From the Capital Press U.S. District Judge Michael Simon has approved a memorandum of understanding negotiated by the Biden administration and litigants in a lawsuit over Snake River dam operations. The agreement stays the lawsuit until Dec. 13, 2028, with the possibility of another five-year extension. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

By Diana Carlen Lobbyist, Washington Association of Wheat Growers The Legislature recently passed the halfway point of the 60-day legislative session and the second major deadline — the fiscal committee cutoff. This means fiscal bills that were not voted out of their respective fiscal committees in the chamber (Senate or House) where they were introduced, are likely “dead” for the ... Read More »

The U.S. Department of Agricultures’s Natural Resource and Conservations Service (NRCS) in Washington is announcing a second application batching period for the Agricultural Conservation Easements Program-Agricultural Land Easements (ACEP-ALE).    While applications for ACEP-ALE are taken on a continuous basis, the deadline to be considered for Fiscal Year 2024 second funding is March 11, 2024.  NRCS Washington has over $1 million remaining ... Read More »

Late last month, Washington Association of Wheat Growers President Anthony Smith joined Washington Grain Commission Chairman Ben Barstow in supporting the Port of Tacoma’s petition to eradicate an invasive snail. Cernuella virgata, also called the vineyard snail, was first detected at the Port in 2005. The snails feed on and contaminate field crops including wheat, barley, oats, peas, and canola, and ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen, Lobbyist, Washington Association of Wheat Growers We have completed the fourth week of session. Jan. 31 marked the first important cutoff date of the 2024 Legislative Session. Cutoff dates play a crucial role in the legislative process as any bills that have not made it out of a policy committee are considered “dead” and no longer eligible ... Read More »

From the National Agricultural Statistics Service Western Washington saw a cold snap in the first half of the month. There was less precipitation than normal, but most fields were wet and oversaturated with the snowmelt. In central Washington, there was significant rain and snow. Snow was still on the ground, but temperatures rose above freezing daily, and the snow settled. ... Read More »

Early Sunday morning, Washington Association of Wheat Growers’ Executive Director Michelle Hennings sat down for an interview with Fox News to stress how critical the dams are for the transportation of wheat and other products to export terminals in Portland. She made sure to stress that this is not just a local issue, but a national issue, as products from ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen Lobbyist, Washington Association of Wheat Growers Sunday, Jan. 28, marked the 21st day of the legislative session. We have now completed three weeks of session and are more than a third of the way done. The number of new bills being introduced daily is dropping in volume as the first legislative deadline is fast approaching, and new ... Read More »

Reforms supported by the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) were part of the final rules issued by the Surface Transportation Board (STB) that strengthen its power to act during rail service emergencies. Proposed by the STB in 2022, the regulations for “expedited relief in service emergencies” address deficiencies in previous emergency service order rules.  Read the rest of the ... Read More »

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) has announced a hearing titled “Exposing President Biden’s Plan to Dismantle the Snake River Dams and the Negative Impacts to the U.S,” scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be live-streamed online at https://energycommerce.house.gov/. “The Columbia River System and the ... Read More »