Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Capital press. (Salem, OR) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 2, 2015)
10 CapitalPress.com January 2, 2015 Legislation that could increase supply of water in E. Wash. Longshoremen’s slowdown SESSION from Page 1 The money would fund water-storage projects in the east and flood- and pollu- tion-control projects in the west. “If we just did water supply, you would not receive much support from Western Washington,” said Yakima Val- ley Sen. Tim Honeyford, a Re- publican. While wolves and water are sure to attract attention, mem- bers of the Legislature are like- ly to be pre-occupied with $1.4 billion in revenue increases Gov. Tay Inslee has proposed. Though the governor handed farm lobbyists a pre-session victory by including in his bud- get proposal tax breaks for food processors, they are still ner- vously watching for other tax increases that may impact the state’s 37,249 farmers. Inslee’s two-year $39 bil- lion budget proposal is about $5 billion higher than the one lawmakers passed in 2013. To an extent, the state Supreme Court and voters have wrest- ed some control over spend- ing from legislators. The court has ruled the state must spend more on kindergarten through high school education, while voters passed Initiative 1351 in November mandating smaller class sizes, further adding to the state’s school bill. Inslee has proposed a $2.3 billion ed- ucation package, which some education advocates are calling inadequate. Washington Farm Bureau Director of Governmental Re- lations Tom Davis said he’s still worried budget writers in the Democrat-controlled House will move to end tax exemp- tions, including those for agri- culture. Farm groups will argue agriculture is as deserving of preferential tax treatment as Boeing. “We think we’re OK with the Senate,” Davis said of the possibility agriculture-cen- tric tax breaks may be elimi- nated. “This concern is fixated entirely on the House Finance Committee.” Lawmakers will convene Tan. 12. The session is sched- uled for 105 days, though it could go longer if the House and Republican-controlled Senate are unable to agree on a 2015-17 spending plan by mid- April. The Senate has 25 Repub- licans and Mason County Sen. Tim Sheldon, who runs as a Democrat but is an ally of the Republican caucus. The Senate has 23 Democrats. In the House, Democrats hold a 51-47 advantage. Other agriculture-related issues include proposals to regulate spreading manure on crops, legalize hemp farming, increase resources to fight wild- land fires and end state financial support for fairs. Handling wolves While lawmakers are in session, the Washington De- partment of Fish and Wildlife is expected to update its wolf count. The census may spark talk about how to manage the animals when they are no lon- ger listed as endangered under Matthew Weaver/Capital Press file Crew members widen the East Low Canal between Moses Lake, Wash., and Warden, Wash., the afternoon of March 6. The Washington Legislature is poised to take up legislation that could increase the sup- ply of water in Eastern Washington and the quality of water in Western Washington during the upcoming session. federal or state law, said Moses Lake Republican Tudy War- nick, the incoming chairwom- an of the Senate Agriculture, Water and Rural Economic Committee. “The more they spread, the more willing people will be to have these discussions,” she said. Kretz needled wolf advo- cates in 2013 with a bill pro- posing to relocate wolves close to Seattle. The legislation nev- er got a hearing, but it succeed- ed in getting people talking, Kretz said. This year, Kretz said he may propose regional delist- ing, releasing wolf-populated regions of Washington from the state’s wolf recovery plan. Such a move would ease growing tensions between state wildlife managers and eastside counties, he said. “I seriously hope I could get it done,” Kretz said. He would have to find sym- pathetic westside Democrats. But even sympathy may not translate into votes. House Ag- riculture and Natural Resourc- es Committee Chairman Brian Blake faulted the state plan for requiring wolves to be spread through the state before being considered “recovered” in any region. “The folks in north-central Washington are being eaten out of house and home with no potential delisting in sight,” Blake, D-Aberdeen, said. Still, Blake warned that amending the wolf-recovery plan could invite lawsuits. “If we legislatively start pulling it apart, that, in my opinion, leaves us open to bigger problems,” he said. “I think you’re going to see po- tential for active management once the state population is delisted.” The Washington Depart- ment of Fish and Wildlife es- timates that won’t happen until at least 2021. Too much or too little Washington has ambitious plans to increase water sup- plies, control floods and pre- vent stormwater runoff from fouling bodies of water. But the state lacks money. In Olympia, water projects aren’t as press- ing as schools and roads. The Legislature likely will appropriate money this session to advance efforts to increase water supplies in the Yakima Basin and Odessa Subarea, and to control flooding and restore fish runs in the Chehalis River. But the appropriations will be just a fraction of what the proj- ects will require over the next several years. For example, the Yakima Basin plan to increase the water supply for farms, fish and cities is projected to be a 30-year, $4 billion effort. Some lawmakers are work- ing on a water bond to present to voters next year. Though no specific proposal has been released, the measure would propose a statewide tax — perhaps a per-parcel tax — to raise about $3 billion. Honeyford said the mea- sure would have to benefit all parts of the state to get sub- stantial money for water proj- ects. “We’re in competition with education funding and transportation funding.” In the meantime, legislators will consider water-related bills aimed at allocating and reallocating every available drop of water. Tax debate underway Inslee’s 2015-17 bud- get proposes extending tax breaks for fruit, vegetable, dairy and seafood processors, saving companies $15 mil- lion over two years. The tax breaks, most of them in place for nearly a decade, are set to expire Tune 30. Northwest Food Proces- sors Association lobbyist Ian Tolleson said extending the tax breaks would encourage industries to invest in Wash- ington. “It certainly provides the environment where we can thrive,” he said. House budget writers may take a more skeptical view of the value of tax breaks, and not just for food proces- Bag needs? Bag solutions! SMITH PACKAGING YOUR MAIN SUPPLIER FOR: • Polyethylene Bags • Polypropylene Bags • Paper Bags • Bulk Bags • Stretch Films • Hay Sleeves • Mesh Produce Bags • Plastic Pallet Covers • Bag Closure Products • General Warehouse Supplies sors. The Farm Bureau’s Davis said that while he’s concerned about the House, he’s confident the Senate will join Inslee in supporting tax breaks for food processors. “Two out of three is pretty good leverage,” he said. Bigger fights will involve capital gains and carbon taxes. Inslee has proposed a 7 percent tax on capital gains of more than $25,000 for individ- uals and $50,000 for couples. The tax would not apply to re- tirement accounts or the sale of farms, homes and timberland. He also proposes to cap carbon emissions for large in- dustries, including some food processors and fertilizer man- ufacturers. According to a draft of Inslee’s proposal, companies would have to buy “allowanc- es” at an auction. Each allow- ance would let the business to emit one metric ton of green- house gases. Auctions would be held up to four times a year. As time went on, companies would face stricter carbon limits. The program would also include offset projects, such as anaero- bic digesters, which could sell credits. Inslee says the cap-and- trade system would motivate companies to reduce carbon emissions. The governor says he also plans to propose by executive order to cut carbon emissions from on-road vehicles. The Farm Bureau and sev- eral other agriculture groups have helped form a new group, Washington Climate Collab- orative, to oppose Inslee’s policies and advocate cutting carbon emissions through pri- vate-sector innovations. The group argues Inslee’s proposals will increase busi- ness costs and punish consum- ers. Other issues The Washington Depart- ment of Agriculture will re- quest legislation to regulate manure spreading on crops in Whatcom, Skagit and Yakima counties. The proposal stems from contaminated Lummi Nation shellfish beds in Whatcom County. The tribe closed 335 acres in Portage Bay because of worsening water quality caused by fecal coliform bacteria. Polluted groundwater around dairies in Yakima Coun- ty and contaminated shellfish beds in Samish Bay in Skagit County are also problems. Farm groups say WSDA’s bill would unfairly single out agriculture for the problems, which are being addressed through local efforts. The law would be another burden for farmers and expose them to fines and lawsuits without any environmental benefit, the groups say. “I’m inclined to give that bill a hearing, but I think it may face a difficult future,” said Blake, the House ag- riculture committee chair- man. Inslee has asked for an additional $2.5 million to beef up the Department of Natural Resources’ fire- fighting capabilities, espe- cially early attacks on wild- fires. The proposed DNR bud- get also includes $7.7 mil- lion in grants to reseed and replace fences burned in the 256,000-acre Carlton Complex Fire — the state’s largest wildfire — in the Methow Valley. Inslee’s two-year $39 billion budget proposal is about $5 billion higher than the one lawmakers passed in 2013. Still, there are some cuts, including $3.4 million from WSDA’s budget that would have gone to fairs. State funding makes up a large percentage of the bud- get for some county, com- munity and youth fairs. Growing hemp Competitive pricing! Great quality products! Service you expect and trust! Halsey, Oregon 541-369-2850 www.smithpackagingservices.com 1-2/#5 Sens. Brian Hatfield, D-Raymond, and Honeyford have introduced a bill to le- galize growing hemp. “That will be one of the first bills we hear,” Warnick said. Some lawmakers say it’s logical to legalize hemp farm- ing now that the state has legalized recreational mar- ijuana. National drug laws, however, make no distinction between hemp and marijuana, raising the prospect that hemp farmers could face difficulties with federal authorities and fi- nancial institutions. has ‘cut our ability to take goods to market’ PORT from Page 1 Drought, fires and floods also made it “a crazy year,” said Nick Gombos, sup- ply chain manager of ACX Global Inc. in Bakersfield, Calif. ACX and Anderson both have export facilities in El- lensburg and California. The longshoremen’s slowdown has “cut our abil- ity to take goods to market as much as 50 percent,” Gombos said. “That’s what ACX has seen and I think other exporters are seeing something similar.” That was his read, he said, at a recent meeting of the U.S. Forage Export Council in Las Vegas. It’s a National Hay Association committee of 30 exporters. The industry definite- ly lost up to 50 percent or about 100,000 tons in No- vember, said Teff Calaway, president of Calaway Trad- ing in Ellensburg. Importers can bring goods into the country through the Gulf of Mex- ico or East Coast, but it’s not cost effective for West Coast exporters, particu- larly hay exporters, to use Gulf, East Coast or Canadi- an ports, he said. Hay exporters have lost millions of dollars since Nov. 1, hay prices are soft- ening and exporters are laying off employees or re- ducing their hours, Gombos said. It is “strongly likely” that there will be a invento- ry carryover in the spring, depressing new crop prices, said Mike Hajny, vice presi- dent of Wesco International in Ellensburg. Some exporters may not be able to live up to con- tracts on shipments or pay- ments but it’s “very unlike- ly” any of them will go out of business, Hajny said. Members of the Interna- tional Longshore and Ware- house Union are embroiled in contract negotiations with the Pacific Maritime Association, whose mem- bers operate West Cost con- tainer ports. Union members have reduced the number of containers they handle, but blame it on a lack of trucks and other factors. Longshoremen are mov- ing 18 to 20 freight contain- ers per hour at a single port versus a more normal 28 to 30, Gombos said. Some of the most efficient ports in the world move 36 to 40 per hour, he said. The slowdown has a cas- cading effect on terminal operations such as no place to put containers and the in- ability to receive ships on certain days, Calaway said. Automation replacing jobs is a key sticking point in contract negotiations for longshoremen, a Port of Tacoma official recently told the Washington Apple Commission. The long- shoremen’s union blame the slowdown on infrastructure and congestion, Gombos said, and terminal operators blame it on the union not wanting to pay for health care coverage. China significantly re- duced its imports of U.S. hay in Tuly because of trac- es of genetically modified hay, maybe from cross con- taminated seed. Exporters thought they were safe with less than 5 percent GMO contamina- tion, but China uses a dif- ferent test with a standard of .01 percent, Hajny previ- ously said. Few exporters could meet that standard and sales dropped dramatically, Gom- bos said. The U.S. and Chinese governments are still work- ing to resolve the issue by better defining what is and isn’t GMO, Anderson said. The issue is part of larger trade issues with China, he said. “China has approved GMO Roundup Ready in cotton, soybeans and corn, but not alfalfa,” he said. A new policy in Tapan has intentionally weakened the yen 35 percent compared to the dollar, Anderson said. “That’s having a huge im- pact on our biggest market and it’s happening right in the middle of this (longshore- men’s slowdown,” he said. Hajny agreed that’s a big problem. ‘There is concern about resistance in general in grass seed production’ GMO from Page 1 “They’re able to get around APHIS’ authority with their new techniques,” Carol Mallory-Smith, a weed science professor at Oregon State University. Genetically modified tall fescue, which Scotts has also altered to grow “shorter, thicker and dark- er green,” is the latest grass crop to be cleared by USDA after Scotts notified the agency that it planned to begin field testing the variety. Capital Press was un- able to reach Scotts for comment, but some in the grass seed industry say the company’s activities have sparked concerns. Resistance to glyphosate — while potentially conve- nient for homeowners — can turn grasses into trou- blesome weeds for farmers. Naturally occurring re- sistance from repeated glyphosate spraying has already caused problems for Northwest hazelnut growers and farmers in the Midwest who use annual ryegrass as a cover crop, said Bryan Ostlund, admin- istrator of the Oregon Tall Fescue Commission. “There is concern about resistance in general in grass seed production,” Os- tlund said. Turf-type tall fescue is typically planted on golf courses and lawns and isn’t usually considered weedy, he said. While Ostlund isn’t sure what Scotts has planned for its glyphosate-resistant grasses, he urged the com- pany to “proceed with cau- tion.” Unlike Kentucky blue- grass, which largely pro- duces seeds asexually, tall fescue is much more like- ly to cross-pollinate with other grasses of its variety, according to a breeder who declined to be named. “If it’s anywhere near any oth- er tall fescue, it will out- cross.” While the potential for cross-pollination can be mit- igated during commercial seed production, it would be much harder to control the biotech crop’s gene flow if it’s released to homeowners, the breeder said. “It’s a perennial crop. It’s not going to die out,” the breeder said. Export markets that ob- ject to biotech crops, such as Europe, are also unlike- ly to differentiate between Scotts’ biolistic glypho- sate-resistant cultivar and other biotech crops that were made with plant pests and previously regulated by USDA, the breeder said. “It’s still genetically modified. It’s still transgen- ic,” said Mallory-Smith of OSU. For the new tall fescue to be a viable product, its resistance to glyphosate would have to be strong, she said. For farmers, such resis- tance would mean switching to other herbicides or weed control methods if they want to remove the variety, Mallory-Smith said.