02/11/05 Potato groups concerned over CRI

02/11/05 Potato groups concerned over CRI

Farm and Ranch February 11, 2005 Many agricultural groups, including the Washington State Potato Commission and the Washington Potato and Onion Association, are concerned and/or opposed to the basic provisions of the Columbia River Initiative. The CRI, as it's called, is intended to establish a framework for issuing new water rights from the Columbia while also improving stream flows for fish. Pat Boss, executive director of the Washington State Potato Commission, says one concern is that the Department of Ecology has begun rule making for implementing the initiative even though bills authorizing the plan have yet to pass the Legislature. As for provisions of the CRI itself: Boss: "They are talking about setting up a water bank. They have not legislative authority to do that. They are talking about 3-in for 2-out water policy, meaning for every two buckets of water you take out you have to put three back in. We don't know where that came from, how that number even came up. There is no science behind that. The other thing is what they call mitigation fees to use water." Boss says the basic premise of Ecology, that there is not enough water in the Columbia River, is questionable. Boss: "All the science I've seen and everything that we have studied on this issue shows there is plenty of water in that river. And that there is only about two to three percent that is coming out for human uses. So that still means 97% of the water is in the river." Boss testified at a public hearing on the CRI held by Ecology this week. That's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report. Brought to you in part by the Washington State Potato Commission. Nutrition today. Good health tomorrow. I'm Bob Hoff on the Northwest Ag Information Network.
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