Failed Federal Forest Policies Hearing & WSU Cherry Field Day

Failed Federal Forest Policies Hearing & WSU Cherry Field Day

The Northwest Forest Plan has been in place now for twenty years. It was established in response to the Northern Spotted Owl listing in 1990 under the Endangered Species Act. Monday U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings presided over an oversight field hearing in Longview, Washington on “Failed Federal Forest Policies: Endangering Jobs, Forests and Species.” The main question after all this time is, is the plan working?

HASTINGS: Of those that were there at the testimony, more people felt that the Northwest Plan really hasn’t been working, all of that of course stems from the Endangered Species Act. This was an area that was heavily impacted by the declining forest harvest, and I think it needs to be addressed because it was that forest plan that was put in place that caused all of that decline. There’s an awareness that something needs to be done about that as it relates to the Endangered Species Act. If we’re going to look at the Act and we’re going to try to update it, we need to have some certainty and good science - we need to focus on recovery and we need to figure out a way to get out of the courtroom.

Cherry growers need to free up June 4 for WSU’s annual cherry field day. Growers will get the latest on stemless cherry research, upright fruiting offshoot planting, Washington, Oregon cherry breeding, and training systems. Things will start off with a noon barbecue at the WSU Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center in Prosser, followed by tours of area orchards.

I’m Lacy Gray and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Northwest Ag Information Network. 

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