WASHINGTON FARM BUREAU NEWSWATCH

November 19, 2004 No. 90

WHITMAN COUNTY WHEAT GROWER STEVE APPEL HAS BEEN ELECTED TO AN 11TH one-year term as president of the Washington Farm Bureau, the largest
general agricultural organization in the state with more than 34,000 member
families. Delegates to Washington Farm Bureau's 85th annual meeting
this week also re-elected Robyn Meenach, vice president for legislation,
and Dean Farrens, vice president for policy development. More than 375
Washington Farm Bureau members attended the four-day meeting in Spokane.

NATIONAL FARM-CITY WEEK BEGINS TODAY AND RUNS THROUGH NOV. 25.
Employing the theme "Partners in Progress," Farm-City Week recognizes the
importance of rural and urban communities working together to make the most
of our nation's rich agricultural resources. Farm-City events include
family farm days, rural-urban dinners, job exchanges, tours, festivals
and school activities. For more info: <http://www.farmcity.org/>

THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ON THURSDAY ANNOUNCED THE THIRD
"inconclusive" test result for bovine spongiform encephalopathy since
implementing a rapid-testing procedure for U.S. cattle this year. Tissue samples
have been sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames,
Iowa, for further testing. In both of the earlier cases, additional
testing proved negative for BSE. The USDA said the cow in question did not
enter the human food or feed chains. The USDA will not release any
information about the animal or its location unless the additional test
comes back positive. Test results are expected in four to seven days. More
than 113,000 high-risk cattle have been tested for BSE since June when
the USDA enacted a higher testing surveillance program.

THE PACIFIC LEGAL FOUNDATION FILED A FORMAL NOTICE OF INTENT TO SUE
Thursday over a new federal policy that PLF contends fails to comply with
a court decision that requires NOAA Fisheries to treat genetically
similar hatchery and naturally spawned fish the same under the Endangered
Species Act. In 2001, a U.S. District Court ruled that NOAA Fisheries
could not list naturally spawned salmon for protection under the ESA
without applying the same protections to genetically similar hatchery fish.
Following the decision, NOAA Fisheries agreed to review its hatchery
policy. The PLF expected the ruling to result in the de-listing of some
salmon runs in cases where genetically similar hatchery fish are
abundant. However, under the new policy announced this year, NOAA Fisheries is
not proposing to delist any runs, and plans to add one more to the list
of 26 runs that are already listed for protection. Washington Farm
Bureau is one of 11 plaintiffs in the case represented by PLF.

A U.S. DISTRICT COURT JUDGE IN SEATTLE RULED THIS WEEK THAT THE FEDERAL
Emergency Management Agency must consult with NOAA Fisheries over the
impact on salmon before deciding which communities in the Puget Sound
region are entitled to flood insurance. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Nov.
18) Although the ruling is considered unlikely to affect already
developed areas, including Seattle, more than 100 Puget Sound communities
could see a slowing of growth.

PEOPLE FOR THE ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS (PETA) LAUNCHED A NEW
campaign this week to convince people not to eat fish because they are
intelligent beings. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Nov. 17) PETA's "Fish
Empathy" campaign is focused on recent scientific studies that suggest fish
have more complex brain patterns that previously thought.
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* 2004 Washington Farm Bureau. NewsWatch is a periodic update on news
of interest to agriculture. Contact Dean Boyer, director of public
relations, 1-800-331-3276 or, to receive NewsWatch by fax or e-mail.