WASHINGTON FARM BUREAU NEWSWATCH

October 27, 2005 No. 61
HOUSE-SENATE CONFEREES HAVE VOTED TO DELAY MANDATORY COUNTRY-OF-origin
labeling for meat until 2008. (AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Oct. 26)
This is the second delay for mandatory labeling of meat, which
originally was to take effect in 2004. Conferees are working out differences in
House and Senate versions of a $100 billion spending bill for food and
farms. The bill now goes back to the House and Senate for final
approval.

THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY SAID THIS WEEK THAT DEMOLISHING Condit
Dam on the White Salmon River could release a plume of sediment that
could kill fish and other aquatic species as far downstream as Bonneville
Dam. (AP/Seattle Times, Oct. 25) Environmental groups have urged
Portland-based PacifiCorp to remove the 92-year-old dam to open up habitat
for salmon and steelhead and the utility has begun filing applications to
remove the 125-foot-high dam in October 2008, draining Northwestern
Lake and releasing 2 million cubic yards of sediment.

THE KITSAP COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION HAS REJECTED 150- TO 200-FOOT
riparian buffers proposed by county planning staff in a rewrite of the
county's Critical Areas Ordinance. (Kitsap Sun, Oct. 26) The planning
commission will meet again Monday; the deadline for making recommendations
to the County Commission is Tuesday. The Sun reported that planning
commissioners who favored the draft ordinance "were clearly outnumbered by
those digging in for a major overhaul of the document."

A FEDERAL JUDGE IN MONTANA RULED THIS WEEK THAT THE FOREST SERVICE
violated the Endangered Species Act and other environmental laws by using
fire-retardant chemicals to fight forest fires without conducting an
environmental-impact study. (Greenwire, Oct. 26) Judge Donald Molloy
ordered the Forest Service to conduct a formal environmental analysis, but
did not bar the agency from using fire-retardant chemicals until the
study is finished.

SENATE CONFEREES THIS WEEK VOTED 9-8 TO EXEMPT MANURE FROM TWO
pollution-reporting laws. (Greenwire, Oct. 26) The Comprehensive Environmental
Response Compensation Act and the Emergency Planning and Community
Right to Know Act would require self-reporting of pollution discharges. But
GOP Sens. Larry Craig of Idaho and Sam Brownback of Kansas offered a
rider that excludes manure from the definition of "hazardous substance,"
"pollutant," or "contaminant" under the laws. Conferees are working out
differences between House and Senate versions of the bills. House
conferees postponed a vote on the rider.

WONDER WHY ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS ARE OPPOSING AN INITIATIVE TO ROLL back
gas-tax hikes, since they typically opposing road building? The Seattle
Post-Intelligencer reported this week (AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer,
Oct. 24) that proposed work on Interstate 90 would include 28 wildlife
crossings, either bridges or culverts, along a 15-mile stretch of the
freeway that would allow animals to cross safely. Washington Farm Bureau
supports passage of I-912 to roll back the gas-tax hikes.

THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE IS LOOKING TO BUY ANOTHER 645
acres in the Methow Valley for wildlife habitat. (Wenatchee World, Oct.
12) The state would pay for the lands with a $2 million federal grant
and $2 million in matching funds set aside this year by the Legislature
for land acquisition. Okanogan County Commissioner Bud Hover said the
county would oppose the purchase because it takes more land out of
production.

October 26, 2005 No. 60
A GOVERNMENT FOOD-SAFETY PANEL IN JAPAN HAS DELAYED A DECISION whether to declare U.S. beef safe for consumption, and the prime minister said Wednesday there is no hurry in lifting an import ban on American beef. (AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Oct. 26) At one time the largest foreign market for U.S. beef, Japan banned imports after a dairy cow in Washington was found with bovine spongiform encephalopathy in December 2003. A poll published in the Japanese national newspaper Wednesday showed that 67 percent of respondents were opposed to lifting the ban, up from 63 percent in a poll taken a year ago.

MEANWHILE, A BIPARTISAN GROUP OF AT LEAST 20 SENATORS PLANNED TO introduce a bill today that would require President Bush to impose tariffs on Japanese products if Japan does not lift its ban on U.S. beef by the end of the year. (AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Oct. 25) However, Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said earlier this month the administration does not believe sanctions are the best way to deal with the continuing ban. Neither of Washington's senators was reported to be a cosponsor of the legislation.

STATE AND FEDERAL WILDLIFE OFFICIALS WILL RELEASE A PLAN NEXT MONTH that could lead to the first legal big-game hunt on the Hanford nuclear reservation since World War II. (Tri-City Herald, Oct. 26) The annual hunts to control the elk population would begin in 2006 and follow the state's regular hunting seasons. The state has paid out more than $500,000 in crop-damage claims since 2000.

THE CLARK COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION VOTED 6-0 TO RECOMMEND THAT the County Commission reject a proposed critical areas ordinance. (The Reflector, Oct. 26) The County Commission has not scheduled a vote on the ordinance. Joel Rupley, director of the county's Endangered Species Program, noted that under the proposed ordinance there would no longer be an exemption for existing agriculture. "In reality," Rupley told The Reflector, "the state wants avoidance (or critical areas). There's not much flexibility in avoidance." Rupley will be the guest speaker at the Clark/Cowlitz County Farm Bureau annual meeting Nov. 8. For information on the annual meeting, call Helen Boldt at (360) 892-0434.

FLORIDA'S WINTER VEGETABLE CROP, WHICH PROVIDES MORE THAN HALF THE nation's fresh vegetables between November and February, was hit hard by Hurricane Wilma. (AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Oct. 26) The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Tuesday it is too early to assess the damage, but losses would be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Fields were flooded and plastic coverings were ripped off greenhouses, exposing delicate baby plants to the burning sun. After four hurricanes hit the state a year ago, the Agriculture Department paid Florida growers about $600 million for their losses.

REMEMBER THE 9TH U.S. CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE WITH A HOME IN SEATTLE WHO had his gardener cut down an acre of trees in a public park so he had a better view of Lake Washington? Almost three years ago, Judge Jerome Farris promised to pay the city $500,000 to compensate for the destruction of public property. However, The Seattle Times reported today that Farris has paid only $200,000. Meanwhile, he is suing his homeowners insurance company to cover the remaining $300,000. He also wants Farmers Insurance to reimburse his $200,000, plus 12 percent interest per year. Understandably, the insurance company contends it is not liable for intentional and illegal logging on public land. The matter goes to trial Dec. 6.
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* 2005 Washington Farm Bureau. 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, send e-mail to
dboyer@wsfb.com to receive NewsWatch by fax or e-mail.