Washington Ag Year in Review Part Two
Washington Ag Year in Review Part Two. I'm Greg Martin with Washington Ag Today.This week we are taking a look back at some of the news stories that affected agriculture in Washington State this year. Yesterday, we mentioned the wolf issue was a big story but it wasn't just wolves. Cougar and grizzlies were also being looked at for control. Some agencies were looking at the restoration of the grizzly and Okanogan County Commissioner Jim DeTro says most county residents oppose the idea.
DETRO: They're going to meet a lot of resistance. Every organization that I know is coming out against them - backcountry horsemen, the cattlemen, Farm Bureau. There's a law in the State of Washington thanks to Senator Morton that grizzlies can't be reintroduced in the state so they're trying to do an end run with federal dollars.
Snow, or the lack thereof was a big issue going into the second quarter of the year. Snowpacks were almost non-existent and Scott Pattee, water supply specialist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Mount Vernon sounded the alarm.
PATTEE: And if we have another month like it's shaping up to be right now, like we did last month, we're going to shatter most of those records. The good news is that like in the Yakima there they do have the five big reservoirs. All five of those are pretty much brimming full so that's a really good start; unlike 2005 where we had low reservoir levels coming into spring.
And Bud Hover, the state Department of Ag director resigned his position at the end of March stating that he wanted to spend more time with his wife and family. Hover was appointed to the position in April 2013 by Governor Inslee. Derek Sandison would eventually be appointed later in the year.
And that's Washington Ag Today. I'm Greg Martin, thanks for listening on the Ag Information Network of the West.