Friday, April 16, 2021 CapitalPress.com 5 Washington Senate passes two climate bills By DON JENKINS Capital Press OLYMPIA — Senate Democrats passed cap-and-trade and low-carbon fuels bills Thursday evening, moving to reduce global greenhouse emissions by 0.1% by 2030. Republicans said the twin bills will drive up gasoline prices and electric rates, but will have no aff ect on the climate. The poor and businesses that can’t simply pass along the costs will suff er, Republicans said. “I think the high cost is going to hit the low-income people and our agricul- ture people harder than anyone else,” said Sen. Judy Warnick, the top-rank- ing Republican on the Senate agricul- ture committee. The cap-and-trade legislation, Sen- ate Bill 5126, now goes to the House for consideration. The low-carbon fuel legislation, House Bill 1091, passed the House, but the Senate made changes that must be reconciled with the House. The cap-and-trade bill would require large carbon emitters to grad- ually reduce emissions or bid for emis- sion permits. The auctions would raise about $500 million a year for the state, according to projections, hauling in money for transportation and environ- mental justice. The low-carbon fuel bill requires more biofuels in on-road gasoline and diesel. The fi nancial benefi ciaries would be renewable fuel producers, not the state. Republicans ripped the bill as “a gas tax without roads.” Farm groups oppose both bills because they exert an upward push on energy costs. Ecology says many factors aff ect gas prices and that it hasn’t been proven that blending in biofuels raises pump prices. California and Oregon, which have low-carbon fuel standards, report that the polices do increase prices. “There will be a large fuel tax, whether it’s 10 cents, 20 cents, 57 cents — that’s the truth,” said Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville. Republican Sen. Perry Dozier, an Eastern Washington farmer, said that because everything in agriculture depends on fuel, farmers will be hurt by cap-and-trade and low-carbon fuels. “This is going to be the poison pill for agriculture — these two bills,” he said. The bills would give the Depart- ment of Ecology authority to imple- ment the two programs. The businesses covered by cap-and- trade emit 56.5 million metric tons of carbon a year. The goal would be to reduce that by 36.4 million metric tons by 2030. Ecology estimates the low-carbon fuel bill would reduce emissions by 1.8 million metric tons by 2030. That’s about half the greenhouse gases Ecol- ogy attributes to manure, fertilizer and livestock burps. The Paris-based International Energy Agency estimated global emis- sions in 2019 at 33.1 billion metric tons. Ecology estimates Washington’s emissions at 99.57 million metric tons, or 0.3% of global emissions. Democrats argued low-carbon fuels will clean up the air. Ecology is unable to say by how much. The cap-and-trade bill passed by just one vote, 25-24. Climate activists attack the bill as loophole riddled. Sen. T’wina Nobles, D-University Place, voted for the bill, but said she hoped the House will set harder emission caps. The low-carbon fuel bill, which passed 27-20, was amended to require at least 25% of the state’s biofuels come from agricultural products. The rule could be challenged as an unconstitu- tional barrier to interstate commerce. Schoesler, an Eastern Washington farmer, called the amendment a “silly joke.” He said it wasn’t feasible for farm- ers to grow crops such as canola, corn and camelina for biofuels. “If you’ve ever grown those crops and understand marketing, you just wouldn’t be promoting those ideas as a reason to pass a gas tax without roads,” he said. WDFW A wolf passes a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife trail camera. The department’s administra- tor says he needs to make quicker determinations of whether to eliminate problem wolves. WDFW head sees need for quicker call on wolf removal By DON JENKINS Capital Press Washington Fish and Wildlife Director Kelly Susewind said April 7 the department will try to decide more quickly whether to kill wolves once packs have met thresholds for lethal control. As in the past, Fish and Wildlife will remove wolves as a last resort, Susewind told the depart- ment’s Wolf Advisory Group. Delays making the decision, however, “limit the value” of lethal control, he said. “When I say we’ll put a deadline on our deci- sion-making, that doesn’t mean we jump to lethal. But that means we make the decision and get the action underway as soon as we can,” Susewind said. Fish and Wildlife pro- tocol calls for the depart- ment to consider removing wolves after three attacks on livestock in 30 days or four in 10 months. The department says it’s a case- by-case call by Susewind. Last year, the Wedge pack in northeast Washing- ton crossed the threshold on May 19. The department killed one wolf on July 27. When attacks on livestock continued, the department killed the pack’s last two wolves. Susewind said that he recently met separately with wolf advocates and ranchers. He said he agreed with ranchers who said the department should shorten the time between depreda- tions and deciding whether to kill wolves. Fish and Wildlife con- fl ict managers send a rec- ommendation to Susew- ind on whether to use lethal control. He said his deci- sion has “been the slower part of the process.” “It’s been on my desk. Sugar beet planting progresses across Idaho By BRAD CARLSON Capital Press With just two sugar beet planting seasons under his belt, Miguel Villafana has already decided he likes to err on the late side. “I choose to wait a lit- tle bit, just to be closer to water,” he said. His local irrigation district will soon start deliveries. Villafana, who farms in the Wilder-Homedale area of southwest Idaho, started planting sugar beets April 1, some three weeks later than he could have. He aimed to give the plants the best chance to emerge in soft, moist soil with minimal exposure to wind and other elements. “Conditions have been drier than I’d like to see,” Villafana said. Sugar beet planting is well underway among most of the 700-plus growers in the cooperative that owns Amalgamated Sugar and its factories. They will plant about 180,000 acres, similar to the 2020 total. Idaho Sugarbeet Growers Association Kody Youree plants sugar beets in the Twin Falls, Idaho, area. “Planting has been inter- rupted, sporadically, by rain, snow and wind events — typical for spring in the Pacifi c Northwest,” said Jessica Anderson of Boi- se-based Amalgamated. “It’s a pretty normal year as far as planting is concerned.” As of April 5, Amalgam- ated growers had planted about 45,000 acres, she said. By April 7, planting was 70% complete in the Trea- sure Valley. Some fi elds in the Nampa, Idaho, area had to be replanted due to wind and frost. Sugar beet planting typ- ically starts in early to mid-March in the Trea- sure Valley and later to the east in south-central and southeastern Idaho. Some growers are yet to start planting. “Depending on the weather, we expect a sharp increase in planted acres in the Magic Valley and Upper Snake growing regions over the next two weeks,” Ander- son said April 7. Randy Grant farms in the Eden-Hazelton area of south-central Idaho. He said planting conditions have been good and prog- ress around average for the region. He often plants beets early — he started March 18 and fi nished April 3 — so he can shift to planting potatoes. Twin Falls area farmer Kody Youree also fi nished planting sugar beets in early April. He said soil prepared in the spring had moisture 4 to 5 inches deep compared to about an inch where crews last fall bedded and fertilized. Groups push for FDA oversight of GE animals 15-16 Show & Sale RENO-SPARKS LIVESTOCK EVENTS CENTER, RENO NV LIVE INTERACTIVE ONLINE BIDDING FOR MORE INFO VISIT WSDORPERS.ORG wlivestock.com/pages/6908 S234056-1 LEGAL PURSUANT TO ORS CHAPTER 87  Notice is hereby given that the following vehicle will be  sold, for  cash to the highest bidder, on 04/19/2021. The sale will be held at 10:00am by  COPART OF WASHINGTON INC  2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR  2017 TOYOTA CAMRY 4DR VIN = 4T1BF1FK6HU712793 Amount due on lien $1,415.00  Reputed owner(s) JOHN DUDLEY MARTIN RELIABLE CREDIT ASSOCIATION INC LEGAL PURSUANT TO ORS CHAPTER 87  Notice is hereby given that the following vehicle will be  sold, for  cash to the highest bidder, on 04/19/2021. The sale will be held at 10:00am by  COPART OF WASHINGTON INC  2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR  2018 TOYOTA CAMRY 4DR VIN = JTNB11HK3J3042580 Amount due on lien $1,415.00  Reputed owner(s) MOHAMED ADEN HASSAN HYUNDAI MOTOR FINANCE LEGAL PURSUANT TO ORS CHAPTER 87  Notice is hereby given that the following vehicle will be  sold, for  cash to the highest bidder, on 04/19/2021. The sale will be held at 10:00am by  COPART OF WASHINGTON INC  2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR  2014 VOLVO XC90 UT VIN = YV4952CZ3E1691683 Amount due on lien $1,535.00  Reputed owner(s) STACY COYNE HOUSER S239247-1 MAY LEGAL PURSUANT TO ORS CHAPTER 87  Notice is hereby given that the following vehicle will be  sold, for  cash to the highest bidder, on 04/19/2021. The sale will be held at 10:00am by  COPART OF WASHINGTON INC  2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR  2018 JEEP RENEGADE UT VIN = ZACCJBAB4JPG87842 Amount due on lien $1,415.00  Reputed owner(s) NICOLAS & STACI OTTO WELLS FARGO AUTO S239235-1 C 2021 M a r k you r A R S A LEN D site reported Hahn’s refusal to sign the MOU “amid concerns about its legal- ity and the potential health repercussions of relaxing oversight of certain geneti- cally altered products.” “We share Commis- sioner Hahn’s concerns and urge you to instruct USDA offi cials to remove the MOU from the APHIS (USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) website as the MOU is invalid,” the groups said in the letter. In announcing the MOU, former USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue, repeated ani- mal and meat industry argu- ments that FDA’s safety-ori- ented regulatory approach impedes rapid commercial- ization of GE animals. The animal agriculture industry has demanded reg- S239251-1 Thirteen groups led by the Center for Food Safety are urging the Food and Drug Administration to retain regulatory authority over genetically engineered food animals. In January, the Trump administration proposed that the FDA, USDA and the U.S. Health and Human Services Department sign a memorandum of under- standing. Under it, USDA would have provided end- to-end oversight, from pre-market reviews through post-market food safety monitoring for farm ani- mals modifi ed or developed using genetic engineering that are intended for human food. However, FDA Com- missioner Stephen Hahn refused to sign the MOU, saying he didn’t support it and intended to disregard it. “ F D A remains undeterred in our stead- fast com- mitment to ensure that animal agri- Stephen culture bio- Hahn technology products undergo indepen- dent and science- and risk- based evaluations by our career experts,” Hahn said in a Twitter post in January. Alex Azar, then the Health and Human Ser- vices Secretary, “was and remains supportive of Commissioner Hahn’s and FDA’s position on the MOU,” a spokesperson for HHS told the Capital Press at the time. The letter from the groups urging FDA over- sight said the Politico web- S239250-1 By CAROL RYAN DUMAS Capital Press ulatory certainty to expedite investment in and commer- cialization of GE animals, the groups said. LEGAL NOTICE OF FINE FESCUE COMMISSION BUDGET HEARING TO:   ALL OREGON FINE FESCUE GROWERS Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held pursuant to ORS 576.416 (5), on Monday, May 10, 2021, at 7:00 a.m., via Zoom, upon a proposed budget for operation of the Fine Fescue Commission during the fiscal year July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022. At this hearing any producer of Oregon-grown Fine Fescue or Highland Bentgrass seed 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 Fine Fescue 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 S239872-1 contacting the Commission office at 503-364-2944. It’s more on me than on staff . I’m will- ing to put a timeline on that as well,” he Kelly said. Susewind Stevens County Cattlemen’s Asso- ciation President Scott Nielsen told the Capital Press that “huge delays” have let packs become habituated to cattle, forcing the department to kill more wolves to stop the problem. “I really believe if they were quicker to act, they wouldn’t have to kill as many wolves,” he said. “Absolutely, there’s been a delay. It’s been something we’ve been appealing to Kelly to look at.” Even if Susewind opts against lethal control, the rancher is better off know- ing sooner, Nielsen said. “We need to know what they’re doing.” Susewind said wolf advocates want the depart- ment to ensure ranchers are trying to prevent attacks. “I told the group that is, in fact, my intention. We’re expecting people to step up to the bar. If they’re not stepping up to the bar, that certainly infl uences the decision-making,” he said. Wolf advocates were concerned the depart- ment was too quick to kill wolves, Susewind said. “I don’t think we’ve ever done that. I think we’ve always hit those thresholds and deliberately considered whether lethal removal is the right tool, or not,” he said. LEGAL The Soil and Water Conservation Commission (SWCC) will hold a meeting from 3-5 p.m. on Tues- day, May 4, 2021 (no public input at this portion of the meeting) and the regular quarterly meeting from 8:45 a.m. to noon Wednesday, May 5, 2021. Both meetings will be held virtually. Information on how to attend can be found at https:// oda.direct/meetings. The regular quarterly meeting agenda covers SWCC reports, advisor reports, Soil and Water Conservation District programs and funding, Agricul- ture Water Quality Management Program updates, and other agen- da items. The Oregon Department of Agri- culture complies with the Ameri- cans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you need special accommodations to participate in this meeting, please contact Sandi Hiatt at (503) 986-4704, at least 72 hours prior to the meeting. S239753-1 Mid-Year Conference July 11-13 | Salishan Coastal Lodge Back Together Again! Register at www.orcattle.com Oregon Cattlemen will gather at OCA’s Mid-Year Conference on the coast! You don’t want to miss this chance to reconnect with old friends and meet new friends as cattle producers conduct essential business for the betterment of the industry If you are a rancher, allied business, or industry supporter , visit www.orcattle.com to join OCA! S234870-1