The Oregon Natural Resources Report - Agricultural News from Oregon

Ranchers give OK to Sage Grouse changes

By National Cattlemen’s Beef Association,

Livestock Producers Praise Modification to Sage Grouse Land Use Plans

Ethan Lane, Executive Director of the Public Lands Council and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Federal Lands, released the following statement in response to the Trump Administration’s modified state-by-state Resource Management Plan Amendments and Final Environmental Impact Statements contributing to the ongoing effort to overhaul the Obama-era sage grouse plans:

Oregon Farm Burea responds to new water rule

By Oregon Farm Bureau Federation

Oregon Farm Bureau Federation President Sharon Waterman witnessed the signing of the new Clean Water Rule at the EPA headquarters in Washington, D.C. today, along with presidents from other State Farm Bureaus from across the nation.

The following statement may be attributed to Oregon Farm Bureau Federation President Sharon Waterman:

Wineries, vineyards upward swing

By Oregon Employment Department,

As Oregon businesses struggled during the Great Recession (2007-2009) and the years to follow, the state’s grape and wine industry flourished. In 2007, there were 792 vineyards and 351 permitted or bonded wineries in the state; by 2009, that number had grown to 835 vineyards and 377 wineries. This growth has accelerated during the post-recessionary period, and by 2017, there were 1,144 vineyards and 769 Oregon wineries, of which 709 were permitted or bonded. Wine grapes ranked ninth on Oregon’s top 20 commodities list for 2017, valued at $171.7 million.

NAFTA 2.0 great! ….now Japan

National Association of Wheat Growers,

Leaders of the United States, Canada, and Mexico officially signed the revised North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) now known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) and U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) applaud the three countries for working together to finalize USMCA.

This agreement includes important provisions for wheat farmers. Most notably, USMCA retains tariff-free access to imported U.S. wheat for our long-time flour milling customers in Mexico. That is a crucial step toward rebuilding trust in U.S. wheat as a reliable supplier in this important, neighboring market.

Carbon Tax implodes: France, Canada, Washington

Wall Street Journal Editorial,

France’s violent Yellow Vest protests are now about many domestic concerns, but it’s no accident that the trigger was a fuel-tax hike. Nothing reveals the disconnect between ordinary voters and an aloof political class more than carbon taxation.

The fault line runs between anti-carbon policies and economic growth, and France is a test for the political future of emissions restrictions. France already is a relatively low-carbon economy, with per-capita emissions half Germany’s as of 2014. French governments have nonetheless pursued an “ecological transition” to further squeeze carbon emissions from every corner of the French economy. The results are visible in the Paris streets.

The human cost of “Protecting Farmland”

By Oregonians In Action,

As many of you know, one of the fundamental tenets of Oregon land use law is “protecting farmland.” It is the primary argument from those who defend our system at all costs.

Why? Because the argument resonates with the public. I hear it all the time, typically from people who wouldn’t know a shovel from a tractor. Questions like, “you don’t want to destroy all the farmland do you?”, or statements such as “we have to preserve all our valuable farmland, or we won’t be able to eat!”

Setting aside the gross overgeneralizations in these declarations, there is nothing wrong with the premise of protecting farmland for farming, at least to some extent. But there’s a cost in doing so that’s just as important to discuss.

Final Farm Bill details emerge

By National Farm Bureau Federation,

The following statement regarding the House and Senate Ag Leaders’ announced “agreement in principle” on the 2018 Farm Bill conference report may be attributed to American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall.

“The 2018 farm bill emerging from the conference committee is good news for farmers amid a prolonged downturn in the agricultural economy. Chairmen Roberts and Conaway and Ranking Members Stabenow and Peterson made the bill a priority for this Congress, and all Americans—farmers and consumers—are better off for it.

Inside hunt details on the cougar that killed woman

By Oregon Sportsmen Association,

The Oregonian obtained emails, documents, and photographs detailing state wildlife officials’ successful hunt for a cougar that killed a 55-year-old hiker on Mount Hood Sept. 10.

Diana Bober of Gresham, whose love for the outdoors and the creatures living there has been portrayed in countless news stories, tried to fight off the cougar that killed her with a small pair of shears. Hers was the first known death from a cougar attack in Oregon history.

Feds OK plan to kill sea lions

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife,

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has approved the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s application to lethally remove the few California sea lions present at Willamette falls in an effort to help save winter steelhead and spring Chinook from extinction.

Sea lions are protected under the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). On Oct. 6, 2017, ODFW applied for authorization to remove California sea lions at Willamette Falls under a provision of the MMPA that allows for limited lethal take of sea lions that are having a negative impact on protected fish species.