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Available leases double
March 25, 2010
There are about twice as many available leases in the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge as normal this year because market prices have dropped and uncertainty about water deliveries is making producers wary.
The bid opening for the lease lands is March 30, and the Bureau of Reclamation can make no promises about water availability, said Kevin Moore, Bureau spokesman. Bids are expected to come in lower this year, he said.
Minimum bids for pre-irrigatrd grain lands hover a
round $6,500, even for lands that didn’t go for that
much last time they were leased.
Other lands are likely to take a dip. Lot 219, a 151-acre parcel in Sump 2 in Siskiyou County, last held potatoes and wheat and leased for $325 an acre. The minimum bid for that parcel has dropped to $2,968, or $19.65 an acre.
Crop prices, water
Moore said crop prices and limited water availability likely drove those producers to let leases that could have been continued lapse.
“We expect they will attempt to rebid at lower prices,” Moore said. “Some may not have continued those leases at the prices they had been contracted at in any case.”
Leases are available in Area K, Sump 2, Sump 3 in Siskiyou County, Sump 3 in Modoc County and Area J. Of the 70 available leases, 32 have been pre-irrigated.
Many of the leases are for one year.
Lands coming out of
flooding have much higher minimums, with lots 341, 342,
and 343 totaling 285 acres having a minimum bid of
$29,997, or $105 per acre. Other pre-irrigated lands
have minimum bids of between $10,000 and $20,000.
Limited acreage
Row crop acreage is limited on the lease lands to a portion of the acreage. Grain crops are often grown in conjunction with potatoes or onions for the benefit of birds using the refuge.
Revenue from the lease agreements in 2009 was $1.7 million, Moore said. The money is shared 25 percent with counties, 10 percent with Tulelake Irrigation District and the rest is deposited in the U.S. Treasury, Moore said.
Side Bar
Refuges seeking contracts for cooperative
farming
The Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuges are looking to contract for cooperative farming privileges at Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge for 2010, according to a press release.
Four agreements will be issued for one year of production of barley or wheat, with 75 percent of the harvest going to the producer and 25 percent left at the refuge. The agreements are for the south half of lot 362 (90.5 acres), lot 356 (229.9 acres), lot 357 (227.9 acres) and lots 358 and 359 (306.9 acres.) All lots were flooded for more than two months last winter for wildlife habitat.
Growers are responsible for all crop production expense including the Tulelake Irrigation District assessment. One application per farming enterprise will be considered.
Applications are available at the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters at 4009 Hill Road in Tulelake. Applications are due by April 2. For more information contact, Marco Buske at 530-667-8308.
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