06/19/06 EPA reform legislation, Owyhee Initiative

Senator Mike Crapo is in the middle of negotiations at the committee level to get his Endangered Species Reform Act moving off dead center. In the environment committee the bill appears dead but in the Senate Finance Committee it's possible he'll get a hearing and a chance to put the bill before the full Senate for a vote. Crapo has taken the parts of the House passed ESA reform bill that are not contentious and put them into his legislation. He knows it's an uphill fight even if he could get Senate approval. CRAPO "Even though the legislation itself may be acceptable it would go into conference with the House and then what came out might not be acceptable and so we still have a battle underway." And then there's the Owyhee Initiative, the four year collaborative effort that resulted in an agreement on the land use for much of Owyhee County. Crapo says he could have a proposed bill ready for Senate introduction by the end of the month. CRAPO "It's always dangerous to make an announcement like that or a pronouncement like that but what I'm saying is that I really believe we are that close. We are down to putting together the final details and then probably trying to find a date when we can either introduce it here or make an announcement out in Idaho and move forward." With the election just four and a half months away there's a good possibility no legislation will move forward. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott