The Oregon Natural Resources Report - Agricultural News from Oregon

Livestock Groups Hail Passage of Omnibus Spending Package
— PLC, NCBA Urge President to Sign Bill Including Critical Grazing, Environmental Provisions
By  National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

A $915 billion omnibus spending bill to fund the federal government through September 2012 passed Congress. Dustin Van Liew, Public Lands Council (PLC) executive director and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) director of federal lands, commended lawmakers for including critical policy provisions related to livestock grazing as well as greenhouse gas reporting requirements in the spending bill. He said PLC and NCBA encourage President Obama to waste no time in signing the bill into law.

A Storm of Estate Taxes Threatens Farm Country
By Lynne Finnerty
By American Farm Bureau Federation

Two recent news reports contained troubling year-end news for farm families.

Farmland values are booming. Minnesota farmland prices are nearly 30 percent higher than a year ago, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. It’s a similar catastrophe in Iowa where, an Iowa State University survey shows, high corn and soybean prices have driven average farmland values to a new record of almost $7,000 per acre.

I know what you’re thinking: “Isn’t that good news for farmland owners?”

By Oregon Department of Agriculture

Oregon farm land has long-term value that includes economic, environmental, and societal benefits that transcend short-term gains from developing or converting those lands. That’s one of many conclusions offered by an Oregon Department of Agriculture report examining the costs of taking agricultural lands out of production and the payoffs for keeping them in farms.

“I’ve tried to give a big picture perspective on the value of agricultural lands in Oregon, and to recognize that once those lands are converted into development, they are pretty much gone for agricultural use,” says Brent Searle, special assistant to the director and author of “A Comprehensive Valuation of Agricultural Lands: A Perpetual Investment in Oregon’s Economy and Environment.”

Forest Policy Briefs
by Rex Storm, Forest Policy Manager
Associated Oregon Loggers,

Governor’s Mixed Message: Something of a rare event, Gov. John Kitzhaber addressed Oregon’s Board of Forestry at its November meeting, delivering a rambling speech of conflicting platitudes. On one hand, the Gov. suggested re-examining state forest harvest to improve economic input to communities; and a new approach to federal forest management involving “a need to increase management activity.” Alternatively, the Gov. criticized private forest policies that allow log exports, saying that it’s wrong to “export our natural capital and jobs.” The Governor fails to understand that without exports Oregon’s forest sector simply would have fewer markets and jobs from our growing timber. Repeating a list of worn-out, politically-correct slogans, the Gov. emphasized resolution of public forest problems by increased “collaboration…landscape-wide sustainable forestry…and conservation areas.” The Board thanked the Gov. for his concern.

Fires Above Average: Although the Northwest had a mild 2011 fire season, forest & rangeland wildfires burned near record acreages in the Southwest and Southern US. Through Nov. 14th, 64,943 fires had burned 8.21 million acres nationwide. The 10-year average is 70,000 fires over 6.87 million acres—indicating much larger fires this year. The US Forest Service reported in August that a research study concluded, again, that thinned forests harvested to leave 50-100 trees/acre are effective at reducing future crown fires and timber losses to wildfires in Western forests.

Consumers cozy up to winter farmers markets
By California Farm Bureau

While tree fruit growers are counting the chill hours, the nip in the air isn’t cooling Americans’ appetite for locally grown produce, according to a US Agriculture Department report on winter farmers markets. California has seen a 12 percent increase in winter farmers markets over the past year, today totaling more than 150. New York is the only state to have more winter farmers markets, with 180. The Agriculture Department says that winter farmers markets meet the need of consumers looking to buy locally grown food throughout the year.

Merry Christmas and Season’s Greetings from the entire Natural Resource team.

Iowa farmer joke found on the internet

Farmers Have Big Concerns About New Farm Bill
By American Farm Bureau Federation

Hearings for the new farm bill start in just a few weeks. American Farm Bureau Farm Policy Specialist Mary Kay Thatcher says a big debate will be about the farm safety net. AFBF’s Johnna Miller reports.

Miller: When it comes to a new farm bill, farmers say three different safety net programs are not better than one.

Thatcher: We have great concerns about the idea that there are really three separate types of programs. There’s a shallow loss program, there’s a higher target price program and then there’s STAX (Stacked Income Protection Plan) for cotton. I just don’t think there’s an economist in the country that is good enough at this that they can make sure that we’re getting equity between three types of programs and if we don’t then we’ll have farmers out there producing for the government again and the signals that the government sends rather than producing for the marketplace.

Another cow killed by the Imnaha wolf pack
By Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife,

UPDATE: On Dec. 14, ODFW confirmed another livestock depredation by Imnaha pack wolves. It was an adult cow found Tuesday morning on the same property as the depredation discussed in this news release. The cow probably died Monday night or Tuesday morning from wounds inflicted earlier when the wolves visited the ranch Sunday or Monday morning. An investigation summary will be available later at the Livestock Loss Investigations page.

Dec. 13, 2011: LA GRANDE, Ore.—ODFW confirmed that another cow was killed by wolves from the Imnaha pack over the weekend. The yearling heifer was found dead on private land in Wallowa County.

ODA sets up grant program for counties to help ranchers
By Oregon Dept. of Agriculture

The return of the gray wolf to Oregon has already resulted in conflicts between the predatory animal and livestock, leading to past, present, and future losses for Oregon ranchers. This past session, the Oregon Legislature established a $100,000 grant program to compensate the ranching community when livestock and working dogs are attacked and killed by wolves. The Oregon Department of Agriculture is finalizing the rules surrounding that compensation program, which goes into effect immediately upon the director’s signature.

Occupy Port Blockade Hurts Grass Seed Growers
Natural Resource News Note:

Occupy protestors recently headed to ports in California, Oregon, and Washington to disrupt commercial shipments, including Willamette Valley grass seed wholesalers and trucking companies.  The Corvallis Gazette reported on this protest and how it impacted local grass seed farmers.  According to one grass seed wholesaler who lost as much as $10,500 worth of business and wages due to the port blockade, the “occupiers are fast becoming the one percent, and the rest of us that are trying to make a living are becoming the 99 percent.”

by Senator Doug Whitsett
Oregon State Senator,

“Extreme preservationist groups are routinely using the provisions of the Act to enrich their own coffers while forcing the exclusion of human activity and destroying private property rights. The good news is that Congress is finally attempting to take action. As Chair of the powerful Committee on Natural Resources, Washington Congressman “Doc” Hastings has scheduled a series of hearings on these Endangered Species Act issues.”

The Endangered Species Act was intended to identify animal and plant life that is determined to be in peril of extinction and to recover those species. This original purpose was and remains a laudable goal. However, the Act has two fundamental flaws.

Wheat wins in Northern California
By California Farm Bureau

As they look back at their harvest, wheat farmers in Northern California say they benefitted from nearly ideal weather. A cool summer and no frost in September meant that wheat thrived in the Klamath Basin. Farmers in the area say the weather plus availability of water led to a record harvest. In the past, the farmers included wheat in their crop rotations mostly to maintain soil quality. Now, with high worldwide grain prices, farmers are earning strong prices for wheat.

By Nick Sibilla
Cascade Policy Institute
Oregon think tank group

News Corporation claims it’s greener than Starbucks.

That’s one of many surprising insights gleaned from the first-ever global Corporate Renewable Energy Index (CREX). According to CREX, published by Bloomberg New Energy Finance and Vestas Wind Systems, News Corporation (the parent company of FOX News and The Wall Street Journal) procures 67% of its electricity from renewable energy (RE). That makes News Corp. the 8th highest corporate consumer of renewable energy. Meanwhile, Starbucks ranks below at 14th, with 58% of its energy purchased from green sources. Despite the current recession, among those surveyed, corporate purchases of RE increased by more than 50% over the past year.

FSIS Proposed Rule for Generic Labels
By National Sustainability Agriculture Coalition

USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) announced a proposed rule to change its generic label approval process. This new rule would allow food processing establishments to use new labels or to modify labels on a broader set of products without first submitting the labels to FSIS for approval. FSIS will still verify that labels comply with regulations and provide accurate information.

If this rule becomes final, it is expected to benefit customers by allowing products to reach store shelves more quickly. Additionally, it is anticipated that the rule should benefit smaller producers by making the label process easier and less costly.

By Cindy
Corn Commenatry
National Corn Growers Association

The end of the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) is coming and the ethanol industry is prepared. “The market place has changed,” says Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen. “We’re now looking at $85-100 a barrel oil on a sustained basis so it’s difficult to go to the taxpayer and ask them to provide an incentive when the marketplace is already providing the incentive. We’re the lowest cost liquid transportation fuel in the world today.”

Wyden Sends Letter to EPA Seeking Better Rules for Small Boilers
By U.S. Senator Ron Wyden

With the Environmental Protection Agency proposing new rules governing which fuels are burned in boilers throughout the country, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has sent a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson calling on the agency to require additional disclosure of the fuels that are burned in smaller boilers, so that community members can know and weigh in on the types of fuels burned in small boilers in their neighborhoods.

Greg Walden helps secure language to close Umatilla depot under BRAC – passage into law expected by end of the year
By Congressman Greg Walden

U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) announced that he helped secure language in upcoming legislation that allows the Umatilla Chemical Depot to close under conditions the community had long prepared for, ensuring that economic development and other uses for the land can move forward as planned.

By AG-PAC

AG-PAC, Oregon’s largest coalition of agriculture and natural resources political action committees has endorsed Rob Cornilles in the race to fill Oregon’s vacant first congressional district seat. Agriculture and natural resources provide about 25% of Oregon’s total economy, Rob understands that. He values that.” said Chairman Roger Beyer, a Christmas tree grower. “With the economic and political challenges facing this state and this country, we need a strong voice in congress. Rob Cornilles has the skills, vision, and small business background and success to be the kind of effective member of congress the first district has not had for nearly twenty years. Rob is a community leader who will not toe the party line in Washington, D.C.,” added Beyer, “He is the kind of independent thinker who will listen to the needs of his constituents. He won’t be afraid to stand up to the career politicians when they trot out the tired partisan bickering that has contributed to this mess.”

Dungeness crab season opens Dec. 15 along most of Oregon’s coast
By Oregon Dept of Fish and Wildlife

NEWPORT – Dungeness crab is back on the menu for holiday feasts as commercial crabbing opens Dec. 15 along most of the Oregon coast. Fishery managers made the decision today to open the ocean to crabbing along the Oregon coast from the Columbia River to just north of Gold Beach (42°26’00″ N. Lat.). The ocean commercial Dungeness crab season in Oregon normally opens Dec. 1, but was delayed this year because crab did not meet minimum pre-season quality testing.