05/22/06 Idaho gets $258 million for CREP

Agricultural producers, landowners and other interested parties are invited to attend special informational meetings on the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program or CREP. With over 800 thousand acres enrolled in CRP, most Idahoans are familiar with that dryland conservation program says state Farm Service Agency Director Wayne Hammon HAMMON "What CREP is is the same type of principle but on irrigated ground. Across the Snake River aquifer we're having severe water shortages even though the rivers are flooding this year the aquifer is still much depleted after seven years of drought." Hammon says the Idaho CREP project is approved for enrolling up to 100 thousand acres of irrigated farmland in the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer. HAMMON "I don't imagine we'll hit 100 thousand acres the first year but we've got until December of '07 to fill that quota. If we do so that's 200 thousand feet of water we'll save every year." CREP signup begins next week and that's why informational meetings are set Wednesday night in Jerome, Thursday at Paul. More about this program tomorrow. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott