11/26/08 Schafer's Idaho appointees

Several Idahoans have been appointed as producer members to serve on the National Potato Promotion Board. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer named 31 producers to serve three years terms beginning March first of next year. Reappointed to the potato promotion board were Kent Bitter and Melanie Likes of Shelley, Tom Church of Wilder, Nick Cummins of Murtaugh, Ronald Lockwood of Eden and Shane Webster of Rexburg. Newly appointed to the board are Wyatt Penfold of Driggs, Jared Gehring of American Falls, Bryan Wada of Pingree, Brett Jensen of Idaho Falls, Ryan Cranney of Oakley and Kevin Searle of Shelley. The potato board administers the industry funded national research and promotion program to increase exports and domestic potato consumption. Schafer also appointed Idaho's Kim Brackett to a three year term on the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board. The Department of the Interior has distributed an additional 138.7 million dollars in supplemental payments to about 22 hundred county and local governments, providing them full compensation for taxes that could not be levied on federal lands in their jurisdictions during fiscal year 2008. By receiving nearly ten million this month Idaho will get a total of 25.8 million dollars this year. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott