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<H4 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 12pt"><EM>March 15, 2005</EM></H4>
<H2 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 9pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-font-width: 120%"><U>F o r<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>I m m e d i a t e<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>R e l e a s e<o:p></o:p></U></SPAN></H2>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 9pt 0in 2.4pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 3pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 9pt 0in 2.4pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">For More
Information, Please Contact:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 1pt; TEXT-INDENT: 24pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT
size=3>PAT O’TOOLE, PRESIDENT, (307) 380-8065, </FONT></SPAN></B><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><I><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">h2otoole@hotmail.com</SPAN></I></B><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><I><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 8pt; TEXT-INDENT: 24pt"><FONT
size=3><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">DAN KEPPEN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>(541) </SPAN></B><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">892-6244,
</SPAN></B></FONT><B><I><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">kep@cvcwireless.net</SPAN></I></B><B><I><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></B></P>
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by:</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">
</SPAN><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>RANDY McFARLAND,<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>(559)<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>896-4715, </FONT></SPAN></B><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><I><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">jrandallmcfarland@sbcglobal.net</SPAN></I></B><B
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style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></B></P>
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<H1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 16pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Black'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Family
Farm <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Alliance</st1:place></st1:City>, New Leadership
Will<o:p></o:p></SPAN></H1>
<H3 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><U><FONT face="Arial Black" size=5>Examine
Storage Needs, Irrigated Ag’s Future</FONT></U></H3>
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<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 4pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">new Family Farm Alliance focus will be directed at
Western water storage opportunities and a need for the nation to examine the
nation’s desire to support and sustain irrigated agriculture in the years to
come. Leading the effort for the West-wide organization of family farmers and
local water agencies will be a new President and Executive
Director.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 4pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Patrick O’Toole, whose family operates a cattle, sheep
and feed ranch in southern <st1:State w:st="on">Wyoming</st1:State> and northern
<st1:State w:st="on">Colorado</st1:State>, was elected as the Family Farm
Alliance’s fifth President during the organization’s Annual Meeting and
Conference March 9-11 in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Las
Vegas</st1:place></st1:City>. O’Toole succeeds Bill Kennedy of <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Klamath Falls</st1:City>, <st1:State
w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State></st1:place>, as Alliance President.
<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 4pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Most <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Alliance</st1:place></st1:City> members are involved with using or
delivering federal water supplies from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in 17
Western states. The <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Alliance</st1:place></st1:City> is a grassroots-based organization
that puts Congressional and Administration staff members into direct contact
with water users and local water agencies.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 4pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">“We believe strongly in the “family” part of the Family
Farm Alliance,” said O’Toole, a former member of <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Wyoming</st1:place></st1:State>’s House of Representatives and the
federal government’s Western Water Policy Review Advisory Commission. “It has so
much to do with rural communities and is such an important part of American
culture.”<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 4pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in"><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; TEXT-TRANSFORM: uppercase; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman Bold'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Named
as Executive Director</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> was Dan Keppen. Keppen recently stepped down after three
years of managing and serving as spokesman for the Klamath Water Users
Association and embattled farm families around <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Klamath Falls</st1:City>, <st1:State
w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State></st1:place>, where Keppen lives and where the
Family Farm Alliance’s offices will soon be relocated. He has 16 years of
experience in association management and water issues and also served as a
special U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Assistant in the Mid-Pacific Region. Keppen
succeeds Craig Smith. Smith is stepping down to pursue an expanded role with the
Northwest Food Processors Association and a ministry in his <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Salem</st1:City>, <st1:State
w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State></st1:place>, church.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 4pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">“This <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Alliance</st1:place></st1:City> is one of the most respected
organizations representing Western water,” Keppen said. “It is really one of the
privileges of my life to be able to work with farmers throughout the
West.”<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 4pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><B><I><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">— M<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>O<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>R<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>E
—<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></B></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 4pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 4pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">The Family Farm Alliance, as a grassroots-based
organization, plans to focus on a few issues that are of critical importance to
the West’s irrigated agriculture. They include:<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 4pt 48pt; TEXT-INDENT: -24pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 48.0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">§<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><FONT face="Times New Roman"><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Water
Storage.</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">
“Storage issues are huge,” Keppen said. The Alliance for the past year has
undertaken an extensive survey of new water supply projects, some large but most
rather modest, that could be of enormous benefit in helping meet the West’s
future agricultural and urban water needs in the face of anticipated rapid
population growth. “We have some ideas and options,” Keppen said. “The work that
has been done on storage by the <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Alliance</st1:place></st1:City> is pivotal,” said Alliance President
O’Toole. Sounding a theme voiced by a speaker during the Annual Meeting, he
added that the West faces a situation in which “it will be new water or
agricultural water” used to supply urban growth or environmental restoration.
