 2021 at 7:30 a.m. via Zoom, upon a proposed budget for operation of the Oregon Blueberry Commission during the fiscal year July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022. At this hearing any producer of Oregon Blueberries has a right to be heard with respect to the proposed budget, a copy of which is available for public inspection, under reasonable circumstances, in the office of each County Extension Agent in Oregon. For further information, contact the Oregon Blueberry Commission business office, P.O. Box 3366, Salem, Oregon  97302, telephone 503-364-2944. The meeting location is accessible to persons with disabilities.  Please make any requests for an interpreter for the hearing impaired or for other accommodation for persons with disabilities at least 48 hours before the meeting by contacting the Commission office at 503-364-2944. S235571-1 Sprinklers • Rain Guns Drip Tape • Dripline • Filters • Poly Hose Lay Flat Hose • Micro • Valves • Air Vents Fertilizer Injectors ...and much more! Fast & Free Shipping from Oregon 1-844-259-0640 www.irrigationking.com 10% OFF PROMO CODE: CAP10 S232232-1