The Saturday Summary is a weekly roundup of some of ICIE’s activities in and around the Idaho Legislature. Staffing limits mean we can’t cover every meeting. If there’s an item of interest to you at an upcoming meeting of one of the environment or agriculture committees, let us know and we’ll try to cover it. Agendas are available at www.state.id.us. Click on “Legislative” and click on “Calendars and agendas.”
Members of ICIE’s Environmental/Regulatory Affairs (E/RA) Committee gave a presentation to the House Environment, Energy & Technology Committee on Rules, Guidance and Stringency. This was fifth presentation to a legislative committee on the topic for this session. The same cast of characters were introduced by Norm Semanko, Chairman of the E/RA Committee —Roy Eiguren, Eiguren Public Law & Policy; Jack Lyman, Idaho Mining Association; Joan Cloonan, member of the Board of Environmental Quality and environmental consultant.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Quagga Mussel Report - Saturday Summary 2/21/09
The Saturday Summary is a weekly roundup of some of ICIE’s activities in and around the Idaho Legislature. Staffing limits mean we can’t cover every meeting. If there’s an item of interest to you at an upcoming meeting of one of the environment or agriculture committees, let us know and we’ll try to cover it. Agendas are available at www.state.id.us. Click on “Legislative” and click on “Calendars and agendas.”
The invasive Quagga Mussel was the topic of a special meeting on Thursday of the Environment and Common Sense Task Force. Representative Eric Anderson, who co-chairs the committee with Senator Curt McKenzie, introduced a video produced by Oregon Public Television which traces the species from Lake Michigan to Lake Mead. Representatives from the Idaho State Department of Agriculture and private industry provided their insight. The information is alarming. The tiny shellfish destroys habitat and boats. A single female the size of a fingernail produces an estimated 1 million eggs each mating season. There are an estimated three trillion Quagga in Lake Michigan, with an estimated 700,000 per square meter. They are spreading to other bodies of water throughout the east. It has found its way west and is now present in lakes in California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado and Utah. The species was first recorded in Lake Mead in January of 2007 and is now clogging intake valves in Hoover Dam. Experts say it is not a matter of whether the mussel will be introduced to Idaho waters, but when.
The financial impact to Idaho, once the species is introduced, is projected at $91 million annually in increased maintenance. The estimate doesn’t include impacts to agriculture and recreation.
The number one method of transport of the Quaqqa Mussel is trailers and boats. Once the species is introduced, there is very little that can be done. An aggressive public education effort, the implementation of boat rinsing stations and strict regulation of recreational vehicles are required.
Private industry is looking at developing pesticides that are not toxic to other wildlife, with little success. Idaho is hosting a “Quagga drill” at the end of April in Lucky Peak reservoir, but the state plan focuses primarily on prevention, monitoring and education.
Industry experts recommend quarantining lakes where the species has been introduced, and installing wash stations at every boarder. The wash stations utilize high pressure water at 140 degrees. The mussel can also be killed by exposing it to air for five days. Bleach water and chemicals have limited success because the mussel’s ability to be self contained in its shell for long periods of time. An estimated 125 to 150 wash stations at every border crossing and at each body of water would have a significant effect at limiting the mussels’ access to Idaho waters. The stations cost an estimated $50,000 apiece.
The invasive Quagga Mussel was the topic of a special meeting on Thursday of the Environment and Common Sense Task Force. Representative Eric Anderson, who co-chairs the committee with Senator Curt McKenzie, introduced a video produced by Oregon Public Television which traces the species from Lake Michigan to Lake Mead. Representatives from the Idaho State Department of Agriculture and private industry provided their insight. The information is alarming. The tiny shellfish destroys habitat and boats. A single female the size of a fingernail produces an estimated 1 million eggs each mating season. There are an estimated three trillion Quagga in Lake Michigan, with an estimated 700,000 per square meter. They are spreading to other bodies of water throughout the east. It has found its way west and is now present in lakes in California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado and Utah. The species was first recorded in Lake Mead in January of 2007 and is now clogging intake valves in Hoover Dam. Experts say it is not a matter of whether the mussel will be introduced to Idaho waters, but when.
The financial impact to Idaho, once the species is introduced, is projected at $91 million annually in increased maintenance. The estimate doesn’t include impacts to agriculture and recreation.
The number one method of transport of the Quaqqa Mussel is trailers and boats. Once the species is introduced, there is very little that can be done. An aggressive public education effort, the implementation of boat rinsing stations and strict regulation of recreational vehicles are required.
Private industry is looking at developing pesticides that are not toxic to other wildlife, with little success. Idaho is hosting a “Quagga drill” at the end of April in Lucky Peak reservoir, but the state plan focuses primarily on prevention, monitoring and education.
Industry experts recommend quarantining lakes where the species has been introduced, and installing wash stations at every boarder. The wash stations utilize high pressure water at 140 degrees. The mussel can also be killed by exposing it to air for five days. Bleach water and chemicals have limited success because the mussel’s ability to be self contained in its shell for long periods of time. An estimated 125 to 150 wash stations at every border crossing and at each body of water would have a significant effect at limiting the mussels’ access to Idaho waters. The stations cost an estimated $50,000 apiece.
Friday, February 20, 2009
2009 Goldroom Workshop: Noxious Weeds - Are We Winning or Losing?
Notes from the 2009 ICIE Goldroom Workshop
February 9, 2009
The Workshop was opened by Rep. Bert Stevenson, Chairman of House Committee on Resources and Environment, and ICIE President Trent Clark, who noted that this is the 20th year of this workshop – the first topic of which was Global Warming.
John D. Cantlon: Government Resource Manager, E.I. DuPont DeNemours Company
Cantlon noted that noxious weeds cause losses from agricultural production, increase wildfire events, diminish water and air quality, threaten public health due to pest control issues, and reduce recreational opportunities.
There are roughly about 300 undesirable plants in all states, with about 57 of those in Idaho. The spread rate is increasing from between 10 and 24% per year. Noxious weeds are alarming in their ability to spread.
Cantlon outlined a six part structure to a solution to this problem:
The State is the core – if we make sure county and state efforts are robust in terms of funding and structure, we begin to approach a solution.
Third party science is critical – Millions and millions of dollars are going into researching this issue, whereas in the late 90’s there were no research dollars. The Federal agencies are multipliers – Funding that comes through US Forest Service, Department of Agriculture or BLM can help when the funding in the state does not occur. The specialized informants – a number of NGO’s are very involved in this issue in terms of looking at managing their own properties. The suppliers – fabricators, contractors, manufacturers, and industry are involved in developing materials to solve some of these problems.
Legislation and appropriation are the fabric – the Western Governors’ Association, advocates at the Federal level, and other groups are collaborating on solutions.
Cantlon noted a number of what he called premier states in the noxious weeds issue – those that have excellent funding and structure:
Wyoming has the luxury of using tax receipts to fund this issue. Wyoming targets leafy spurge. The state works closely with its Department of Transportation to curtail invasive weed spread. Wyoming has implemented a pesticide registration fee.
Montana is similar in how they approach cost share.
Key actions on invasive species have happened since the early 1990s with the Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act targeting the zebra mussel. The National Invasive Species Act was reauthorized in 1996.
All these components have come together for these states. Groups from a number of states came together recently to talk about the issue, and outlined their key findings:
Need One – Stable, more dependable funding for prevention, detection, eradication and control. Need to gain champions in the legislature, advocating and educating.
Need Two – Regional communication and coordination.
Need Three – Awareness of these issues’ importance and how noxious weeds can harm us.
George N. Gough: Director, State & Local Government Affairs, Monsanto Company
Gough discussed the topic from an agricultural perspective. He noted that a weed is “a plant that interferes with management objectives for a particular piece of property.”
Farm crops compete with weeds for space, water, fertilizer. Weeds interfere with the full objective capacity of a farm field and can be harbingers of pests that can be harmful.
Herbicides control weeds today, but early on weeds were controlled manually, then mechanically. Both systems have their drawbacks. In the early 1900’s, herbicides often included kerosene or diesel. In the 1940’s, 2-4D helped us enter into effective weed control.
What is the impact on agriculture of weeds and weed control? Nationally, farmers spend about 60% of all the volume of agricultural crop protection on combating weeds. In Idaho, according to the CropLife Foundation, there is about 2.35 million pounds of herbicide utilized at a cost of about $63.5 million dollars for product, application, and fees.
The value back to agriculture of weed control totals about $432 million.
Without herbicide, the impact to crop yield in corn would be 35%; in dry beans, 25%; in hops, 25%; in onions, 15%; in potatoes, 35%, and in sugar beets, 40%.
Biotech crop technology has been the biggest growth area in the history of agriculture. This includes herbicide-resistant crops. Benefits of this technology go beyond effective weed control including increased soil moisture, reduced erosion, decreased soil compaction, reduced carbon dioxide emissions, and reduced production costs.
In recent years, herbicide-tolerant corn in Idaho resulted in decreased weed management costs of $1.239 million. Round Up-ready alfalfa and sugar beets are being introduced into Idaho with phenomenal results.
Jeffrey Pettingill: Weed Control Manager, Bonneville County Weed Department
Mr. Pettingill noted and thanked legislators for helping to pass a state weed law two years ago which helps with early detection; rapid-response; control of weeds that are present, but are not an immediate threat; containment of noxious weeds which are present in large quantities and cannot be eradicated immediately.
Cost-share funding combines help from private and public funding sources.
The worst thing Pettingill says he hears is: “If we are winning this war, why do we need more money for weeds?” He says we are doing a poor job of communicating what we have been able to preserve. “We are out there hand targeting weeds in draws and steep canyons,” he said, and noted that additional funding is needed for education and outreach.
County weed programs include:
- Northern Idaho – which contracts weed control services through the landowners, but performs no roadside maintenance
- Western Idaho – Which addresses noxious weeds and pests (gophers, mosquitoes and rabbits), but not a lot of roadside maintenance
- Eastern Idaho (which is the area that Pettingill manages for Bonneville County) – Which manages all noxious weeds and roadside maintenance.
This is an educational issue. One example is the salt cedar tree. One tree will consume 200 gallons of water per day. The trees produce a sap that makes it impossible for anything to grow around it. When the county offered to cut down any such trees in the area, they were contacted about the Ririe Reservoir—which had 240 salt cedar trees around it.
Another example is policeman’s helmet which is listed as one of Britain’s top 10 noxious weeds but was brought into the county as an ornamental plant.
Roger Batt: Statewide Coordinator if the Idaho Weed Awareness Campaign
Batt noted that the campaign started in 2001 as a result of the Idaho Strategic Plan for Managing Noxious and Invasive Weeds. The organization will have accomplished the objectives in this plan within the next three years.
The goal of the campaign is to get weeds in the media. Batt noted that they have done several things using paid and earned media opportunities. He showed some PSAs on leafy spurge. One with Governor Butch Otter promotes the website (http://www.idahoweedawareness.org/) and the weed hotline to report noxious weeds in a specific area. The hotline generates about 11,000 calls and the website about 40,000 hits a month. It has most of the 57 species listed, and a virtual field guide.
War of the Weeds was an Outdoor Idaho spot filmed in conjunction with Idaho Public Television. A similar radio spot promoted a weed identification booklet.
Batt introduced Elwood the Elk, the campaign’s award-winning mascot. Batt showed the group a video featuring Elwood outlining the top noxious weeds and the need to control them. He also distributed copies of the video to the committee members.
#####
February 9, 2009
The Workshop was opened by Rep. Bert Stevenson, Chairman of House Committee on Resources and Environment, and ICIE President Trent Clark, who noted that this is the 20th year of this workshop – the first topic of which was Global Warming.
John D. Cantlon: Government Resource Manager, E.I. DuPont DeNemours Company
Cantlon noted that noxious weeds cause losses from agricultural production, increase wildfire events, diminish water and air quality, threaten public health due to pest control issues, and reduce recreational opportunities.
There are roughly about 300 undesirable plants in all states, with about 57 of those in Idaho. The spread rate is increasing from between 10 and 24% per year. Noxious weeds are alarming in their ability to spread.
