Getting TPP Done & Water Suit Filed
Getting TPP Done & Water Suit Filed. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.
WaterWatch of Oregon filed suit in federal district court against the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and several irrigation districts over harm caused by their water use operations in the Upper Deschutes River. The river conservation organization alleges
that managing the Upper Deschutes like an irrigation ditch rather than a natural resource has caused significant damage to the river¹s health, including harm to the Oregon spotted frog, a threatened species under federal law.
The United States Trade office is trying to get the Trans-Pacific Partnership done which according to Chief Agriculture Negotiator for the USTR, Darci Vetter will benefit agriculture as the industry is dealing with lower commodity prices
VETTER: I like to think about agriculture and trade as trade being a critical part of our ag safety net. If we can't maintain and grow our export opportunities the chances for us to sell our products over seas, that of course increases the cost and the risk of doing business for all of you. The 12 countries that all shook hands in Atlanta in October to move forward on that agreement,remain committed to putting it in force. But I think the danger of waiting , the longer we wait to take the steps to implement that agreement, the more that's at stake for U.S. agriculture.
That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network of the West.
