06/24/08 PILT for Idaho; FSA employee rally

Idaho will receive more than 16 million dollars in PILT money. Payment in Lieu of Taxes or PILT is money that goes to more than 18 hundred county and local governments as compensation for forgoing tax revenue on federal land. More than 228 million dollars in PILT funds were handed out this year. The federal government earned more than four billion from its land through grazing, mining and other forms of leases. Idaho is receiving about a half million dollars less than it received in fiscal year 2007. Farm Service Agency employees from Idaho and eight other states were off to South Dakota for a Northwest Area employee rally. FSA's Stan Lamb says they have tours and national speakers at these events. LAMB "State executive directors from Alaska and Idaho as well as Mr. Cutler from South Dakota. It's out national employee president Bonnie Hinesman from West Virginia." And a rally like that brings out FSA administrator Teresa Lasseter. LASSETER "My reason for being here will be to update the group on what's happening in Washington and what they can expect in the days ahead. So I'll be talking about the farm bill, what our responsibilities are and what we're going to be doing soon." Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming and Montana are part of the nine state region. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott