State

From the Capital Press Washington House Democrats are advancing a bill requiring public works projects to benefit salmon and have a “net ecological gain,” a vague standard the Farm Bureau warns could spread to private land. House Bill 1117 doesn’t define net ecological gain, besides requiring road, sewer and other projects to aid salmon recovery. Fish and Wildlife, other state ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Friday marked day 19 of the 2021 Legislative Session. While there has been a sharp decline of new bills being introduced, committees are busy hearing, amending and voting out bills. The first deadline is fast approaching which is Feb. 15, when all bills must be voted out of their policy committee or they are dead ... Read More »

This week, Nicole Berg, a farmer from Benton County, a past president of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers and vice president of the National Association of Wheat Growers, testified in support of SB 5172, a bill concerning the retroactivity of overtime claims in exceptional cases. More than 150 people were signed up to testify. Here is Berg’s testimony, which ... Read More »

From NASS The statewide temperatures in Washington for the month of January were above normal to slightly below normal throughout the state. In western Washington, crops were doing fine. In Jefferson County, heavy flooding from rain continued in some lower agricultural valleys. In San Juan County, livestock were on retained feed. Some farms were pruning berries and kiwifruit vines. In ... Read More »

Earlier today, Ryan Poe, president of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers, testified in support of HB 1199, a bill that would provide compensation to Washington State Department of Natural Resources lessees whose leases are terminated for reasons other than default. The bill was being heard in the House Rural Development, Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee. The hearing was recorded on ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Friday marked day 13 of the 2021 Legislative Session. A total of 784 bills have been introduced so far. During the second week of the legislative session, the House of Representatives and Senate were busy holding public hearings and voting to advance bills. Only three weeks remain until the first legislative deadline, Feb. 15, 2021, when ... Read More »

Randy Suess, a retired wheat grower from Whitman County, has been appointed to serve on the federal Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for Trade in Grains, Feed, Oilseeds and Planting Seeds. Randy currently serves as president of Whitman County Wheat Growers and is the representative to WAWG’s board of directors. The Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee (APAC) is comprised of senior representatives from ... Read More »

From the Farm Service Agency Douglas County may accept up to 2,364.8 acres under the general Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) sign up 56 which runs through Feb. 12, 2021.  Contracts accepted in this sign up will have an effective start date of Oct. 1, 2021 (Fiscal Year 2022). Previously, the Douglas County office had been informed that due to current ... Read More »

This week, Washington Association of Wheat Growers President Ryan Poe spoke to the Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee against SB 5126 (proposal for implementing a cap and trade program). Here is his testimony: “Good morning Chair Carlyle and members of the Committee: For the record, my name is Ryan Poe.  I am a 5th generation farmer from Hartline, Wash.  ... Read More »

Last week, Washington Association of Wheat Growers board member Michele Kiesz volunteered to testify on HB 1091 (proposal for adoption of a low carbon fuel standard) in front of the House Environment and Energy Committee. Unfortunately, the hearing ran out of time before Michele’s turn to testify came up, so instead WAWG submitted the following as written testimony. “Chair Fitzgibbon, ... Read More »