04/04/05 Lamb checkoff passes: Black Rock study

Washington Ag April 4, 2005 The USDA announced Friday that the Lamb Promotion, Research and Information Order will continue as those voting in a recent referendum voted in favor of the order. Of the 34-hundred-90 ballots cast nationally, 80 percent were in favor and they represented 84 percent of the total production voted. There were 33 yes votes cast in Washington with no opposing votes. Under the program producers, feeders and exporters pay one-half cent per pound when live animals are sold. Packers pay an additional 30 cents a head. The Bureau of Reclamation provided details at a public meeting lack week of the proposed Black Rock Reservoir which would utilize Columbia River water for the Yakima Basin. Before the meeting the Yakima Basin Storage Alliance called on the Bureau to complete its studies within the next year. As Kim McCartney of the Bureau of Reclamation's Yakima office explains, the current timetable is somewhat longer than that. McCartney: "We are looking at completing a lot of this benefit analysis in the spring of 06 and at that time we'll decide which ones we will take into the feasibility level study. The schedule to complete the feasibility study and the environmental impact study is the end of 2008." The Bureau is looking at three other alternatives in addition to Black Rock. I'm Bob Hoff.