The Oregon Natural Resources Report - Agricultural News from Oregon

Obama Ag budget, debt, more

Obama Budget Often Familiar, Mixed Bag in Time of Deep Deficits
By National Association of Wheat Growers

Obama Administration budget proposals released on Monday contained familiar ideas on cutting the farm safety net and a few positive surprises in the areas of research and trade, particularly in light of the federal government’s deteriorating fiscal situation.

Echoing its efforts in the FY2010 budget process to phase out direct payments and impose further payment limits on producers, the Administration proposed cutting the cap on the direct payment by 25 percent, from $40,000 to $30,000, and proposed reducing adjusted gross income (AGI) payment eligibility limits by $250,000 over three years, bringing non-farm AGI limits from $500,000 to $250,000 and farm AGI limits from $750,000 to $500,000.

Senate overrides veto on fish health bill

From State Senator Jason Atkinson Office,

Salem – The Senate voted 27  to 1 on Thursday to override Governor Ted Kulongoski’s veto of Senate Bill 545.  The successful veto override expresses the will of the Oregon Senate that the executive branch seriously consider the benefits of producing trout in pathogen free waters that could reduce the costs and improve the quality of hatchery raised fish.

“Oregon has a remarkable opportunity to use our resources and dramatically strengthen fish populations,” said Senator Jason Atkinson (R-Central Point), one of the bill’s sponsors.

Murrelet update, Forest Legislation, More

American Forest Resource Council
Below are three highlights from their January Newsletter.  Read the complete newsletter here.

1. Murrelet Delisting Denied
2. FS/BLM Budget Support
3. Forest Management Legislation

Murrelet Delisting Denied

On January 21, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) published a notice in the Federal Register denying a petition to delist the marbled murrelet as an endangered species. The delisting petition was filed May 28, 2008 by AFRC, Carpenters Industrial Council, Douglas County and Ron Stuntzer. The Federal Register Notice can be found at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-951.pdf

Capitol Update: Death Tax, Special Session, Air Quality Laws

Oregon Cattlemen Association
2010 Issue Brief

1.    Air Quality – Rule making and legislation
•    DEQ GHG Rule making for 2009 HB 2186:  This rulemaking by DEQ is in process and those of us who opposed this legislation during the 09 Session are following the progress.  OCA invited Andy from DEQ to participate in the Climate Change committee discussion but he could not attend.
•    EPA CO2 pollutant designation:  The result of this designation will require very close scrutiny, on our part, of the rule making and possible legislation which will assuredly evolve in 2010.
•    EPA Rule development on dust management:  The proposal if adopted will regulate larger dust particulate and have a detrimental affect on agriculture.  We expect to respond to this as well is NCBA and all other agriculture interests.

2.    Water Quality – Possible legislation and rule making
•    The OEQC Non-point pollution witch hunt will very possibly establish new toxic standards for water ways which will affect 1010 water quality program for agriculture and agriculture fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides.  I attended the December OEQC meeting in Portland to provide comments and a request to involve more agriculture interests in their deliberations.

Special Session begins with big property grab bill

SB 1060, Navigability & Public Access to Private Property
Oregon Farm Bureau,

SB 1060 will be the largest private property grab of the special session.  The bill grants access to the public to beds and banks up to the high water mark on “floatable” water ways throughout Oregon.  Floatable is defined that the waterway has the capacity to enable a boat or other vessels to progress regardless of the presence of rapids, expose cobble or other objects that may impede passage.

Under this legislation, a landowner or operator of properties adjacent to waterways cannot restrict the public’s access to private property.  However, it does allow a process for state agencies that have management authority over properties to close them the public.

Building permits, log prices are up. Housing is down

By Rick sohn
Umpqua Coquille LLC

Building Permits were up and logs were more affordable for mills, last month.  However, unsold inventories and interest rates also went up, and housing starts were down.  See four-year price tracking and discussion of lumber, logs, housing starts and permits, unsold home inventory, and mortgage rates below.

What the numbers mean.
There is positive news this month, in Building Permits, up almost 11%, since November.  The building permits predict housing starts 1-3 months before construction begins.  This is the right direction, but a slow pace, even at an 11% increase. Housing starts were down 4% seasonally adjusted, but the next few months should make it up.

State of the Union introduces trade ideas

By National Association of Wheat Growers,

President Barack Obama’s first State of the Union address, given Wednesday, contained an unexpected defense of trade and a renewed commitment to the trade agenda that wheat growers hope portend more aggressive action in this policy area.In a passage about creating jobs and maintaining America’s competitiveness that also touched on financial reform, innovation and climate change, Obama said:

“…[W]e need to export more of our goods. Because the more products we make and sell to other countries, the more jobs we support right here in America. So tonight, we set a new goal: We will double our exports over the next five years, an increase that will support two million jobs in America. To help meet this goal, we’re launching a National Export Initiative that will help farmers and small businesses increase their exports, and reform export controls consistent with national security.

Oregon Dungeness crab season sprints into the new year

By Oregon Department of Ag.

One month of decent weather and good fishing has carried Oregon’s Dungeness crab fishery into the new year with a boat load of momentum. In just four weeks following the crab season’s opening, Oregon crabbers have harvested about 15.6 million pounds. Last season’s entire eight-and-a-half month catch along the Oregon coast netted about 13 million pounds. The strong start has boosted the economies of coastal communities from Astoria to Brookings and sets the stage for what could be an excellent year for Oregon Dungeness crab.

Century Farm-Ranch Award and Sesquicentennial Awards Open

2010 Century Farm & Ranch Award Applications and 2010 Sesquicentennial Award Applications Are Now Available
By Oregon Agricultural Education Foundation

(Salem, Or) – Applications are now being accepted for the 2010 award year of the Century Farm & Ranch Program, a statewide recognition program honoring farmers and ranchers who have worked the same land for at least 100 years.  Applications are also available for the Sesquicentennial Award, introduced by the Program in 2008, honoring families with farms or ranches continuously worked for 150 years or more.  The Program, celebrating its 52nd year, is administered through the Oregon Agricultural Education Foundation (OAEF) in Salem and is partially funded by the Oregon Farm Bureau, the State Historic Preservation Office (Department of Parks & Recreation), the Oregon Department of Agriculture, the Oregon Travel Information Council, various county farm bureaus, agriculture-based organizations, and individuals.

Greg Walden: Global Warming and the SEC fiasco?

Walden, Barton ask SEC Chair Schapiro to explain how global warming action plan improves safety, security for investors
SEC: Never mind Madoff;What are we doing about global warming?
From Greg Walden,

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Reps. Greg Walden, (R-OR)., ranking member of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, and Joe Barton, (R-TX), ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, today wrote to Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary Schapiro regarding plans under consideration by the commission to call for corporations to be required to explain how they are alleviating global warming.

“We note with interest that the Securities and Exchange Commission evidently has concluded that, having permitted the now-imprisoned Bernard Madoff to bilk as much as $50 billion from trusting investors, it will now turn its investigative eye toward global warming instead of investor protection,” Walden and Barton wrote. “Had the colossal failure of the commission to notice the Madoff Ponzi scheme after six separate and substantive tip-offs not occurred, and even if you had not overlooked a top SEC official’s romantic involvement with Mr. Madoff’s niece during that disgraceful episode, we would be troubled by an undertaking which seems so transparently political and such a breathtaking waste of the Commission’s resources.”

US Transportation Dept. fax scam hits NW

By Washington State Nursery and Landscaping Association

WSNLA has learned that an identify fraud scheme is targeting landscape firms. A firm receives a fax that says it is from the United States Department of Transportation and that the Department requires certain information in order to qualify the firm as a prospective contractor. A “financial information release form” is provided and the company is told they must fax the form in to qualify for contracts. This letter is not from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

If you have received such a letter you should immediately contact your bank. If you have already suffered a loss due to this scheme, please contact Secret Service Special Agent Donnelly at 210-846-4708 and report the loss to assist the Secret Service in pursuing this case.

The Secret Service recommends extreme caution in all financial disclose areas and recommends the following business practices:

February Session: Water Update, Permanent Sessions

By Helen Moore,
Water for Life,

Since Oregon became a state in 1859, the Oregon Legislature has met on a biennial basis in accordance with specific provisions set forth in the Oregon Constitution. However, in 2007, the Legislature decided that it should move to a system of annual legislative sessions. Toward that end, the legislature convened a one-month “emergency” special session in February of 2008 for the stated purpose of “test-driving” annual sessions. Next month, the Legislature plans to continue its ongoing experiment with annual sessions by convening yet another one-month special session on February 1, 2010.

During the February session, lawmakers are planning to submit a constitutional amendment to voters that would authorize lawmakers to meet in annual session on a permanent basis. The rationale behind lawmakers’ experiment with annual sessions and plans for a constitutional amendment is somewhat unclear. If the legislature needs a constitutional amendment in order to meet annually, it would seem to follow that lawmakers do not have authority to meet in February for the stated purpose of holding annual sessions.

Congressman Baird Announces NW Green Jobs Grant

Baird Announces Green Jobs Grant for Southwest
Congressman Brian Baird,

Washington D.C. - Congressman Brian Baird is pleased to announce today that the U.S. Department of Labor awarded $5,000,000 in grant funding to the Oregon Manufacturing Extension Partnership for its proposed Renewable Northwest (ReNW) Energy Training Partnership program.

The ReNW project will build a skilled workforce to support companies that generate power and assist local manufacturers in retooling their workforce.  Workers will gain the skills and training needed for careers in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries.

New Senator steps up to oppose EPA plan

Lincoln’s Support Key to Reining in Regulations
By American Farm Bureau Federation

WASHINGTON, D.C, January 21, 2010 – Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) announced today that she would co-sponsor a resolution to disapprove the Environmental Protection Agency’s effort to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. Lincoln’s support builds key momentum for an issue that is of vital importance to America’s farmers and ranchers, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.

AFBF President Bob Stallman said Lincoln’s support for the resolution, introduced by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), could not have come at a better time and reflects true bipartisan concern.

Gathering Push for Sodium Reduction in Food

By Guest Blogger Tyler Anderson
Stoel Rives LLP, Attorneys at Law

The issue of sodium content in food has been a hot topic in recent months, as our own Ken Odza has blogged about in reporting on the class action lawsuits filed against Denny’s in New Jersey and Illinois. Now the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is addressing the issue. On January 11, the Department unveiled the National Salt Reduction Initiative, targeted toward reducing the salt levels in products offered by restaurants and food companies.

This initiative reflects a voluntary goal led by New York City to reduce the salt levels in packaged and restaurant foods by 25 percent over five years. According to the initiative, accomplishing this benchmark would reduce the nation’s salt intake by 20 percent and prevent up to 800,000 premature deaths nationwide and 23,000 in New York City alone. According to Dr. Sonia Angell, director of the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Control Program at the Department, the average American adult consumes 3,400 to 3,500 milligrams of sodium per day, while most individuals need about only 1,500 milligrams to satisfy their health needs. The initiative has gathered a wide range of support from parties including the American Heart Association, the American Medical Association, Oregon Department of Human Services, and the Washington State Department of Health.

Sneak Peek into Legislative Natural Resource Bills

Here is a sample of some of the Natural Resource Bills that are being proposed for the February Legislative Session.

Senate Bill 1036
Reauthorizes establishment of guest ranches on land zoned for exclusive farm use in eastern Oregon. Deems guest ranches established under sunsetted law to be conforming use under new authority for guest ranches.

Senate Bill 1060
Establishes public right to recreational use of certain waterways. Specifies extent and limitations of right. Limits liability of owners of property immediately adjacent to waterways. Requires Department of State Lands to work with Department of State Police and other agencies to resolve issues related to recreational use of waterways. Punishes violation of statute or rule regulating public access to waterways by fine of up to $360.

Senate Bill 1032
Creates unlawful practice of manufacturing, distributing or selling liquid or food in container made with bisphenol A if liquid or food is intended primarily for consumption by child under three years of age. Creates unlawful practice of manufacturing, distributing or selling container made with bisphenol A if container is designed to be

Congress returns, Ag. bills hang in balance

Congress Back to Work Next Week; Facing Health Care, Budget

January 15, 2010 Bookmark and Share

Congress will be back to work in earnest next week after Martin Luther King, Jr. day on Monday to face a host of issues lacking simple solutions.

The House of Representatives was technically in session this week and did take votes on three resolutions and a bill to name a post office. The Senate remained out of session, to return Tuesday.

Upon returning, the Senate is scheduled to immediately take up a bill to raise the nation’s debt limit. Congress approved an extension of the debt limit before the holidays, but the $290 billion increase is estimated to last only until February. A number of amendments to debt legislation are expected, meaning debate could extend into February as well.

Congressional Democrats and the Obama Administration continued talks this week toward a compromise they hope will help avoid a formal conference of pending health care legislation. News reports indicate Leadership would like to have the bill done by the end of the month, but no compromise has yet been inked. The effort to pass a health care bill consumed much of the latter half of 2009.

Importantly to agriculture, the Obama Administration’s FY2011 budget draft is expected out on Feb.1. The FY2010 Obama Administration budget proposed deep cuts to farm safety net programs and were resoundly rejected by Members of Congress.

Salmon-Steelhead bills advance in Oregon Senate

Senate passes two Atkinson bills to strengthen salmon and steelhead populations
State Senator Jason Atkinson,

Salem – The Senate passed Senate Bill 472 and Senate Bill 545 Saturday afternoon, bills that will create larger and healthier salmon and steelhead populations in Oregon rivers. Senate bill 472 will start a hatchbox program on the Rogue River.  The use of hatchboxes are a proven method for increasing the life expectancy of fish eggs. Senate Bill 545 directs the Department of Fish and Wildlife to study pathogens in fish hatcheries and determine what the best practices are for successfully raising fish in hatcheries.

“Fishing in Oregon’s streams and rivers is one of our state’s great legacies,” said Atkinson.  “These bills are in the best tradition of ingenuity and conservation, and I believe an important part of protecting and restoring our salmon and steelhead runs.”

Small increase reported in percentage of minority farmers

Small increase reported in percentage of minority farmers
By Oregon Department of Ag

The vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. included equality of all races when it came to pursuing a dream. Everyone should be free to seek the profession of their choice, including farming. Even though there is ample opportunity today for all racial or ethnic minorities, relatively few have made that choice. Only about three percent of Oregon’s 38,553 farm operators are classified as something other than white. The reasons for the low percentage can be traced to the nation’s past when it was especially difficult for minorities to own and operate a farm or ranch.