06/09/08 Slickspot peppergrass ruling

Federal Magistrate Mikel Williams has told the US Fish and Wildlife Service that it must reconsider listing slickspot peppergrass as an endangered species. Williams agreed with the Hailey based environmental group Western Watersheds that the federal agency dismissed scientific evidence when it decided not to list the plant as endangered. Governor Butch Otter opposed listing while he was in Congress and he defended a conservation plan developed by the state and ranchers. Listing the slickspot peppergrass as endangered could limit or restrict livestock grazing on federal lands in southern Idaho where the small plant is found. Western Watersheds has filed several lawsuits, winning all of them, over the past eight years in an effort to get federal listing for the plant. As of June 30th USDA Rural Development will no longer have an office in the USDA Service Center in Rupert. The staff at Rupert will re-locate to Twin Falls as part of a nationwide effort to reduce costs and streamline services. Tony Ballestero will join the Rural Development staff in the Twin Falls USDA Service Center on July 1st and continue to serve Cassia and Minidoka counties and will maintain a Rupert phone number in his Twin Falls office. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott