SALEM — Filing lawsuits over alleged pesticide damages would be easier in Oregon under a bill that would eliminate a plaintiff’s responsibility to first notify farm regulators.

Currently, anybody who claims to be harmed by pesticides must submit a report within 60 days to the Oregon Department of Agriculture before taking legal action against the landowner or applicator.

Senate Bill 500 would remove this requirement, which is characterized by proponents as an unfair impediment to justice and by critics as a reasonable barrier to frivolous litigation.

“Keep things the way they are,” urged Denver Pugh, a farmer near Shedd, Ore., during a March 22 legislative hearing.

Pugh said pesticide spraying at his family’s operation was blamed for injuring the trees and shrubs of a nearby organic grower, who filed a “report of loss” with the ODA.

After an investigation, ODA determined the damage was actually caused by hail, not pesticides, which prevented an unnecessary lawsuit, said Pugh.

Critics of the bill argue the reporting requirement allows ODA to gather facts substantiating or repudiating the claims of pesticide loss, thus avoiding litigation based on weak or nonexistent evidence.

The 60-day window also ensures that accused farmers have an opportunity to collect their own evidence, which may not be possible if a lawsuit is filed long after an alleged incident, opponents say.

Greg Peterson, a tree farm owner, said ODA officials determined that his pesticide usage had no connection to the death of fish at a nearby property, contrary to the neighbor’s accusations.

“It was very good they were able to act as an intermediary,” Peterson said. “To unravel that would have been horrendous for us as landowners.”

Supporters of SB 500, on the other hand, say the “report of loss” requires submitting specifics that are difficult for people to obtain, such as the type of pesticide applied and who sprayed the chemical.

“Most people have to work with a state agency to get that information and it takes more than 60 days,” said Lisa Arkin, executive director of Beyond Toxics, which supports the bill.

Gary Hale, a resident of Lane County, said rural residents who are exposed to pesticides often won’t realize they must submit a report to ODA.

“There’s a very small percentage of Oregonians who expect that to be a requirement,” he said.

Once they find out about the 60-day deadline, it may be too late to submit the report of loss, permanently blocking the possibility of legal recourse, Hale said. “There is no justice after that.”

Tuesdays

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — A judge has sided with two environmental groups in a ruling that halts a timber sale in southern Oregon’s Umpqua National Forest.

The Statesman Journal reported Monday that Judge Jolie Russo ruled that the forest must conduct a more comprehensive study of environmental impacts caused by the proposed logging project near Crater Lake National Park.

The timber sale calls for 1,400 acres of commercial thinning and construction of nearly 6 miles of temporary roads near popular recreation sites.

Russo’s ruling last week marks the second time the project has been delayed in court.

Cascadia Wildlands and Oregon Wild brought the lawsuit against the timber sale, which was first halted in 2014.

Lawson Fite, with the American Forest Resource Council, disagreed with the ruling, saying the project will have “negligible or beneficial” environmental impacts.

REDMOND, Ore. — When 18-year-old Kourtney Lehman made the nearly five-hour trek from Baker City to Redmond for the 89th Oregon State FFA convention last week, she never imagined she would return as the organization’s state president.

“You always dream to get to this point, but it’s hard,” said Lehman. “It definitely feels like I’m in a different world right now.”

Lehman, a senior at Baker High School, was named president of the 2017-18 Oregon State FFA officer team on Monday, the final day of the convention held at Deschutes County Fair and Expo Center over the weekend of March 24-27. More than 2,000 FFA members and hundreds of other attendees, judges and sponsors flocked to the event — along with a few horses, ducks and sheep.

During the weekend, thousands of students decked out in blue-and-gold corduroy participated in events ranging from debates on hot-button agricultural topics to marketing contests. Depending on how they fared, they were hand-picked by judges to lead the organization for the next year.

“My biggest goal is just serving the members,” said Lehman. “They’re all so passionate about making a difference in their communities.”

Just minutes after Lehman was named president, her social media accounts exploded with congratulatory messages and blue-and-gold heart symbols. Even though she won the state job interview contest and placed third place in a public speaking competition earlier in the weekend, she was shocked to learn she’d been named the state’s FFA leader.

“It’s been an amazing experience,” said Lehman, whose father, brother and sister were also FFA members.

Over the next year, officers such as Lehman will be responsible for holding events including educational workshops and leadership camps, as well as governing thousands of members statewide.

Emma Rooker of the Bend FFA Chapter was selected as state vice president, while Wade Rynearson of the Union FFA Chapter was named treasurer.

Lee Wesenberg of the Sutherlin FFA Chapter was chosen as state reporter and Gaby Santa Cruz of Hood River Valley High School is sentinel.

After three long days of interviews with judges, Jensen Kemble of Ontario High School was picked for state secretary. Kemble, 17, said he was overwhelmed by the “whirlwind” that came before the announcement of the new officers — especially on Monday morning, when the judges’ votes were tallied.

“The process leading up to the announcement is very intense,” said Kemble. “It takes several minutes to calculate the votes and the entire time you just grab onto the other candidates for support and hope for the best.”

The convention’s theme was “Don’t Back Down,” a concept that was weaved into many of the weekend’s events ranging from debate challenges to marketing competitions.

On Sunday, Sevana Patrick, a senior from the Hermiston FFA Chapter, spent the entire morning preparing materials for the convention’s marketing competition finals.

The 18-year-old said her favorite part of participating in the organization is learning leadership skills and being supported by peers. After high school, she plans to enlist in the U.S. Navy, where she wants to further hone her skills as a leader and team member.

“It’s about being accepted and having that family, and having something that’s greater than yourself,” said Patrick, whose team placed third in the marketing competition.

The weekend was 18-year-old Sebastian Powers-Leach’s second time attending the FFA convention. The North Marion High School senior raises market sheep and wants to work in agriculture, but his favorite part of the FFA is competing in debate contests.

Powers-Leach and his peers were tasked with researching and debating agricultural issues that ranged from whether to label genetically modified foods to the perks of state farm-to-school food programs. Last year, the students debated immigration issues — a heated topic — in addition to less controversial ones such as whether to hold the convention at a single location each year, Powers-Leach said.

“A lot of it is opinion-based to an extent,” said Powers-Leach. “But there are others where you really need the facts to back it up with research.”

THURSDAY, MARCH 30

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A federal judge in Oregon says that beginning next year, the government must spill more water from dams on the lower Columbia and Snake rivers to improve the chances that protected salmon will survive.

U.S. District Judge Michael Simon said in a ruling Monday that the salmon continue to be imperiled and that the Army Corps of Engineers must spill more water for the fish at eight dams.

However, he declined to require the Corps to do so immediately, as conservationists requested.

Instead, he told the government to spend the next year studying how best to release the right amount of water without creating strong eddies or other conditions that could further endanger the fish.

Conservationists say the extra water will help young salmon migrate out to sea.

Simon is the same judge who last year urged the government to consider breaching the four dams on the Lower Snake River.

SALEM — Eggs that haven’t been graded for size or quality are commonly sold directly to consumers in Oregon, but the custom doesn’t strictly adhere to state law.

Though the Oregon Department of Agriculture isn’t likely to drop the regulatory hammer on ungraded eggs, proponents of farm-to-consumer marketing nonetheless want to reconcile the statute with convention.

Under House Bill 3116, ungraded eggs could be sold roadside stands, farmers’ markets and other direct marketing venues as long as they’re labeled as such and are examined with a candling light for inner defects.

“This is closing the gap between the intent of the law with real world practice,” said Lynne Miller, a small egg producer from Benton County, Ore., during a March 27 legislative hearing.

Ungraded eggs haven’t caused food safety problems in Oregon and would still be subject to temperature controls and other regulations, said Rebecca Landis, policy adviser for the Oregon Farmers’ Market Association.

Grading isn’t required by federal law and grade standards developed for chicken eggs aren’t applicable for farmers who sell duck or turkey eggs, she said.

Unless they’re following very exacting recipes, consumers generally aren’t troubled by the lack of uniformity in cartons of ungraded eggs, Landis said.

“The size differences are not considered a minus,” she said.

The bill is intended to prevent a burden on small egg producers, in light of the Oregon Department of Justice advising ODA that ungraded egg sales aren’t currently allowed, said Rep. Pam Marsh, D-Ashland, who sponsored HB 3116.

“It adds unnecessary complexity to the process,” she said.

Enforcing the grading requirements isn’t a priority for ODA, but HB 3116 would clarify state policy regarding egg sales, said Stephanie Page, the agency’s food safety and animal health director.

Direct marketing is valuable for small and mid-sized farms in Oregon, which is among the top 10 states in farm-to-consumer sales, which generate about $44 million annually, said Ivan Maluski, policy director for the Friends of Family Farmers nonprofit, citing USDA data.

ONTARIO, Ore. — It will cost between $1 million and $2 million to fix the Malheur Siphon, which carries irrigation water to thousands of acres of farmland in the northern part of the Owyhee Irrigation District system.

The 4.3-mile steel pipeline, a landmark in the valley, delivers up to 325 cubic feet of water per second from the Owyhee Reservoir.

The 78-inch diameter pipeline was built in 1935 and an about three-quarter-mile-long section of it east of the Malheur Butte is starting to fail.

OID Manager Jay Chamberlin said that if the pipeline failed in the middle of growing season, it would result in about $18 million in crop losses.

“If we lose this pipe in July, that’s the worst-case scenario,” he told OID patrons March 21 during the district’s annual meeting. “That’s why we feel the urgency to do what we’re doing.”

The district last year hired MWH Americas, a Boise engineering firm, to perform a structural analysis of the pipeline and design a fix.

MWH civil engineer Gary Clark told OID patrons that most of the pipeline is in fantastic shape and should last until about 2060.

“The pipeline is worth fixing,” he said.

The problem section is in an area with bentonite clay, which, along with spikes and dips in temperature, can cause the pipe to move as much as 9 inches up and down and several inches sideways throughout the day.

“It goes through an expansion and contraction process during the day,” Chamberlin said. “It’s quite a living structure.”

Clark said the structural supports on the pipeline are starting to fail in that section because of the constant movement. Expansion joints, where the pipe slides inside itself, can also move several inches a day and are also close to failing.

These weak points have received band-aid fixes over the years, he said.

“In my opinion, it’s very close to failing at this point,” Clark said.

OID patrons this year will pay a special assessment of $1.50 per irrigable acre, which will raise about $101,000 to help fund the engineering work.

“This is going to help us get this process started,” said OID Assistant Manager Harvey Manser.

He said the district’s board of directors will seek grants and loan opportunities to help fund the project and OID employees will do as much of the work as possible to keep the cost down.

MWH’s proposed fix will involve new legs that will be designed to move relative to the pipeline and allow movement from side to side and vertically.

“This will be a lot cheaper than ... having to replace this thing,” Clark said.

Work on the project, which will occur over two to three years, will take place outside irrigation season and could begin this fall, Chamberlin said.

Wolves killed at least eight chickens and a goose March 23 in a pack attack that left feathers, chicken parts and “hundreds” of wolf tracks around the site, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The flock owners told ODFW they heard wolf howls about 4 a.m. and later found piles of feathers and fresh internal bird parts near their chicken hutch. According to ODFW, the owners reported they had 16 chickens and eight geese the evening of March 22 and were “missing 16 chickens and seven geese the next morning.”

An ODFW investigator found hundreds of wolf tracks around the open chicken hutch entrance and at “feeding sites” that were marked by piles of feathers. ODFW identified parts from at least eight of the chickens and one of the geese.

Data from a GPS tracking collar worn by OR-41, a wolf from the Shamrock Pack, showed it was about 300 yards from the attack site at 6 a.m. on March 23.

The attack happened in the Flora area, at the northern edge of Wallowa County. The Shamrock Pack previously injured a calf about 24 miles to the southeast in November 2016.

ALBANY, Ore. — Sheep producers from across the U.S. and Canada attended the 31st annual Howard Wyman Sheep Industry Leadership School held March 13-14.

The school was moved from July to March to showcase Oregon’s unique lambing operations that include rye grass field grazing. Oregon lamb producers participated by either hosting the group on their farm, being tour guides on the motorcoach or participating in panel discussions.

Tour stops included the Kalapooia Grass Fed Lamb Processing Plant in Brownsville, Snow Peak Fiber Mill in Hubbard, Hubbard Roselawn Hampshire Sheep in Monroe and area seed companies and various ewe and lamb operations.

Denise Bartlett, a 40-year commercial sheep veteran, current president of the Michigan Sheep Producers Association and participant in this year’s school, was particularly interested in the way the sheep industry worked in the Willamette Valley.

“It was such a fast and furious two days that I really didn’t sort out what I had learned until after I got back home,” Bartlett said from her home in Traunik, Mich. “I saw a very unique, symbiotic relationship between the huge grass seed industry in the valley and the generations of sheep raisers who rely on the forage produced, really as a by-product of grass seed production. Many of these sheep producers live in the valley and actually own very little land in comparison to the large acreage operations of the seed farmers.”

Howard Wyman, NLFA’s legendary lamb feeder for whom the school is named, went into the sheep business in Kansas City Missouri in 1938. He started the NLFA’s Sheep Industry Leadership School in 1986 to educate growers about what happened to their sheep after they left the farm. Since that time, schools have been held in Colorado, California, South Dakota, Texas, Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Oregon’s debut came about when Tom Nichols, a school veteran, president of the Oregon Sheep Growers Association and owner of Nichols Livestock, decided it was time the industry saw how Oregon producers manage to grow, harvest and market quality grass fed lamb.

“One of the overall highlights of the school seemed to be our lamb industry culture here in the valley,” Nichols said. “Most of the participants came from areas where there are great distances between growers and the number of operations we were able to visit in a 70-mile radius around Albany amazed them. The one thing they all went home with was the desire to have a facility near them that equaled the Kalapooia Grass Fed Processing Plant.”

Bob Harlan, a veteran sheep grower and lamb feeder from Wyoming and current president of the National Lamb Feeders Association, had high praise for the job Nichols did directing the school.

“I’ve been attending these schools for many years and this one was as good as possible,” Harlan said. “We had 33 people here from 19 states and Canada eager to learn everything they could to improve their operations at home. The presenters were excellent and getting a first-hand look at the Willamette Valley’s unique grass fed system was an opportunity not to be missed.

“As NLFA board members, we ask ourselves if this program as run its course,” Harlan said. “After the Oregon school, we know it hasn’t.”

Online

For more information, visit http://www.nlfa-sheep.org

Life was sweeter in Idaho in 2016 but took a dip in Oregon and Washington, according to honey production figures released by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

NASS said Idaho’s 2016 honey production was 3.3 million pounds, about 16 percent more than 2015. Washington produced 2.9 million pounds, about 8 percent lower than the previous year, and Oregon produced almost 2.6 million pounds, down 4 percent from 2015.

The number of hives in Idaho and Oregon increased in 2016 over the previous year, but dropped by 11,000 in Washington.

Generally, beekeepers report continued problems with colony collapse disorder and illnesses caused by mites and parasites.

Beekeeper Kathy Porter of Salem said colony collapse is particularly vexing. Research is continuing on the phenomena, in which adult worker bees simply disappear from the hive.

“You can have a perfectly healthy hive, and go back two weeks later and there’s not bee one in it,” Porter said.

Here’s the statistical breakdown from NASS:

• Idaho: 97,000 colonies producing an average of 34 pounds of honey per colony, selling at $1.72 per pound. Total value $5.7 million.

• Washington: 84,000 colonies yielding 35 pounds per colony, selling at $1.88 per pound. Total value was $5.5 million.

• Oregon: 74,000 colonies yielding 35 pounds per colony, selling at $2.06 per pound. Total value was $5.3 million.

Proposed notification requirements for aerial pesticide sprays in Oregon forests are intended to enhance communication with neighbors, but opponents say they’re unnecessarily onerous.

Timber companies would have to notify the Oregon Department of Forestry within 15 days of an aerial spray application under Senate Bill 892, then perform the operation within two days of the scheduled date.

Information about the operation, including which pesticides were applied and under what conditions, would also be submitted within five days of its completion.

The Oregon Department of Forestry would disseminate that information to interested neighbors through an online tracking system that’s already being built by the agency.

Proponents argue the notification system would help neighbors anticipate pesticide sprays and improve the medical response if drifting chemicals harm them.

“I would argue their concern is real and legitimate,” said Sen. Michael Dembrow, D-Portland, sponsor of SB 892 and chairman of the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee, where the legislation is under review.

Several representatives of the timber industry testified against the bill at a March 23 hearing, arguing that such reporting would greatly complicate on-the-ground operations.

The Seneca Jones Timber Co. voluntarily notifies interested neighbors about expected pesticide sprays, but only about 12 percent of them request the information, said Ted Rice, a forester for the company. The remaining 88 percent of landowners are other timber companies that don’t ask for the notifications.

“ODF would be tracking a whole lot of applications that, quite frankly, we’re the only ones who care about them,” Rice said.

Because the right weather conditions for aerial spraying are often fleeting, timber companies would be forced to change the anticipated operation dates again and again, he said.

“That would cause more confusion and anxious neighbors than we really want,” Rice said.

Barry Bushue, president of the Oregon Farm Bureau, noted that Oregon lawmakers had already created a “pesticide use reporting system” in the 1990s but then defunded the program in 2007.

Stakeholders involved in creating that original system agreed not to substantively alter it until the law sunsets in 2019, he said. “I’m concerned about re-inventing a well-thought-out and already workable wheel.”

Proponents of SB 892 claim that off-site pesticide drift has exposed people in forested areas to hazardous chemicals and caused illnesses, which justifies better notification.

“Voluntary notification is not dependable and rural residents should not be left guessing whether a timber company will contact them,” said Laurie Bernstein, who lives in Tiller, Ore.

DALLAS, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon woman pleaded guilty to animal neglect after authorities say she didn’t provide sufficient care for her goats, horses and llamas.

The Statesman Journal reports prosecutors dropped felony charges against Donna Dovey in exchange for her pleading guilty to two misdemeanor charges Thursday at Polk County Circuit Court.

The 50-year-old kept the animals on rented farmland south of Dallas, Oregon.

Polk County Sheriff Mark Garton said a neighbor tipped authorities that animals were being neglected.

Deputies found 16 horses, three llamas and three goats. Some had large abscesses and were underweight.

Garton says the animals that survive will soon be put up for adoption. Volunteers with the Polk County Sheriff’s Posse have been visiting the farm at least every day to feed and care for the animals.

PENDLETON, Ore. — Morning dew gleamed in the sun Thursday along Duff Road north of Pendleton, where James Harri prepared to scout one of several large wheat fields on his Honda 4-wheeler.

The vehicle is essentially his second office, Harri joked, as he scanned for weeds hidden among rows of young green wheat. It will take him roughly an hour to ride all 314 acres, noting potential trouble spots on a map loaded to his computer tablet.

Winter wheat is finally coming out of dormancy, and the decisions farmers make now will determine the health of the crop leading up to harvest. As a certified crop advisor for the McGregor Company in Adams, it is Harri’s job to be the eyes on the ground and figure out what kind of fertilizer and chemicals are needed for clients to maximize their yield.

High yields are especially important this year, given the global downturn in wheat prices. The crop is currently fetching less than $5 per bushel in Portland.

Diseases like stripe rust and snow mold can easily thwart yields if they are not managed properly, along with invasive weeds that rob moisture and nutrients from the field. That is why springtime is so crucial for growers, Harri said.

“The healthier we can keep these plants earlier in the season, and the cleaner we can keep the field from invasive weeds robbing moisture and nutrients, the better,” Harri said.

Unlike the past few years, drought will not be an issue. Harri said Adams recently experienced its second-wettest February on record, and has received a whopping 15 inches of precipitation since August. Normally, the area clocks in at 16.5 inches for the entire water year.

All that moisture is a blessing for dryland farms, Harri said, but isn’t without its own set of challenges. Stripe rust, for example, thrives in cool, soggy environments, and the fungus can cut into wheat yields by 40-80 percent if left untreated.

Harri said he is expecting heavy rust pressure this year, as well as snow mold, another fungal disease that can flatten wheat stands with sickly patches that resemble spider webs.

“It just feeds on that plant tissue,” he said.

As the name suggests, snow mold develops under extensive snow cover that prevents the plant from getting enough air and sunlight. Harri said he expects farmers will start applying fungicide to treat the problem within a week or two.

For farmers like Don and Tom Lieuallen, they depend on people like Harri to help identify issues early and come up with a quick management plan. By the time they see stripe rust in the field, it is already too late.

“We’re talking a potential train wreck,” said Don Lieuallen, who runs the farm on Duff Road with Tom, his son.

That being said, Lieuallen added he would rather deal with too much moisture than not enough.

Don Wysocki, an extension soil scientist for Oregon State University in Pendleton, said wheat stands were already well established going into fall and most are still looking good.

“The water year is well above what we’ve been seeing,” Wysocki said. “That, to me, is an optimistic outlook.”

Tim Watts, regional commercial manager for Monsanto WestBred, said he has also been busy with wheat stand assessments across the Columbia Basin. His clients range from Pendleton and La Grande to Wasco and Madras.

The snow cover isn’t all bad, Watts said. Snow can act as an insulator against the cold air and shield from debris in high winds. But like Harri, he advises growers to keep a close watch for diseases early this season.

“Anytime we have a heavy winter, those disease issues tend to be a little more prevalent,” Watts said.

In addition, Harri said the plethora of moisture has also flushed many nutrients deeper into the soil — in some cases as much as 4 feet down, where the roots of young wheat plants cannot reach.

Harri recommended the Lieuallens spread additional fertilizer over the topsoil to make up for that deficiency. It may still take a while before things are dry enough to start bringing heavy machinery on to the fields.

“Most growers are just anxious to get done what they need to get done,” he said.

SALEM — An incident of prejudice against pigs near the state capital has Oregon lawmakers contemplating a broader prohibition against livestock discrimination.

A landowner in West Salem is facing a prohibition against raising pigs on properties smaller than 10 acres due to a species-specific regulation by Polk County’s government.

The dispute has caught the attention of Rep. Paul Evans, D-Monmouth, and Rep. Brian Clem, D-Salem, who have proposed a bill that would ban county ordinances that generally allow livestock but forbid certain animals.

“It’s weird to exclude one particular species,” Evans said during a March 23 hearing on House Bill 3016.

Evans drew a parallel to George Orwell’s classic book, “Animal Farm,” in which all animals are equal but then some become more equal than others.

Species-specific livestock restrictions seem to run counter to the philosophy of Oregon’s “right to farm” law, which disallows local restrictions against common farming practices, he said.

Such prohibitions are also at odds with the growing movement toward local foods, which requires that farms be located close to urban areas, Evans said.

“It was curious to me that swine were called out,” he said.

In the case that spurred the proposal, though, the situation is complicated because the property is located within the “urban growth boundary” for Salem, but isn’t actually within the city limits, Evans said.

The “right to farm” law only applies to land zoned for farming and forestry uses, said Mary Anne Nash, public policy counsel for the Oregon Farm Bureau, which supports HB 3016.

The West Salem property in question is within a suburban residential zone, though the county may rezone the property to resolve the conflict, said Mark Nystrom, policy manager of the Association of Oregon Counties.

The Association of Oregon Counties opposes HB 3016 due to its “all or nothing” approach to local livestock regulations, he said.

It’s possible that some county governments will simply decide to ban all livestock in certain zones if they’re not allowed to have species-specific ordinances, he said.

Nystrom also pointed out that in “Animal Farm,” it was the pigs that ended up taking over the property and becoming the oppressors.

The exchange elicited a comment from Sen. Betsy Johnson, D-Scapoose, who was waiting to testify on other legislation related to shellfish, but said she was grateful the committee was considering the swine-related bill.

“I’ve spent countless nights worried about porcine presence in populated areas,” she said.

LANGLOIS -- The Langlois Lions Club will hold a spaghetti feed followed by a dessert auction on Saturday, April 1, at the club on Floras Lake Road.

SALEM — A proposed $100 annual fee on all Oregon water rights has met with criticism from irrigators who say it would contribute to already mounting financial burdens.

Farmers overwhelmingly testified against House Bill 2706, which aims to raise money for water management, during a March 22 hearing before the House Committee on Energy and Environment.

Members of the Klamath Water Users Association, for example, are already paying steep costs to comply with the Endangered Species Act and engage in water rights adjudication in the region, said Dave Jensen, a farmer and representative of the group.

“Would $100 break a bunch of farmers out there? Probably not, but there is always the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Jensen said.

For irrigators with multiple water rights, the bill would cap total fees at $1,000 a year, while municipalities could pay up to $2,500 a year.

The money raised would pay for the administrative, technical and field duties performed by the Oregon Water Resources Department, which oversees 89,000 water rights in the state.

The bill would effectively impose a discriminatory tax on irrigators and other water users, said Curtis Martin, a rancher and chair of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association’s water resources committee.

“There is no additional service being delivered to the users of the resource,” Martin said.

Opponents also argue that electricity costs have continued rising, adding to the cost of pumping water, and irrigators would have to pay the management fee even if they didn’t fully use their water rights.

“When they shut you off, you still have to pay that bill,” said Tom Mallams, a rancher and Klamath County commissioner.

House Bill 2705, a companion proposal requiring the installation of water measurement devices at irrigation diversions, also drew objections from irrigators at the hearing.

Complying with the requirement would be expensive and the Oregon Water Resources Department doesn’t have enough staff to analyze the new information anyway, said John O’Keeffe, president of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association.

“Additional data for the sake of data does not solve any problem,” O’Keeffe said.

It would be more realistic to ensure that watermasters — who can already order water measurements when necessary — are properly equipped to do their jobs, he said.

Installing water measurement devices also isn’t practical for farmers who rely on flood irrigation and divert water directly from streams onto fields, according to opponents.

Some opponents also questioned the fairness and wisdom of exempting domestic well users from the bill.

“If you’re going to manage water, I don’t know how you’re going to do that without looking at private wells,” said Irene Gilbert of La Grande, Ore.

Water conservation groups argued that a new funding source is needed because OWRD’s cost of administering water rights is largely borne by state taxpayers.

The private interests who primarily benefit from the system, meanwhile, only pay a one-time application fee to establish water rights, said Kimberley Priestley, senior policy analyst with WaterWatch of Oregon.

“This is the public’s water. The public is currently paying through the general fund for the management of its water,” said Priestley.

An annual management fee has already been identified as a stable source of funding by the Oregon Water Resources Commission, which oversees OWRD, she said.

As for measurement devices, the requirement is needed because “what gets measured gets managed,” Priestley said.

Proponents claim that only 20 percent of Oregon’s water rights holders currently measure and report their usage, since this is a requirement for irrigation districts, governments and those with rights issued since 1993.

Despite recognition by the Oregon Water Resources Commission as a key management tool, there has been limited progress in expanding water measurement, according to bill supporters.

“We can no longer afford to put our heads in the sand and pretend water management issues will just go away,” said Joe Furia, general counsel for the Freshwater Trust nonprofit.

The committee’s chair, Ken Helm, D-Beaverton, said the bills were “conversation starters” and would likely change in response to input from a “broad stakeholder group” he’s convened, which includes agriculture and environmental groups.

SALEM — A proposed tax credit to compensate farmers for half the operational costs of providing worker housing has made some headway in the Oregon Legislature.

Senate Bill 1, which is supported by a coalition of agriculture and housing groups, has moved out of the Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue. The impacts to Oregon’s revenues and budget from SB 1 have yet to be determined.

While the bill will now move to the Joint Committee on Tax Credits, which includes members of both the House and Senate, it was referred out of the committee without recommendation as to its passage.

It’s common for the Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue to move bills without a recommendation at this stage, since various tax credit proposals must still be prioritized, said Sen. Mark Hass, D-Beaverton, the committee’s chair.

“We don’t want to bias the situation,” he said.

The Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue initially voted to move the bill directly to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, but that recommendation was overridden by Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, who referred it to the Joint Committee on Tax Credits.

If approved by that committee, the bill would move directly to the House floor for a vote.

Bills that reduce state revenues — whether due to expenditures or tax credits — face a particularly tough road during the 2017 legislative session, as Oregon faces a $1.6 billion budget deficit in the upcoming biennium.

Under Senate Bill 1, farmers would be able to obtain tax credits for half the amount of repairs, maintenance, insurance and other costs associated with farmworker housing during the year.

Utility expenses are also included in these operational costs unless they’re paid by workers.

Oregon already has a tax credit for half the costs of actually building farmworker housing, with an annual cap of $7.25 million.

ONTARIO, Ore. — The Owyhee River basin is expected to provide the Owyhee Reservoir so much water this year that water supply managers are now focusing much of their attention on flood control efforts.

The reservoir, which provides water for 1,800 farms and 118,000 acres in Eastern Oregon and part of southwestern Idaho, is 90 percent full and would completely fill within nine days at the current pace.

However, Owyhee Irrigation District board members have opted to increase the already high rate of release below the dam to keep a 50,000 acre-foot buffer in the reservoir for the next several weeks in case warm temperatures or a significant rain event result in a rush of water toward the reservoir.

If that happened, reservoir outflows would have to be increased dramatically, which could result in major flooding of farm fields along the Owyhee River.

“The basin is just saturated; there’s water everywhere out there,” OID Manager Jay Chamberlin said March 21 during the district’s annual meeting. “We’re running out of room (in the reservoir). We’re going to have to pick up the releases below the dam ... and slow the rate of fill.”

For now, there is minor flooding occurring at the bottom ends of some farm fields but water managers want to ensure major flooding doesn’t occur, said Malheur County farmer and OID board member Bruce Corn.

“Barring a major rain event, I don’t think we’ll have any major flooding on the Owyhee this year,” he said. But in order to ensure that doesn’t happen, “we’re trying to save about 50,000 acre-feet of storage to be able to absorb any short-term, rapid increase in flows.”

Even with the increased releases, filling the reservoir to its 715,000 acre-foot storage capacity, which hasn’t happened since 2011, won’t be a problem this year.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation forecasts that hundreds of thousands of acre-feet of water is still headed toward the reservoir, which can hold a two-year supply of water.

That’s great news for local farmers, who had their normal 4-acre-foot allotment of water significantly reduced from 2012-2015 due to drought conditions.

“That means we will have two adequate water years,” Corn said. “That sits well for next year already and it takes one big worry out of farming.”

As expected, the OID board set this year’s allotment at 4-acre-feet March 21 and it also decided to allow the sale of excess water, which hasn’t occurred on this system since 2011.

In a typical year when excess water is available, about 30,000 acre-feet is purchased by irrigators, depending on weather conditions and crop rotations.

Due to warmer than normal temperatures, snowmelt and runoff in the basin is occurring earlier than normal, “but we have lots of it,” said Brian Sauer, water operations manager for the Bureau of Reclamation’s middle Snake River field office.

“Everything looks pretty good in most of East Oregon,” he said. In fact, he added, “The whole northwest is looking pretty good this spring.”

Federal funding is available to help Washington County farmers and other landowners improve water quality and fish habitat by planting trees, putting up fences to keep livestock out of streams and updating irrigation systems.

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is partnering on the program with Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District, with an assist from Clean Water Services, the regional sewage agency. The work is intended to improve the Dairy Creek and McKay Creek watersheds. The creeks are tributaries of the Tualatin River, and the system hosts a run of steelhead trout and is home to a native cuthroat trout population, said Dean Moberg, regional conservationist with NRCS.

Agricultural producers can apply for cost-share funding. The application deadline for 2017 funding is May 19; producers who apply after that might be eligible for funding in 2018. To apply, visit the USDA Hillsboro Service Center, 1080 SW Baseline Road, Suite B-2, or contact Moberg at Dean.Moberg@or.nrcs.usda.gov.

The funding builds on 10 years of work by the Tualatin SWCD to improve 39 miles of streams in the area. Moberg, of NRCS, said conservation efforts are aimed at reducing phosphorous and bacteria levels in the Tualatin River. Fertilizer use and livestock waste contribute to both. Planting trees along streams also can shade and cool the water, which is better for fish, he said.

Washington County, which borders Portland and Multnomah County on the west, is Oregon’s second most populous with more than 583,000 people. It’s also home to two of the state’s biggest companies: Intel, the high-tech firm, and Nike, the sportswear giant.

Despite that, the county remains surprisingly rural outside its major cities of Hillsboro and Beaverton, and is consistently within the top six agricultural counties in the state. The county’s producers grow hazelnuts, grass seed, wine grapes and berries, among other things.