4 CapitalPress.com Friday, May 21, 2021 Delays create logistics ‘nightmare’ for hay exporters helicopters, 91 single-en- gine airtankers, up to 34 airtankers, 360 pieces of heavy equipment and more than 1,600 engines. These resources will supplement state and local forces. Vilsack said USDA and the Interior Department staff have been identifying regions where they think the highest fire risks are and pre-positioning peo- ple and supplies at those locations. 2021 will probably be better than 2020 in at least one way, said USDA staff. Firefighters who wanted to get vaccinated were able to do so this year, which could relieve some pres- sure surrounding COVID- 19 protocols. Firefighting last year was a nightmare, agency leaders said, because of social distancing and safety requirements related to COVID-19. “It was incredi- bly stressful,” said Patty Grantham, acting director of fire and aviation man- agement at USDA’s Forest Service. Haaland of the Inte- rior Department said her agency will seek to reduce wildfire risk by confront- ing climate change, pro- moting strategic fuels management, investing in new science and tech- nology, hiring personnel, empowering communities to help reduce fire risk and building stronger partner- ships with native American tribes. Vilsack said he’s hope- ful President Biden’s American Jobs Plan will pass Congress. It would invest billions of dol- lars in forest restoration, fuels management and post-wildfire restoration. But the Jobs Plan, also known as Biden’s infra- structure package, is con- troversial and lacks bipar- tisan support because it would increase corporate taxes. Regardless of what hap- pens with the infrastruc- ture plan, Vilsack said the Forest Service will request more money from Con- gress to fight wildfires. By MATTHEW WEAVER Capital Press U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Gov. Jay Ins- lee say Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson’s plan to remove four Snake River dams can- not be included in federal infrastructure package. Instead, they’re calling for more regional collaboration. “While we appreciate Representative Simpson’s efforts and the conversa- tions we have had so far with tribes and stakeholders, it is clear more work within the Pacific Northwest is neces- sary to craft a lasting, com- prehensive solution,” Inslee and Murray said in a joint press release. U.S. Sen. Maria Cant- well, D-Wash., told the Seat- tle Times she also does not support the Simpson pro- posal, though she does sup- port salmon recovery in the Columbia Basin and across the region and collaborative processes to get there. Murray and Inslee say regional collaboration is needed “now more than ever.” Any solution must honor tribal treaty rights, ensure reliable transportation and use of the river; ensure ongo- ing access for fishermen and sportsmen, guarantee Wash- ington farmers remain com- petitive and are able to get farm products to market; and deliver reliable, afford- able and clean energy, they stated. Inslee and Murray called By DON JENKINS Capital Press A Central Washing- ton dairy waited too long to challenge a study linking it to high levels of nitrates in drinking water in the Yakima Valley, a federal court has ruled. In a decision posted online May 14, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed a suit filed by the Cow Pal- ace dairy and the Washing- LEGAL PURSUANT TO ORS CHAPTER 87  Notice is hereby given that the following vehicle will be  sold, for  cash to the highest bidder, on 05/24/2021.  The sale will be held at 10:00am by  COPART OF WASHINGTON INC  2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR  2011 FORD RNG PU VIN = 1FTKR4EE7BPA69420 Amount due on lien $1555.00  Reputed owner(s) JAMES D & LINDA HUGHES MANOR RESOURCES LLC LEGAL PURSUANT TO ORS CHAPTER 87  Notice is hereby given that the following vehicle will be  sold, for  cash to the highest bidder, on 05/24/2021.  The sale will be held at 10:00am by  COPART OF WASHINGTON INC  2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR  2013 INFINITY J35 UT VIN = 5N1AL0MM1DC332067 Amount due on lien $1555.00  Reputed owner(s) HUNTER TONRY LEGAL PURSUANT TO ORS CHAPTER 87  Notice is hereby given that the following vehicle will be  sold, for  cash to the highest bidder, on 05/24/2021.  The sale will be held at 10:00am by  COPART OF WASHINGTON INC  2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR  2017 AUDI Q3 UT VIN = WA1JCCFS5HR001183 Amount due on lien $1555.00  Reputed owner(s) KATHRYN KING ARCHIE AUDI FINANCIAL SERVICES S244211-1 S244210-1 S244217-1 LEGAL PURSUANT TO ORS CHAPTER 87  Notice is hereby given that the following vehicle will be  sold, for  cash to the highest bidder, on 05/24/2021.  The sale will be held at 10:00am by  COPART OF WASHINGTON INC  2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR  2016 FORD EDGE UT VIN = 2FMPK4K90GBB44230 Amount due on lien $1435.00  Reputed owner(s) EVAN SMYTHE S244216-1 LEGAL PURSUANT TO ORS CHAPTER 87  Notice is hereby given that the following vehicle will be  sold, for  cash to the highest bidder, on 05/25/2021.  The sale will be held at 10:00am by  LITTLE J HOOK INC. 15114 MANNING RD WOODBURN, OR 2016 NISSAN VERSA 4D VIN = 3N1CE2CPXGL352182 Amount due on lien $5605.00  Reputed owner(s) FERNANDO MARTINEZ GARCIA JP MORGAN CHASE BANK NA S244215-1 Associated Press File The Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River near Pomeroy, Wash. for “a formal, regional pro- cess that is based on sci- ence, consensus, and ensur- ing all voices in the region are heard.” Simpson has not pro- posed any legislation. He offered his plan in February. It was rejected by agricul- tural stakeholders and envi- ronmental groups. In a statement, the Pacific Northwest Waterways Asso- ciation, which supports nav- igation, trade and economic development on the river system, said the organiza- tion is “encouraged” by the Inslee-Murray statement and strongly supports a “collabo- rative, science-based process that seeks to restore salmon runs and works for all the stakeholders and communi- ties in the Columbia River Basin.” “Gov. Inslee and Wash- ington’s two senators are right to reject Rep. Simp- son’s deeply flawed proposal to remove the four lower Snake River dams,” Sophia Ressler, Washington wildlife attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a press release. Inslee and Murray say groups like the Columbia Basin Collaborative — con- vened by Inslee and the gov- ernors of Idaho, Oregon and Montana — could help identify a path to achieving consensus. A 2020 federal report rejected dam breaching. NOAA’s biological opin- ion found that breaching the dams would benefit the fish in the long term but would also impact the envi- ronmental, socioeconomic and cultural aspects of river operations. The preferred alternative calls for making changes at the dams to improve passage and conditions for salmon and other fish listed under the Endangered Species Act. Judges dismiss Cow Palace suit against EPA LEGAL PURSUANT TO ORS CHAPTER 87  Notice is hereby given that the following vehicle will be  sold, for  cash to the highest bidder, on 05/24/2021.  The sale will be held at 10:00am by  COPART OF WASHINGTON INC  2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR  2020 TOYOTA 4RUNNER SW VIN = JTEBU5JR2L5834149 Amount due on lien $1435.00  Reputed owner(s) JOHN FRANCIS SARRAZIN FIFTH THIRD BANK NTNL ASSOCIATION S244209-1 still invested in old crop that should have been delivered (and) they should have been paid on,” he said. Exporter delays in pay- ment get passed on to the ton State Dairy Federation against the Environmental Protection Agency. The suit alleged the EPA misled the dairy about the study’s strength, coercing the dairy in 2013 to under- take extensive and expensive measures to prevent ground- water contamination. Cow Palace owner Adam Dolsen declared that he didn’t learn about the decep- tion until he met with EPA officials in 2019. He and the dairy federation filed the suit in 2020. A three-judge panel ruled that the lawsuit should have been filed within 45 days of Dolsen’s meeting with the EPA, the window for chal- lenging EPA actions taken under the Safe Water Drink- ing Act. Dairy Federation director Dan Wood said Friday that the dairy and federation ini- tially tried to negotiate with the EPA, rather than sue. The dairy and federation also needed more EPA documents before deciding whether to go to court, he said. “The EPA controlled the release of those documents,” Wood said. “Basically, they delayed releasing the infor- mation that would have held them accountable, and they got away with it.” The EPA declined to com- ment on the ruling. In court, the EPA rejected claims that it duped Cow Palace and other dairies into the agree- ments, which included lin- ing manure lagoons to tox- ic-waste standards, costing dairies millions of dollars. Wood said the ruling likely ends the case. “We could appeal, but it’s too much of a long shot. We’re left with an injustice,” he said. Cow Palace agreed to operational changes soon after the EPA finished a study linking dairies to contami- nated wells. The report was classified in some EPA documents as “influential,” an official des- ignation reserved for stud- ies with a high level of peer review and used in regulatory actions. According to the lawsuit, the EPA revealed in a meet- ing in 2019 that the study had been classified as “other,” a lower category. “This does not make one confident that we live in a nation of laws,” Dolsen said in a statement. “How can we trust the actions of federal officials when judges allow them to create false science, lie about the necessary review, delay providing documents that prove their guilt and then claim our complaints are too late?” The EPA said that the study’s designation didn’t change its findings that linked the dairies to elevated levels of nitrates. LEGAL PURSUANT TO ORS CHAPTER 87  Notice is hereby given that the following vehicle will be  sold, for  cash to the highest bidder, on 05/24/2021.  The sale will be held at 10:00am by  COPART OF WASHINGTON INC  2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR  2008 DODGE 3500 PU VIN = 3D7MX38A98G233951 Amount due on lien $2355.00  Reputed owner(s) JOHANNA HALE & MITCHELL WALTERS LEGAL PURSUANT TO ORS CHAPTER 87  Notice is hereby given that the following vehicle will be  sold, for  cash to the highest bidder, on 05/24/2021.  The sale will be held at 10:00am by  COPART OF WASHINGTON INC  2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR  2015 MAZDA CX 5 UT VIN = JM3KE4DY9F0487555 Amount due on lien $2655.00  Reputed owner(s) MARK S & ERIN E ENNIS JPMORGAN CHASE BANK NA LEGAL PURSUANT TO ORS CHAPTER 87  Notice is hereby given that the following vehicle will be  sold, for  cash to the highest bidder, on 05/24/2021.  The sale will be held at 10:00am by  COPART OF WASHINGTON INC  2885 NATIONAL WAY WOODBURN, OR  2019 FORD F 450 CB VIN = 1FDTF4HT1KDA27572 Amount due on lien $1555.00  Reputed owner(s) 4C S ENVIRONMENTAL INC FORD MOTOR CREDIT CO S244214-1 WASHINGTON, D.C. — USDA and the Depart- ment of the Interior are gearing up for what’s expected to be one of the most intense fire years in recent history. “May is wildfire aware- ness month, but these days, it seems as if the fire sea- son is the entire year,” Deb Haaland, secretary of the Interior, told reporters in a press call Thursday. The National Inter- agency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, predicts 2021 will be another above-av- erage year for wildfire potential in the West. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told reporters he’s “troubled” the signals suggest the U.S. is “headed into yet another very dan- gerous fire year.” Jeff Rupert, direc- tor of the Interior’s Office of Wildland Fire, agreed 2021’s fire outlook is bad. Nationwide, 550,000 acres are currently burning, and the Southwest already has five large, active fires in mid-May. More than 90% of the West is experiencing some level of drought, according to agency data. Rupert said he expects the worst fires across California, where drought is acute, but he also anticipates wildfires will hit the Pacific North- west in June, July and August. “The drought now is worse than this time last year, and the fire potential across the West is worse,” he said. In 2020, more than 10.3 million acres burned across the U.S., a record year and more than 50% higher than the 10-year average. Haaland and Vilsack told reporters what their agencies are doing to gear up for the season. The Department of the Interior’s land manage- ment agencies and USDA are combining resources for a record-sized fire- fighting team for this time of year, including 15,000 firefighters, more than 500 Some companies will have some “wiggle room,” if they can get the containers, Clausen said. “New crop is coming and they’ve got all this money those numbers, that there’s that much hay out there on the farm,” he said. “I don’t believe there’s as strong a carryover as they’re saying.” Old crop large squares of alfalfa hay bring $155 per ton in the Columbia Basin. With the high price of Midwest soybeans and corn and drought conditions, Clausen expects demand for feed hay to increase. Prices have increased about $10 to $20 per ton in the last two months, he said, adding that the industry is in price discovery mode. “I see the bottom of the market coming up ... and I notice the top price is bumped up,” he said. “I think it still has room to move.” Inslee, Murray on Simpson plan: More work necessary USDA and Interior Department gear up for dangerous wildfire year By SIERRA DAWN MCCLAIN Capital Press Capital Press File Hay growers report exporters are encountering delays in overseas shipments. farmer, Clausen added. The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Ser- vice reported Washington on-farm hay stocks totaled 220,000 tons, up 38% from last year. May 1 stocks repre- sent 8% of 2020 production. In Idaho, hay stocks on farms on May 1, 2021, totaled 410,000 tons in Idaho, down 16% from a year ago. May 1 stocks represent 8% of 2020 production. In Oregon, on-farm hay stocks totaled 290,000 tons, down 27% from 2020. May 1 stocks are 10% of 2020 production. Clausen isn’t certain the NASS numbers are accurate for Washington. “I’m not sure I believe S244213-1 Washington hay exporters and farmers are hampered by continuing container and truck driver shortages. “A lot of the hay that’s sold has a market to go to, it’s just having a hard time getting off the farm,” said Shawn Clausen, a Warden, Wash., farmer and past pres- ident of the Washington Hay Growers Association. Shipping can be delayed for up to three months, with cancellations and re-book- ings, he said. “It’s been an absolute logistics nightmare for these export companies,” Clau- sen said, pointing to a truck driver shortage and higher fuel prices. “It just keeps get- ting worse for these export- ers trying to move this prod- uct. They bought it at a fair price last fall, they thought they had it all lined out.” Shipping and trucking companies are raising prices or exporters are having to offer more incentives, wip- ing out their margins, he said. Quality of the hay isn’t affected by the delay, as long as it’s properly stored, Clau- sen said. “One problem is you can- not make up time, in a fac- tory where they process the hay,” he said. “They can only get so much produc- tion per day. Lost time is lost revenue.” S244212-1 By MATTHEW WEAVER Capital Press