04/26/05 Keys comments; Hearing about EQIP

So what did John Keys actually say? The Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner was quoted in a National Public Radio interview that it is unrealistic for the federal government to solely finance the construction of a large dam for reclamation and water storage. That comment was specifically addressing the proposed Black Rock project in Washington State which if built at its full proposal would be larger in size and scope than Grand Coulee Dam. And it caused concern among Black Rock supporters who say the government should first finish its feasibility study before making a decision. The following day at a water forum in Boise, Keys clarified that while the days of the big federal dam projects are over, the days of dams, even big dams, are not. But for such projects to be built, it would take a collaboration of federal, state, and public interests to develop and fund any new dams. It will be the final of a series of public listening sessions that covered all fifty states and U.S. territories in the Caribbean and Pacific Basin. It is the final, national, listening session on perceived priorities and emerging issues for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program as it pertains to the 2006 program year. And it is set for May Fifth in Washington D.C. Natural Resources Conservation Services Chair Bruce Knight says this will be the last opportunity for oral comments to be accepted on E.Q.I.P. for 2006, however, written comments will be accepted through June Fifth. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Susan Allen. ALLEN: I'm one of those people who puts salt on everything, even pineapple. I know, I know it's not healthy, but it seems a minor vice in the big scheme of things. Thanks to the efforts of food technologists at a company called Senomyx, my salt shaker might not be a shaking much longer. Like the explorers of old, food scientist are constantly trying to discover new ways to spice up food, finding the today's "spice of life" equates to devising methods to make food taste better, but be healthier. Senomyx researchers have found that by using their knowledge of human genome sequences to identity taste receptors, coupled with a biotech process that creates a chemical that tricks receptors into believing they are tasting something they are not, they might have hit the mother load. Food companies will pay millions for the technology of taste. While consumer groups applaud this discovery they do warrant caution until the chemical has undergone more safety testing. I'm Susan Allen and this is Food Forethought.