01/02/06 Idaho farm bill meetings statewide

Beginning tomorrow morning Senator Mike Crapo and his staff will host 21 meetings statewide to hear comments from Idahoans about the 2007 Farm Bill. This is the second consecutive time that Crapo, who chairs a Senate Agriculture subcommittee on rural issues, has held statewide meetings on federal programs in advance of Congress adopting a Farm Bill. CRAPO "These meetings give us a very important chance to discuss the various titles of the farm bill and that will include those dealing with conservation, energy, the commodity programs, research, trade, rural development and credit issues and the bill that I recently introduced to update the Endangered Species Act." The Idaho Farm Bureau is co-sponsoring the Farm Bill meetings, and representatives of federal and state farm agencies are also expected to attend. Participants are encouraged to sign in, keep remarks under five minutes and offer written testimony if possible. It all starts at 8 AM Tuesday at the Sandpoint Ranger Station. At 11 am, folks in Post Falls get their chance to sound off and the day ends in Caldwell with an 8 PM hearing tomorrow night at the Canyon County courthouse. Crapo will also be at the Gooding hearing on Wednesday and may make a few more hearings but his state ag director Don Dixon will chair any meetings Crapo doesn't attend. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott