Budget Approved for Wolf Kills & Touting Trade

Budget Approved for Wolf Kills & Touting Trade. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

Idaho’s Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee has approved the spending of $400-thousand dollars for the killing of wolves in the state. The money is an extension of the Wolf Depredation Control Board’s annual budget which remains funded at the same level as last year. The board was created last year and charged with giving out money to control wolves when, “there are conflicts with Idaho’s livestock and wildlife population.” Recently authorities announced the killing of another 19 wolves in February in northern Idaho.

When USDA Deputy Under Secretary Alexis Taylor met with representatives of Oregon’s ag industry on Tuesday she heard plenty about the port issue.

TAYLOR: Every single person more or less brought up ports. Agriculture had one of the most compelling stories if not the most compelling story, I think, on the economic impact.

Taylor spent time discussing last years record exports and talked at length about TPP and TPA.

TAYLOR: To people who see benefits to trade, see benefits the Trans-Pacific Partnership might offer– their respective industry, them personally– to the extent that they think Trade Promotion Authority is important, I think telling that story is important, often and loudly.

Taylor says about 20 percent of the income for US farmers and ranchers comes from exports.

That’s today’s Northwest Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network of the West.