Issue Position: Agriculture
Issue Position
I am committed to improving the federal government's rural development programs and bringing new resources to rural Idaho. These programs are important to sustaining rural communities by investing in areas that will aid in the development of rural infrastructure and help create new jobs in rural areas. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I have been working with my colleagues to secure the following rural development funding for fiscal year 2004:
1. $2 million for the City of Burley's Wastewater Treatment System Project. This is the fourth installment of federal funding for a new wastewater treatment facility which would help the community attract new businesses and create new jobs;
2. $1.9 million for the Coolin Sewer District's Wastewater Facility Upgrade Project. The funding will help the District improve its current system, which is more than 30 years old, and protect the ecosystem of the Priest Lake area;
3. $300,000 for the City of Horseshoe Bend's Wastewater Treatment Facility Improvements. The funding will help the city upgrade its wastewater treatment plant to address operational problems and allow for city growth;
4. $250,000 for the Upper St. Joe Water Distribution Line Project in St. Maries. The funding will help address waterline leakages and conserve source water;
5. $270,000 for the Bureau of Reclamation to offset contract renewal costs for Lucky Peak water users. Many of the 40-year contracts are set to expire over the next 2-3 years;
6. $500,000 for the City of McCammon's Wastewater System Improvements through the Environmental Protection Agency;
7. $400,000 for the City of Middleton's Water and Sewer Utility Extension through the Environmental Protection Agency;
8. $900,000 for the City of Jerome's Aquifer Protection Project through the Environmental Protection Agency;
9. $250,000 to the city of Pocatello for its Basalt and Groundwater Protection Project to conserve water in the Lower Portneuf Valley Aquifer through the U.S. Department of Agriculture;
10. $300,000 for the Oneida Stake Academy Restoration in Preston, Idaho through a U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development grant;
11. $225,000 for the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Project through a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Grant;
12. $300,000 for a Selenium Information System Project to be conducted by the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory;
13. $500,000 for the Producers Supply Cooperative Remediation;
14. $1.5 million for Idaho State University's Temporal Land Cover Change Research Program through a NASA grant;
15. $300,000 for the conservation of Idaho Sage Grouse;
16. $150,000 for the conservation of Kootenai River Burbot;
17. $50,000 for the conservation of Slickspot Peppergrass;
18. $500,000 for Idaho's wolf recovery program.
In addition, under the House Agriculture Appropriations bill, Idaho would receive significant funding for the following ag-related research programs:
* The bill includes research funding for a number of projects vital to Idaho's agricultural economy including: $755,000 for the Regional Barley Gene Mapping Project, $610,000 for sugarbeet research at Kimberly, $334,000 for cool season legume research, and $454,000 for grass seed cropping systems.
* The bill included 3 separate provisions to aid in potato research including an increase of $250,000 for a molecular biology component of potato research at Aberdeen, $150,000 for potato breeding research at Aberdeen, and $1.574 million for a nationwide potato research program in which the University of Idaho is a participant.
* The bill includes funding for aquaculture research with the inclusion of $300,000 for fish feed research through Aberdeen and $770,000 for research through the University of Idaho's Hagerman Station.
* The bill includes $666,000 for the Solutions to Environmental and Economic Problems (STEEP) to assist farmers with environmental challenges, $6.13 million for wood utilization research to be shared by 10 states including Idaho, and $790,000 for the University of Idaho's project aimed at improving safety and shelf life of Idaho commodities.
* The bill also includes $900,000 for the Greater Yellowstone Interagency Brucellosis Committee, $1.3 million to be shared by Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming for Tri-State Predator Control, $381,000 for jointed goatgrass control, and $4.541 million for the control of grasshoppers and Mormon crickets - an increase of $200,000 over last year.
* $200,000 was provided again this year to the Idaho OnePlan - a unique collaboration of agencies, industries, and associations dedicated to assisting Idaho's farmers and ranchers meet their natural resource stewardship responsibilities. The Committee provided $250,000 to the city of Pocatello for its Basalt and Groundwater Protection Project to conserve water in the Lower Portneuf Valley Aquifer.
* The Agriculture Appropriations bill also contains funding for programs related to hops research in the Pacific Northwest, viticulture and small fruits research, canola research, and pest and disease management control.
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