Cantlon outlined a six part structure to a solution to this problem:
The State is the core – if we make sure county and state efforts are robust in terms of funding and structure, we begin to approach a solution.
Third party science is critical – Millions and millions of dollars are going into researching this issue, whereas in the late 90’s there were no research dollars. The Federal agencies are multipliers – Funding that comes through US Forest Service, Department of Agriculture or BLM can help when the funding in the state does not occur. The specialized informants – a number of NGO’s are very involved in this issue in terms of looking at managing their own properties. The suppliers – fabricators, contractors, manufacturers, and industry are involved in developing materials to solve some of these problems.
Legislation and appropriation are the fabric – the Western Governors’ Association, advocates at the Federal level, and other groups are collaborating on solutions.
Cantlon noted a number of what he called premier states in the noxious weeds issue – those that have excellent funding and structure:
Wyoming has the luxury of using tax receipts to fund this issue. Wyoming targets leafy spurge. The state works closely with its Department of Transportation to curtail invasive weed spread. Wyoming has implemented a pesticide registration fee.
Montana is similar in how they approach cost share.
Key actions on invasive species have happened since the early 1990s with the Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act targeting the zebra mussel. The National Invasive Species Act was reauthorized in 1996.
All these components have come together for these states. Groups from a number of states came together recently to talk about the issue, and outlined their key findings:
Need One – Stable, more dependable funding for prevention, detection, eradication and control. Need to gain champions in the legislature, advocating and educating.
Need Two – Regional communication and coordination.
Need Three – Awareness of these issues’ importance and how noxious weeds can harm us.
George N. Gough: Director, State & Local Government Affairs, Monsanto Company
Gough discussed the topic from an agricultural perspective. He noted that a weed is “a plant that interferes with management objectives for a particular piece of property.”
Farm crops compete with weeds for space, water, fertilizer. Weeds interfere with the full objective capacity of a farm field and can be harbingers of pests that can be harmful.
Herbicides control weeds today, but early on weeds were controlled manually, then mechanically. Both systems have their drawbacks. In the early 1900’s, herbicides often included kerosene or diesel. In the 1940’s, 2-4D helped us enter into effective weed control.
What is the impact on agriculture of weeds and weed control? Nationally, farmers spend about 60% of all the volume of agricultural crop protection on combating weeds. In Idaho, according to the CropLife Foundation, there is about 2.35 million pounds of herbicide utilized at a cost of about $63.5 million dollars for product, application, and fees.
The value back to agriculture of weed control totals about $432 million.
Without herbicide, the impact to crop yield in corn would be 35%; in dry beans, 25%; in hops, 25%; in onions, 15%; in potatoes, 35%, and in sugar beets, 40%.
Biotech crop technology has been the biggest growth area in the history of agriculture. This includes herbicide-resistant crops. Benefits of this technology go beyond effective weed control including increased soil moisture, reduced erosion, decreased soil compaction, reduced carbon dioxide emissions, and reduced production costs.
In recent years, herbicide-tolerant corn in Idaho resulted in decreased weed management costs of $1.239 million. Round Up-ready alfalfa and sugar beets are being introduced into Idaho with phenomenal results.
Jeffrey Pettingill: Weed Control Manager, Bonneville County Weed Department
Mr. Pettingill noted and thanked legislators for helping to pass a state weed law two years ago which helps with early detection; rapid-response; control of weeds that are present, but are not an immediate threat; containment of noxious weeds which are present in large quantities and cannot be eradicated immediately.
Cost-share funding combines help from private and public funding sources.
The worst thing Pettingill says he hears is: “If we are winning this war, why do we need more money for weeds?” He says we are doing a poor job of communicating what we have been able to preserve. “We are out there hand targeting weeds in draws and steep canyons,” he said, and noted that additional funding is needed for education and outreach.
County weed programs include:
- Northern Idaho – which contracts weed control services through the landowners, but performs no roadside maintenance
- Western Idaho – Which addresses noxious weeds and pests (gophers, mosquitoes and rabbits), but not a lot of roadside maintenance
- Eastern Idaho (which is the area that Pettingill manages for Bonneville County) – Which manages all noxious weeds and roadside maintenance.
