2014 WASHINGTON FARM BUREAU OFFICERS
Mike LaPlant
President
Aaron Golladay
First Vice President
Chair of the Legislative Committee
Steve Cooper
Second Vice President
Chair of the Policy Development Committee
MISSION STATEMENT
Farm Bureau is a voluntary, grassroots advocacy organization representing the social and economic interests of farm and ranch families at the local, state, and national levels. By providing leadership and organizational skills, Farm Bureau seeks to gain public support on the issues affecting farm and ranch families.
THE WASHINGTON FARM BUREAU CREED
We Believe …
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In the American competitive enterprise system.
That man's search for progress should be encouraged by maintenance of opportunity, not hindered by illusions of security.
That a person should be rewarded in accordance with his or her productive contribution to society.
That every person is entitled to own property, earn money honestly, save, invest and spend as he or she chooses.
That property rights cannot be taken away without infringing on rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
That the Constitution is the basic law of the land.
That government should operate impartially in the interest of all.
That government’s regulatory functions should be based on law.
That government should provide only minimum controls and aids.
That government should stimulate, not discourage, individual initiative.
That propagandizing by government is dangerous to the maintenance of self-government.
That monopoly, whether by government, industry, labor or agriculture, is dangerous.
That voluntary cooperation is part of the American system.
That all candidates for public office should state their beliefs with respect to communism, socialism, or capitalism.
All these under girded by our Religious Faith.
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THE GRASSROOTS OF WASHINGTONFARM BUREAU
In 1920, farmers and ranchers across Washington joined together to form Washington Farm Bureau (WFB) to raise a united voice on issues that affected their future. Truly grassroots in nature, WFB has grown to include 25 county Farm Bureaus and more than 41,000 member families, representing all agricultural commodities in Washington state. Farm Bureau is recognized for the unique way in which policy is established. These policies guide the organization in its efforts to influence public policy.
The policies contained in this book are the result of a grassroots, member-driven process where individual members surface issues and work through their county Farm Bureau policy development committee or a state advisory committee to draft and debate resolution language. Approved resolutions are submitted to the state Policy Development Committee for review. Policy resolutions approved by the committee are forwarded for consideration by the voting delegates at the WFBAnnual Meeting in November. Adopted resolutions become organizational policy for the following year. National policy resolutions adopted by the voting delegates are submitted to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) for review and consideration at its annual meeting.
Farm Bureau continues to work for solutions to the challenges that face the agricultural community. Agriculture is a major component of the state’s economy, and WFB is the united voice on state issues that affect family farmers and ranchers. With more than 6 million member families, AFBF is the nation’s largest and most influential voluntary organization of active farmers and ranchers. AFBF represents the agricultural community on national issues.
MEMBERS OF THE 2013 POLICY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Steve Cooper
WFB Second Vice President
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Don Kagele
AdamsCounty
Terry Burkhart
BentonCounty
Jack Pheasant
Chelan/Douglas County
Erin Thoeny
Clark/Cowlitz County
Eric Thorn
Columbia/Blue Mtn. County
Richard Evanoff
FranklinCounty
Jaime Sackmann
GrantCounty
JoAnn Shaffner
Grays Harbor/Pacific County
Cherry Dennis
IslandCounty
Bruce Elliott
King/Pierce County
Brad Haberman
KittitasCounty
Ron Mauel
LewisCounty
Phil Naff
LincolnCounty
Angela Schauer
Mason/Kitsap County
Norman MacLeod
North Olympic Counties
Trinity Stucker
OkanoganCounty
Bill Schmidt
SkagitCounty
Ed Stocker
SnohomishCounty
Robyn Meenach
SpokaneCounty
Andrew Engell
StevensCounty
Glen Morgan
ThurstonCounty
Dean Farrens
Walla WallaCounty
Percy Hoekema
WhatcomCounty
Russell Jamison
WhitmanCounty
Don Young
YakimaCounty
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION 1 – FARM BUREAU ESSENTIALS
1 – Definitions
2 – Family Values
3 – Farm Bureau Beliefs
4 – Farm Bureau Philosophy
5 – Farm Bureau Purpose
6 – Parental Rights and Responsibilities
SECTION 2 – ANIMAL HEALTH AND WELFARE
7 – Animal Identification
8 – Animal Medication and Health
9 – Animal Research and Welfare
10 – Biosecurity
11 – Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
12 – Brand Law
13 – Brucellosis
14 – Control of Foreign Animal Diseases
15 – Domestic “Animal Rights” Terrorism
16 – Hoof and Mouth Disease
17 – Livestock Protection/Guardian Dogs
18 – Transporting Dogs
SECTION 3 – COMMODITIES AND GENERAL AGRICULTURE
19 – Aerial Application of Agriculture Crop Protection Products
20 – Agricultural Chemical Containers
21 – Agricultural Fair Practice Legislation
22 – Agricultural Protection/Enhancement Products
23 – Aquaculture
24 – Bees
25 – Biotechnology
26 – Central Filing System
27 – Chemical Applicator Insurance
28 – Commission Merchants Act
29 – Commodity Dealer Bankruptcies
30 – Dairy Inspections
31 – Dairy Products and Raw Milk
32 – Farmer Liability
33 – Federal Grade A Pasteurized Milk Ordinance
34 – Fruit Quarantine Rules
35 – Horses
36 – Machinery Identification
37 – Open Range Land
38 – Paid Diversion - Haying and Grazing
39 – Pasteurization of Cider
40 – Processor and Preparer Liens
41 – Rabbit
42 – State Fencing Law
43 – Sudden Oak Death
44 – Wineries
SECTION 4 – EDUCATION
45 – Agricultural Education
46 – Agricultural Research/Washington State University
47 – Consumer Education
48 – Consumer Pesticide Education
49 – Educational Philosophy
50 – Educational Standards
51 – Superintendent of Public Instruction
52 – Tourism
SECTION 5 – ENERGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS
53 – Biofuels
54 – Biogas and Anaerobic Digesters
55 – Biomass
56 – Bonneville Power Administration
57 – Comprehensive Energy Policy
58 – Hanford Nuclear Facility
59 – Hydropower
60 – Local Electric Power Infrastructure
61 – Northwest Power and Conservation Council
62 – Nuclear Power
63 – Oil and Natural Gas
64 – Power Costs
65 – Telecommunications
66 – Wind and Solar Energy
SECTION 6 – ENVIRONMENT
67 – Agricultural Burning
68 – Climate Change
69 – Climate Change Education
70 – Conservation Compensation
71 – Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program
72 – Conservation Reserve Program
73 – Endangered Species Act
74 – Endangered Species Act Implementation
75 – Environmental Enforcement Action
76 – Fish Recovery
77 – Invasive Species
78 – Littering
79 – Noxious and Aquatic Weed Control
80 – Nutrient Management
81 – Pollution
82 – Septic Inspections
83 – Soil Conservation and Highly Erodible Land
84 – Solid Waste
85 – State Species of Concern
86 – Swampbuster
87 – Total Maximum Daily Load
88 – Water Quality
89 – Water Typing
90 – Wetlands
SECTION 7 – FISCAL POLICY
91 – Business and Occupation Tax
92 – College of Agriculture Budget
93 – Death Taxes
94 – Dedicated Funds
95 – Farm Building Taxation
96 – Federal Funding
97 – First-Time Farmer Capital Gains Tax Exemption
98 – Funding of Fairs
99 – “Open” Open Space
100 – Open Space Taxation
101 – Property Tax
102 – Personal Property Tax
103 – Real Estate Excise Tax
104 – Sales and Use Tax on Agricultural Supplies
105 – Sales Tax on Custom Meat Processing
106 – State Spending
107 – Storm Water Fees
108 – Tax Reform
109 – Taxation of Irrigation Water
110 – Taxation of Raw Product Income
111 – Taxing Districts
112 – Toxic Chemical Mitigation Fees
113 – Tribal Taxation
SECTION 8 – FORESTRY AND PUBLIC LANDS
114 – Agenda 21
115 – Convention on Biological Diversity
116 – Cross-Jurisdictional Governance and Ecosystem Initiatives
117 – Federal and Regional Control of Rivers
118 – Fire Advisory Committee
119 – Fire Suppression on Wildlands
120 – Forest Health
121 – Implementing Fire Control Practices
122 – Private Ownership of Land
123 – Road Closures
124 – Small and Non-Industrial Forest Landowners
125 – Wilderness Areas
126 – Wildlife Refuges
SECTION 9 – GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS
127 – Best Available Science
128 – Bill Riders
129 – Campaign Contributions
130 – Census and Survey Data Collection
131 – Civil Service Accountability
132 – Complaints
133 – Conservation District Elections
134 – Constitutional Convention
135 – County Pest Control Boards
136 – Disclosure
137 – Electoral College
138 – Emergency Clause
139 – Empowering County Legislative Authority
140 – English as Official Language
141 – Farm Service Agency Loans
142 – Federal Planning Efforts
143 – Financial Disclosure by Public Officials
144 – First-Time Farmer Loan Programs
145 – Game Farms
146 – Gun Ownership
147 – Gubernatorial Appointments
148 – Homeland Security
149 – Immigration Enforcement Trespass
150 – Impact Statements
151 – Initiatives and Referenda
152 – International Parks
153 – Judicial Activism
154 – Jurisdiction of Tribal Police
155 – Lake Roosevelt/National Park Service
156 – Law and Justice
157 – Legal Fees
158 – Legal Services Corporation
159 – Legislative Agriculture Committee Appointments
160 – Limiting Grower Liability of Various Food Safety Programs
161 – Local Control of Hanford Land
162 – Membership on Boards and Commissions
163 – Multiple Use of Federally or State-Managed Lands
164 – Native American Indians
165 – Oversight of Regulatory Agency Powers
166 – Permit Action
167 – Public Records Act and Open Meetings Act
168 – Regionalism
169 – Regulatory Accountability
170 – Regulatory Reform and Legislative Review
171 – Research at Land Grant Colleges
172 – Right of Entry for Government Agents
173 – Selling Mailing Lists
174 – State Fish and Wildlife Commission
175 – State Lands
176 – States’ Rights
177 – Tort Reform
178 – Use of Public Monies/Performance Audits
179 – Voting Requirements
180 – Washington State Department of Agriculture
181 – Washington State Department of Ecology
182 – Washington State University Extension
183 – Welfare
SECTION 10 – LABOR
184 – Cholinesterase Monitoring
185 – Department of Labor Enforcement
186 – Ergonomics Standards
187 – Guest Workers
188 – Health Care
189 – Labor and Industries Safety Standards and Enforcement
190 – Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act
191 – Organized Labor
192 – Retrospective Ratings Programs
193 – Seasonal Farm Worker Housing
194 – Unemployment Insurance
195 – Wages
196 – Washington Agricultural Labor Relations Act
197 – Workers’ Compensation
198 – Youth Employment
SECTION 11 – LAND USE
199 – Abandoned Rights of Way
200 – Agricultural Marketing in Urban Growth Areas
201 – Buffers
202 – Drainage, Diking, and Flood Control Districts
203 – Eminent Domain
204 – Federal Antiquities Act
205 – Federal Control of Planning
206 – Greenways and View Sheds
207 – Growth Management Act
208 – Maintenance of Federal Lands
209 – Negotiated Interagency Land Settlements
210 – Preserving Agricultural Land and Private Property
211 – Protection of Land as a Resource
212 – Right to Farm
213 – Right to Plow
214 – Rights of Way
215 – Rights on Federal Lands
216 – Shoreline Management Act
217 – Taking of Private Property
218 – Transfer of Federal Lands
219 – Trespass
SECTION 12 – MARKETING AND TRADE
220 – Agricultural Import Health Standards
221 – Agricultural Labeling Standards
222 – “Buy Washington” Agricultural Products
223 – Cargo Preference
224 – Commodity Disparagement
225 – Dairy Import Duties
226 – Exporting of Forest Products
227 – Fair Prices for Farm Products
228 – Food Labeling
229 – Grain Standards, Grading Inspection, and Quality Incentives
230 – Horticultural Live Plants
231 – Poultry
232 – Regional Designations
233 – Spearmint Marketing Order
234 – Trade, Marketing, and Development Programs
SECTION 13 – TRANSPORTATION
235 – Commercial Trucking Regulations
236 – Fuel Taxes
237 – Inland Water Transportation
238 – Insurance Requirements for Licensing Vehicles
239 – Railroads
240 – Rest Areas
241 – Roadside Marketing
242 – Traffic Enforcement – Bicycle
243 – Transportation Funding and Road Maintenance
SECTION 14 – WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
244 – Bureau of Reclamation and Irrigation Districts
245 – Community Water Systems
246 – Dams
247 – Dredging and Ditching
248 – Flood Damage Reconstruction
249 – General Stream Adjudication
250 – Ground Water Management Area
251 – Metering Water
252 – Sole Source Aquifer Designation
253 – Washington Water Law
254 – Water Management
255 – Water Projects
256 – Water Rights
257 – Water Trespass
SECTION 15 – WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
258 – County Wildlife Management
259 – Goose and Turkey Depredation Plan
260 – Hound Hunting
261 – Hunting and Fishing Exemption
262 – Livestock Damage by Dogs
263 – Pronghorn Antelope
264 – Special Use Control
265 – State Management of Wolves and Grizzly Bears
266 – Trapping
267 – USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’sWildlife Services Funding
268 – Wildlife Damages
269 – Wildlife Enhancement Projects
270 – Wolf/Dog Hybrids
INDEX
SECTION 1 – FARM BUREAU ESSENTIALS
1 – Definitions
We define “agriculture” as:
1)The science, art, or business involved in:
a)The preparation of soil for crop production.
b)The cultivation and propagation of crops.
c)The production and culture of plant and animal products and fiber for human consumption, feed, or sale as articles of trade or commerce.
2)Activities related to the production of agricultural products.
3)The broad scope of decisions and activities in which farmers may engage, beginning with the analysis and decision of what to grow or produce and continuing through the end stages of processing, packaging, wholesaling, delivery, the retail sales of finished products, and agricultural promotion and tourism.
4)The agribusinesses that provide support to farming activities. These activities include, but are not limited to, equipment and material supply and service, advisors, applicators, processors, storage, delivery, marketers, and shippers.
We define “farmer” to mean any person (individual or business entity) engaged in the business of growing, raising, producing, or harvesting any agricultural product for sale. Included in the definition of “farmer” are people who perform farm management services on farms and people who provide custom farming services for others. For purposes of Washington Farm Bureau policy, terms such as “grower,” “rancher,” and “producer” have the same meaning as “farmer.”
We define “agricultural product” to mean any product of plant cultivation or animal husbandry including but not limited to horticulture, grain cultivation, vermiculture, composting, viticulture, forestry, aquaculture, apiculture, nursery stock, greenhouse stock, plantation Christmas trees, turf, or any animal. Animals include, but are not limited to, private-sector aquatic products as defined in state law, birds, insects, or the substance obtained from such animals.
We support efforts to incorporate our broad definitions of “agriculture,” “farmer,” and “agricultural product” into state law. (1994, Amended 2013)
2 – Family Values
We believe that the strength of every civilized society is the family. We support and encourage the promotion of the fundamental principles and family values on which our nation was founded.
We believe that marriage is defined to be between one man and one woman. (Amended 2005)
3 – Farm Bureau Beliefs
We of the Washington Farm Bureau reaffirm our belief in our constitutional form of government and its division of powers as intended by the nation’s founders, the competitive free enterprise system, and the protection of God-given inalienable rights of the individual.
We believe the United States should be returned to a true republic (rule by law), with the federal Constitution as the supreme law.
We believe in freedom of press, speech, peaceful assembly, and religion.
We pledge ourselves to the preservation of these inalienable rights and the thwarting of socialistic tendencies whenever and however small in nature the tendency may appear.
We believe that the economic law of supply and demand, private ownership management, and the profit and loss system ultimately determine true market prices.
We believe personal property rights, including water rights, are fundamental.
We believe that by protecting property rights, we preserve our economic stability, the health and welfare of our citizens, the public good of this state, and the sovereignty of our nation.
We oppose any erosion of these rights. Any regulation restricting the enjoyment of all fee simple property rights should be fairly compensated.
We believe that the centralization of power and authority is a threat to our very existence, life, and liberties. We believe that the trend toward more national and international control over our lives should be reversed in order to make local and state control a reality in as many areas as possible.
We believe that a monopoly wherever found (labor, industry, government, or agriculture), jeopardizes freedom and self-government.
We believe that farm people have the right and responsibility of speaking through a voluntary organization without government intervention.
We believe that government should stimulate, not discourage, individual initiative.
We believe there should be reaffirmation of all current Farm Bureau policies concerning the vital role that education should play in the continuous endeavor to help students to acquire a better concept of the basic principles of our system of government, and the competitive enterprise system.
We believe that a better understanding of our economic system would bring a return of sane fiscal policies and solvency and that a better knowledge of our original national goals and of our Constitution as it was written, will ensure a zealous guarding of the personal freedoms guaranteed therein.
We support a strict literal interpretation of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
We will not advocate for growers of crops that are deemed illegal by the federal government.
We believe that to safeguard and restore these inalienable rights, we need to actively engage in public discourse at all levels of government through proactive participation in policy development, community action, or any other necessary public process. (1994, Amended 2013)
4 – Farm Bureau Philosophy
America’s unparalleled progress is based on freedom and dignity of the individual, sustained by basic moral and religious concepts.
Freedom of the individual versus concentration of power, which destroys freedom, is the central issue in all societies.
Economic progress, cultural advancement, and ethical and religious principles flourish best where citizens are free, responsible individuals. (1994)
5 – Farm Bureau Purpose
Farm Bureau is a free, independent, nongovernmental, voluntary organization of farm and ranch families united for the purpose of analyzing their problems and formulating action to achieve educational improvement, economic opportunity, and social advancement and, thereby, to promote the national well-being.
Farm Bureau is local, statewide, national, and international in its scope and influence. Also it is non-secret, nonsectarian, and non-discriminating as to race, color, sex, or political affiliation.
6 – Parental Rights and Responsibilities
We believe parents are responsible for the care of their children: to provide food, clothing, and shelter until the age of majority, 18 years.
We believe that parents should be held responsible for property damage and vandalism as long as the minor child is residing in the home.
We approve of any or all restitutions being made by the child in the form of community services.
We also believe that parents should accept financial responsibility or a portion of the responsibility for the care of said children while or if ever receiving state services or for institutionalization.