Gopher Trouble & Farm Bill Hold Up

Gopher Trouble & Farm Bill Hold Up plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

Senate Ag Chair Debbie Stabenow has announced the committee will hold its farm bill markup next Tuesday but with Congress scheduled to begin the Memorial Day recess on May 24th - that doesn’t leave much time to move the bill to the floor. According to New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand - the bill could move to the floor next week as well. Gillibrand believes there will be small changes in committee - but not many.

I seem to be having a bit of a Caddyshack flashback.

CADDYSHACK: Uh, hello Mr. Gopher. Yeah, it’s me, Mr. Squirrel.

It seems the pesky little gopher that caused Bill Murray so much trouble in the movie have been the culprits behind a sinkhole on Idaho 78 near Marsing. The busy gophers managed to do enough damage under the road that a small section collapsed and required excavation and repair. More roadwork will be done later in the year but the Idaho Department of Transportation is cautioning drivers to be on the lookout for other sinkholes. No word on whether Bill Murray will be consulted on getting rid of the gophers.

CADDYSHACK: In the words of Jean Paul Sartre, 'Au revoir, gopher'.

Now with today’s Food Forethought, here’s Lacy Gray.

Before we knew better, thousands of massive ancient trees were cut down to clear a path across the countryside or to use for lumber, without a thought to replanting. Five years ago a group of dedicated individuals co-founded the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, a non-profit organization working towards their vision of “replanting the earth with the genetics of the world’s remaining ancient forests”. To do this they have begun creating a genetic library of as many tree "success stories" as possible by locating the largest and oldest trees they can find and getting permission to work on them. Individuals harvesting the genetics from the selected trees are extremely careful not to harm the existing tree; often climbing to the tip top of the tree to collect new growth on the branches. On occasion AATA harvesters are able to find viable shoots to collect coming out of the stumps of trees that were cut down over a century ago. On Earth Day this year AATA held a global planting event that saw genetic duplicates of giant coast redwoods planted at nine locations around the world; two of those being in California and Oregon. AATA is a great group doing a great project for a great planet.

Thanks Lacy. That’s today’s Northwest Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.Idaho needs