This is an educational issue. One example is the salt cedar tree. One tree will consume 200 gallons of water per day. The trees produce a sap that makes it impossible for anything to grow around it. When the county offered to cut down any such trees in the area, they were contacted about the Ririe Reservoir—which had 240 salt cedar trees around it.
Another example is policeman’s helmet which is listed as one of Britain’s top 10 noxious weeds but was brought into the county as an ornamental plant.
Roger Batt: Statewide Coordinator if the Idaho Weed Awareness Campaign
Batt noted that the campaign started in 2001 as a result of the Idaho Strategic Plan for Managing Noxious and Invasive Weeds. The organization will have accomplished the objectives in this plan within the next three years.
The goal of the campaign is to get weeds in the media. Batt noted that they have done several things using paid and earned media opportunities. He showed some PSAs on leafy spurge. One with Governor Butch Otter promotes the website (http://www.idahoweedawareness.org/) and the weed hotline to report noxious weeds in a specific area. The hotline generates about 11,000 calls and the website about 40,000 hits a month. It has most of the 57 species listed, and a virtual field guide.
War of the Weeds was an Outdoor Idaho spot filmed in conjunction with Idaho Public Television. A similar radio spot promoted a weed identification booklet.
Batt introduced Elwood the Elk, the campaign’s award-winning mascot. Batt showed the group a video featuring Elwood outlining the top noxious weeds and the need to control them. He also distributed copies of the video to the committee members.
#####
Monday, February 16, 2009
ICIE Legislative Activities - ICIE's Saturday Summary 2/14/09
The Saturday Summary is a weekly roundup of some of ICIE’s activities in and around the Idaho Legislature. Staffing limits mean we can’t cover every meeting. If there’s an item of interest to you at an upcoming meeting of one of the environment or agriculture committees, let us know and we’ll try to cover it. Agendas are available at www.state.id.us. Click on “Legislative” and click on “Calendars and agendas.”
The House Resources and Conservation Committee, 2-11-09
The House Resources and Conservation Committee met on Wednesday to discuss a number of resolutions. Among which: a request to expand the duties of an interim committee to study the impacts of state policy initiatives designed to protect the value of working ranches, farms and forest land for other uses, which passed. Another resolution would have provided funding from license fees for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to administer a survey of hunters and fishermen regarding their views on the management practices of the department. This resolution, and a similar one following it were sent back to the bills’ sponsor for reworking.
House Environment, Energy & Technology Committee, 2-12-09
Rich Rayhill of Ridgeline Energy presented the committee with information on the New Energy Economy, focusing on his company’s development in wind energy. He noted that the Snake River Plain provides ideal wind conditions as the winds gain strength as they hit the mountains that boarder the plain, that wind energy is a factor of rotor diameter (a windmill rotor in 1981 was 10m, today it is 127 m), and that problems with birds have been alleviated by changes in machinery and intelligent placement. Rayhill further noted that wind can provide baseload energy need according to a recent study by Stanford. Representative Eskridge noted that this committee has demonstrated its willingness to get behind the wind energy, doing everything in their power to create incentives equivalent to other states that attract such industries.
*****
The House Resources and Conservation Committee, 2-11-09
The House Resources and Conservation Committee met on Wednesday to discuss a number of resolutions. Among which: a request to expand the duties of an interim committee to study the impacts of state policy initiatives designed to protect the value of working ranches, farms and forest land for other uses, which passed. Another resolution would have provided funding from license fees for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to administer a survey of hunters and fishermen regarding their views on the management practices of the department. This resolution, and a similar one following it were sent back to the bills’ sponsor for reworking.
House Environment, Energy & Technology Committee, 2-12-09
Rich Rayhill of Ridgeline Energy presented the committee with information on the New Energy Economy, focusing on his company’s development in wind energy. He noted that the Snake River Plain provides ideal wind conditions as the winds gain strength as they hit the mountains that boarder the plain, that wind energy is a factor of rotor diameter (a windmill rotor in 1981 was 10m, today it is 127 m), and that problems with birds have been alleviated by changes in machinery and intelligent placement. Rayhill further noted that wind can provide baseload energy need according to a recent study by Stanford. Representative Eskridge noted that this committee has demonstrated its willingness to get behind the wind energy, doing everything in their power to create incentives equivalent to other states that attract such industries.
*****
Research on mercury convinces IDEQ to vote down a motion on mercury emission regulation - Saturday Summary 2/14/09
“Industry Group Rolled the Idaho Conservation League” (reprinted from IACI’s Legislative Report, February 13, 2009)
This was Rocky Barker’s assessment of the IDEQ Board meeting on February 12th at which IACI and ICIE presented its white paper on Sources and Receptors of Mercury in Idaho. The Board voted down a motion that would have asked industries to voluntarily install the best available technology for removing mercury from their smokestacks. The Idaho Conservation League had petitioned to get the Board to regulate mercury in the state in an effort to combat the pollutant that accumulates in fish and has serious health implications.
IACI and ICIE reported on the uncertainty in the science, and included one of the world’s top mercury pollution experts, Steve Lindberg, a retired environmental chemist from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, as one of its presenters at the meeting. He has assisted in developing mercury rules for states and the EPA and has worked on both sides of the issue during his career. Lindberg reported that the science linking an industry source to high mercury levels in fish in nearby reservoirs was not yet clear enough. He raised questions about whether atmospheric mercury pollution was as serious a problem in the American west as it is in the east, where there is more rain and more wet deposition of the pollutant. Board member, Nick Purdy, indicated that the confusion and uncertainty about the sources made it hard for them to make rules.
*****
This was Rocky Barker’s assessment of the IDEQ Board meeting on February 12th at which IACI and ICIE presented its white paper on Sources and Receptors of Mercury in Idaho. The Board voted down a motion that would have asked industries to voluntarily install the best available technology for removing mercury from their smokestacks. The Idaho Conservation League had petitioned to get the Board to regulate mercury in the state in an effort to combat the pollutant that accumulates in fish and has serious health implications.
IACI and ICIE reported on the uncertainty in the science, and included one of the world’s top mercury pollution experts, Steve Lindberg, a retired environmental chemist from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, as one of its presenters at the meeting. He has assisted in developing mercury rules for states and the EPA and has worked on both sides of the issue during his career. Lindberg reported that the science linking an industry source to high mercury levels in fish in nearby reservoirs was not yet clear enough. He raised questions about whether atmospheric mercury pollution was as serious a problem in the American west as it is in the east, where there is more rain and more wet deposition of the pollutant. Board member, Nick Purdy, indicated that the confusion and uncertainty about the sources made it hard for them to make rules.
*****
Vehicle testing repeal sent back to sponsor - Saturday Summary 2/14/09
The House Environment, Energy and Technology Committee voted by a narrow margin to send a bill back to its sponsor that would have repealed last year’s air quality vehicle emissions testing bill. Representative Dick Harwood introduced the measure, saying he was representing constituents who had concerns about North Idaho counties qualifying for emissions testing under the bill. Representative Wendy Jaquet introduced a substitute motion to send the bill back to its sponsor, noting the amount of time and public input into last year’s bill were of concern, as well as the worry about the impact of non-attainment of local businesses.
Those in favor of his bill noted they would like to reopen the negotiations and see updated emissions numbers. Harwood noted that the law is an official capitulation to a federal bar on air quality that continues to be lowered every year, saying “’necessity’ is a plea to infringe on human rights. This is a method of tyrants.”
*****
Those in favor of his bill noted they would like to reopen the negotiations and see updated emissions numbers. Harwood noted that the law is an official capitulation to a federal bar on air quality that continues to be lowered every year, saying “’necessity’ is a plea to infringe on human rights. This is a method of tyrants.”
*****
Wolf Delisting - Saturday Summary 2/14/09
House Resources and Conservation Committee member Representative Lenore Barrett of Challis brought a House Joint Memorial before the committee regarding wolf delisting, noting “Idaho is fed up with the Federal foot dragging,” on this issue. She noted that the language of the bill is not hostile, but designed to bring the issue to the forefront of the Administration. The committee voted unanimously to send the bill to print.
*****
*****
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)