Keppen added, “By default, agriculture is becoming the supply for other
uses.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 4pt 48pt; TEXT-INDENT: -24pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 48.0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">§<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><FONT face="Times New Roman"><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">The Future of Agriculture.
</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">“We are
facing a reality check,” O’Toole said of critical conditions he said are facing
irrigated agriculture throughout the West. He said the strength of American
agriculture is not in its production. “It is in its redundancy,” O’Toole
said.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“Now, because of pressures on
irrigated agriculture’s water supplies, that redundancy is threatened.” There is
a need for the nation to consider the need for irrigated agriculture, he added,
announcing that by 2006 the <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Alliance</st1:place></st1:City> expects to conduct and complete an
important survey of agricultural lands that are being taken out of production
because of urbanization or removal of the land’s water supply. “My canary in the
mine story is that for the first time, our nation’s balance of trade is
negative,” O’Toole said. “We are going to be the voice in <st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Washington</st1:place></st1:State> and to the
public that agriculture is critical.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 4pt 48pt; TEXT-INDENT: -24pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 48.0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">§<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><FONT face="Times New Roman"><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Use of Federal Resources.
</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Keppen said
there is a need to advocate for more efficient and wise use of scarce resources.
The <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Alliance</st1:place></st1:City>
plans to compile experiences from around the West – both good and bad – to
create a template that can be used constructively by the Bureau of Reclamation
and other Interior Department agencies in dealing with the
issues.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 4pt 48pt; TEXT-INDENT: -24pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 48.0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">§<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><FONT face="Times New Roman"><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Title Transfers.
</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Keppen said
the <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Alliance</st1:place></st1:City>
will continue its efforts to assist in the transfer of titles of federal water
projects whenever possible to local agencies and
users.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 4pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Immediate Past President Kennedy said the <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Alliance</st1:place></st1:City> also hopes to
step up two of its most important programs – Farmer Lobbyist visits to the
nation’s capital by federal water users, and Congressional Outreach. The latter
program brings Washington-based Congressional and administration staff members
to the West to see farm and irrigation operations first
hand.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 4pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; TEXT-TRANSFORM: uppercase; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman Bold'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Keppen
said the Alliance</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> is among the organizations asked by the Senate Energy
and Natural Resources Committee to submit responses to six questions the
committee plans to address during an April 5 water conference in <st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Washington</st1:place></st1:State>. “We are
hoping we are selected to sit on that panel,” Keppen said.
<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 4pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">In its paper, the <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Alliance</st1:place></st1:City> said, “The themes expressed in our
responses generally reflect our belief that streamlined federal regulation and
decision making are the keys to sound Western water policy. Whenever possible,
meaningful delegation of decision-making authority should be transferred to the
local level with less federal intrusion in basin issues.” What is needed, the
Alliance said, is certainty to all water users, balanced solutions to resolve
differences between water laws and environmental laws, deference to state law on
water issues, support for development of new and environmentally sound water
supply sources, and cost effective operation and maintenance of existing water
supply infrastructure.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 4pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><IMG height=2 hspace=12
src="cid:006e01c52c21$02d69f50$516c3940@trinitycounty.org" width=626 align=left
v:shapes="_x0000_s1026"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 4pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><I><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">For
more on the Senate Committee filing and about the <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Alliance</st1:place></st1:City>, please visit<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></SPAN></I><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">www.familyfarmalliance.org<I><o:p></o:p></I></SPAN></B></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>