04/22/08 Seeking money for rural schools, PILT

Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Larry Craig have joined a bipartisan effort to include payments to counties in the emergency supplemental spending bill now in the Appropriations Committee. Oregon's Ron Wyden is one of the leaders in the campaign to include federal money for the Secure Rural Schools Act and the Payment in Lieu of Taxes program. Senators recognize the importance of the two programs to timber dependent communities but there's already a huge federal budget deficit. CRAPO "The supplemental appropriation is going to have its own issues but it don't think the secure rural schools part of it will be a major issue so my hope is that whatever does end up moving as part of a supplemental will include the Secure Rural Schools Act. Crapo is also hoping to get a favorable vote in the Senate on his Owyhee Initiative. Today a Senate committee will take testimony on the bill that will protect wilderness and wild rivers in Owyhee County while settling some important public grazing issues. Crapo has been working with all interest groups since 2002 on the Owyhee legislation which was re-written this year with help from the majority Democrats on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Crapo is also confident he'll get the twelve million dollars in funding needed to carry out the bill's provisions. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott