07/20/06 Governor requests ag disaster declaration

Washington Ag July 20, 2006 Governor Chris Gregoire has asked U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns to designate five counties in Washington as farm disaster areas, making farmers eligible for emergency low-interest loans. Adams, Chelan, Douglas, Lincoln and Okanogan counties experienced crop losses during a severe storm earlier this month. Fruit crops as well as potatoes, hay and wheat were damaged. During the Washington Farm Bureau's Summer Conference last week, organization President Steve Appel expressed disappointment over a recent decision by the Washington State Supreme Court. Appel: "The court ruled against us to not restrict Columbia Legal Services from using public funds for lobbying. I am very disappointed in that result. What it means is that all of us, Farm Bureau members and residents of the state of Washington in essence help fund CLS, every time we retain an attorney there is a little fee that goes to them. So we are funding their lobbying efforts against us, which kind of upsets me a little bit." Appel says Farm Bureau will have to continue to work to correct the situation. I'm Bob Hoff.