12/4/08 Forest Solution & Tuition Increase

Forest Solutions & Tuition Increase plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. Presidents of Idaho's public universities are laying the groundwork to request tuition or fee increases higher than the 10 percent allowed each year by the State Board of Education. The administrators say the rule change will allow them to generate more revenue, if necessary, to help offset ongoing state budget cuts imposed by Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter. On Monday, Otter ordered state agencies to cut another 3 percent in spending due to lagging state tax revenue. It follows a 1 percent holdback imposed in September. Forest Service Chief Abigail Kimbell believes climate change, water, and reconnecting kids with forest lands are essential in current and future conservation and use of national forests and parks. She says the US Forest Service is prepared to meet the main challenges to continued forest conservation and use of national forests and parks. KIMBELL: I think the forest service is very well positioned to take on the issues of tomorrow; the issues of 10 years from now. It's in looking down the road at those things that we believe the American people want and demand from their public forests and from forest lands on all ownerships. The forest service is ready, willing and able. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray. Perry County in Alabama has declared the second Monday in November to be forever known, at least in parts of Alabama, as Barack Obama Day. Quite the honor for the new President elect, but perhaps just a wee bit premature. Most would agree that Mr. Obama has proven that he and his affiliates ran a great campaign; obviously, he'll be sworn in as our country's new president in January. But let's see how the next four years go, and whether or not Obama lives up to a huge majority of people's expectations before we go and declare Barack Obama Days across the nation. I believe he was already covered by President's Day. The new holiday won't just mean another day off for government workers in Perry County; it will cost them a large junk of change also. It would be interesting to see how President elect Obama and his transition team react to the copy of the resolution declaring "Obama Day" which was forwarded on to them. While he should be flattered by the recognition, one would hope that he too would see it as an honor given in the afterglow of the first African American becoming U.S. President; but still premature. Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.