February 1, 2013
Bills to label food containing genetically modified ingredients and restrict their production have put Oregon's farm lobby on the defensive as the 2013 Legislature gets underway. But opportunities also are present. Buoyed by Gov. John Kitzhaber's proposal to sink $22 million into water development, the Oregon Farm Bureau views the session as an opportunity for irrigated agriculture, said Katie Fast, the organization's director of government affairs. "I think this is a year of opportunity for water development in Oregon," Fast said. "For the first time in a long time we're seeing a request for funds for a water-supply development program," said Brenda Bateman, spokesperson for the Oregon Water Resources Department. "That includes above- and below-ground storage, interstate partnerships to gain access to stored water, and other strategies. And we just haven't had those kinds of strategic conversations in a very long time." Read more from today's Capital Press article Oregon farm lobby watch water, labeling, land-use bills.
Today's Posts:
Klamath River Basin Issues:
Capital Press: Oregon farm lobby watch water, labeling, land-use bills Feb 1, 2013
Capital Press: Idaho study finds widespread irrigation water waste Feb 1, 2013
PNW Salmon News:
Columbia Basin Bulletin: To Aid Salmonids, Washington Mulls Lifting Bag Limits On Bass, Walleye In Portions Columbia/ Snake Feb 1, 2013
Columbia Basin Bulletin: Spring Chinook Seasons Set For A Forecasted Modest Return; Idaho, Tribes Say Too Much Early Fishing Feb 1, 2013
Columbia Basin Bulletin: ODFW To Implement Pilot Non-Lethal Sea Lion Hazing Program At Willamette Falls Feb. 4-April 30 Feb 1, 2013
Columbia Basin Bulletin: Water Issue Leads To Salmon Fry Die-Off At McCall Hatchery, Should Still Hit Smolt Target Release Feb 1, 2013
Important Reading:
National Geographic: How Drought on Mississippi River Impacts You Jan 31, 2013
CattleNetwork.com: 3 more years of drought for the Corn Belt? Maybe Jan 31, 2013
Reuters: US spring crop season jeopardized as drought persists Jan 31, 2013
KQED, Bay Area: Modoc Coyote Hunt Raises Concerns About California's Lone Wolf Jan 31, 2013
Frosty Wooldridge: Immigration Reform Favors Illegal Aliens Ahead of Americans Feb 1, 2013
Everett Herald: Changes in ocean put shellfish business in jeopardy Feb 1, 2013
AP: USFWS to propose wolverine for listing on endangered species list Feb 1, 2013