04-20-07 PCN money; salmon ruling

Nearly 11 million dollars has been added to the Potato Cyst Nematode eradication program. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns made the announcement yesterday. Since the first PCN detection near Shelley last April 12.9 million federal dollars went into the survey of production and seed potato fields, packing facilities and storage sheds. State Ag Department's Mike Cooper says dozens of people have been involved in the PCN battle. COOPER "In 2006 we will have taken and will have processed close than 38 thousand samples and we could very well do that many this next year or more. Its going to take years before officials can say for certain they've wiped out the nematode altogether. A federal judge has to decide if he'll lift federal protections from all threatened and endangered salmon across the West. Farm groups, private property rights advocates and the Idaho Water Coalition were represented by the Pacific Legal Foundation which told US District Judge Michael Hogan that NOAA Fisheries has violated the Endangered Species Act by its handling of wild and hatchery raised salmon. Removal of ESA listings on protected salmon could lead to some restrictions on logging and irrigation being lifted. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott