Washington, DC – Idahoans with questions about the 2008 Farm Bill enacted this spring by Congress can get answers at nine informational meetings planned around Idaho and sponsored by Idaho Senator Mike Crapo. Crapo’s staff will be joined by representatives from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies, including the Farm Service Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Rural Development.

“These Farm Bill meetings are meant to provide information about the many programs in the 2008 Farm Bill, the status of the programs that USDA is working to implement and available sign-up deadlines and details,” said Crapo, a member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee. “Beyond traditional farm support, the comprehensive Farm Bill includes a wide range of conservation, rural development, beginning farmers and ranchers, specialty crop competitiveness, organic production and renewable energy incentives. There are also programs to assist with market access, address the impacts of disaster and much more. There have been many changes and additions to past Farm Bill programs, and I want to make sure that Idahoans have the information they need to truly make this important legislation helpful and accessible on the ground.”

Crapo held a statewide townhall-style meeting with Idahoans in August. Information and a recording of the meeting are available at Crapo’s website at http://crapo.senate.gov.

The 2008 Farm Bill resource and information meetings are planned at the following locations:

Wednesday, September 17th:
Rexburg 8:00 – 10:30 a.m. City Council Chambers, 12 North Center Street
Blackfoot 1:00 – 3:30 p.m. Bingham County Courthouse, 501 North Maple Street
Burley 7:00 – 9:30 p.m. City Offices, 1401 Overland Street

Thursday, September 18th:
Jerome 9:00 – 11:30 a.m. City Council Chambers, 100 East Avenue A
Caldwell 3:00 – 5:30 p.m. Caldwell Public Library, 1010 Dearborn Street

Tuesday, September 23rd:
Sandpoint 8:00 – 10:30 a.m. Intermountain Community Bank, 414 Church Street
Plummer 1:00 – 3:30 p.m. Community Center, 520 C Street
Genesee 7:00 – 9:30 p.m. PNW Growers Offices, 117 West Chestnut Street

Wednesday, September 24th
Nezperce 9:00 – 11:30 a.m. Nezperce Hotel and Café, 312 Oak Street

Boise - Four Idaho businesses have been rewarded for renewable energy planning and will split federal grant dollars totaling nearly $300,000, according to Idaho Senator Mike Crapo. The funding comes through USDA Rural Development’s Section 9006 Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Program.

“Idaho businesses have always been innovative, and these energy upgrades will save money and power and expand the use of renewable energy in Idaho,” noted Crapo, a member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Rural Revitalization, Conservation, Forestry and Credit. “The grant monies will be used to encourage conservation in some businesses, while others are moving toward renewable and alternative sources like solar to provide the energy needed to operate.”

The Section 9006 Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Program will spend close to $300,000 in Idaho to help Idahoans accomplish the following upgrades in Coeur d’Alene, Moscow, Mountain Home and Twin Falls:

Coeur d’Alene Runge Furniture Company $6,237 for energy-efficient lighting

Moscow Camas Winery $23,192 for solar energy installation

Mountain Home Towne Center Motel $8,277 for solar hot water system

Twin Falls Gordon Paving Company $250,000 for upgrades to hot plant

Washington, DC - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo wants officials with the U.S. Department of Justice to explain why a highly-effective program dealing with juvenile crime and violence was not funded by the department for Fiscal Year 2007. Crapo wrote a letter to the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), J. Robert Flores, last week and asked for a response within 30 days.

The program in question is the National Partnership for Juvenile Services (NPJS), which uses federal grant dollars to coordinate technical assistance and training for personnel and authorities in the fields of juvenile justice and corrections. Crapo noted that staff with the Justice Department’s OJJDP rated it second out of over 100 groups applying for grant dollars. Yet, the program was not funded under the budget decisions made by the Justice Department for Fiscal Year 2007.

Crapo noted internal reviews have given the program high marks. “Programs that assist those working to stop teen dating violence, address local juvenile crime programs and prevent teen crime are succeeding across the country,” Crapo said. “I don’t understand why an apparently successful and highly-rated program like this one goes unfunded, and I am seeking further explanation from the Justice Department.”

OJJDP funding has been used to bring in expert assistance regarding a new juvenile detention center in Bonner County, to provide statewide training on specific liability and detention issues for those working with juveniles in the justice system and to increase technical assistance for juvenile detention needs. It has also been used to bring in nationally-recognized experts to speak to state conferences on juvenile justice.

“Since 2001 in Idaho alone, the juvenile justice community has used OJJDP funding to provide over 23,000 training hours to staff and trainers at its juvenile justice facilities,” wrote Crapo, a member of the Senate Budget Committee and longtime advocate for programs seeking to stop domestic violence and teen dating violence. “Without the necessary and well-deserved grant funding for FY2007, these programs did not receive this critical training and technical assistance for the coming fiscal year.”

Boise – Citing the economic stress on Idahoans and all Americans, Idaho Senator Mike Crapo is calling for a vote on comprehensive energy reform as soon as Congress returns to work September 8th. Crapo joined with a coalition of local energy interests urging Idahoans to tell Congress to immediately consider wide-ranging legislation that will feature more domestic production, conservation and alternative energy using what Crapo calls a “use less, produce more” model.

“I am calling on Idahoans to make it loud and clear, not just to our delegation, but to their friends and neighbors in other states: tell the Congress we need to vote now on a comprehensive energy bill,” Crapo said alongside representatives from Idaho gas stations, energy researchers and a local electric car distributor.

“We’ve been dependent on petroleum as our primary source of energy for far too long, and we are too dependent on foreign sources of that oil,” Crapo said. “Any bill should not focus on just one energy source. We need to act now, and we need to do so in a way that explores all those energy options.”

“We do need a comprehensive policy,” agreed Dr. John Gardner, Associate Vice President at Boise State University, who coordinates wind and geothermal research. Gardner says Idaho can play an even larger role in the research and development of alternative energy given more federal resources to do so. “Idaho is in a good spot to do that,” Gardner said. “We have the wind resources, solar resources. We’re sitting on top of a great geothermal resource here in Boise that heats most of the downtown. We have great universities that are ready to take on that challenge.”

Electric cars are beginning to get more attention in Idaho, according to Sand Hollow resident Clint Marchbanks, who converts the Zap Truck made in China to run on fuel in addition to batteries. While demonstrating the operations of the electric truck, Marchbanks said federal legislation could spur plans underway for public plug-in charging stations from Caldwell to Boise. “I can charge this vehicle up for eight hours for 25 cents,” Marchbanks said. “It has a running distance of about 40 miles. This is the cheapest form of transportation there is,” he said, adding electric cars are popular in other Northwest states and foreign countries and will catch on in Idaho “if we can promote it with the Senator’s help.”

John Jackson, who owns and operates convenience stores and gasoline stations throughout Idaho, agreed that Congress has been ineffective in passing legislation that spurs additional American energy production while the nation transitions to alternative energy. “It makes me sick to see the hundreds of millions of dollars that are going overseas, paying for the excessive price of fuels,” Jackson said. “It’s down to supply and demand. We need to reduce demand with alternative fuels and change our habits. Eighty-five percent of our shorelines are off-limits right now—it’s not realistic.”

Boise – Idaho Senator Mike Crapo will hold a news conference Tuesday to discuss the critical need for Congress to approve comprehensive legislation in the U.S. Senate that will address alternative energy, research and rising energy prices. An energy expert from Boise State University and the local owner of an all-electric vehicle will join Crapo at the event to discuss their perspectives on energy.

Earlier Tuesday, Crapo will join Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter to co-chair a summit meeting on the costs of transportation in Idaho. Today, Crapo will honor former astronaut Barbara Morgan with a Congressional Record Statement tribute during an event hosted by her new employer, Boise State University.

Monday, August 25

12:30 p.m. Boise Join Boise State University President Robert Kustra and others in a tribute to Barbara Morgan. At the Interactive Learning Center on the BSU campus.


Tuesday, August 26

9:30 a.m. Boise Co-host Idaho Transportation Funding Summit with Governor Otter. At the Boise Centre on the Grove.

2:45 p.m. Boise News conference on Congressional actions on energy legislation and the need to emphasis conservation, additional domestic production and development of alternative and renewable energy resources. At the northeast corner of 5th and Front Streets, in front of the Boise Chamber of Commerce and alongside alternative energy vehicles in the parking lot.

Plummer - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo today joined Plummer Mayor Tim Clark and Coeur d’Alene Tribal Chairman Chief Allan to announce acquisition of funding to end water and wastewater problems that have caused a building moratorium in the Plummer area. Idaho Senator Joyce Broadsword (R-Sagle) and Representatives Mary Lou Shepherd (D-Wallace) and Dick Harwood (R-St. Maries) joined Crapo, Clark, Allan and Jeff Beeman of USDA Rural Development to comment on the plan to end wastewater treatment issues in the Benewah County city. The $7.2 million is a combination of federal loan and grant funding through the USDA Rural Development program.

“Economic development begins with a solid infrastructure, and Plummer, like many rural cities, has struggled with issues surrounding the decline of its wastewater treatment system,” Crapo, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said. “In a part of Idaho that has seen improvements with rural medicine and broadband service, the wastewater capacity issues stood out in need of attention. Today, these issues are being resolved thanks to local problem-solving and assistance with funding through USDA Rural Development, tribal funds and money in the Farm Bill. Now, we can bring new housing on-line and ensure the future development and expansion for facilities like Berg Integrated Systems, which supplies our military needs, and for future development of industry and housing in the area.”

“The reconstruction of Plummer’s sanitary sewer system is a vital step towards the long term health, safety and economic revitalization of Plummer.” said Mike Field, State Director for USDA Rural Development. "The leadership demonstrated by City and Tribal leaders, as well as the dedication of our USDA Rural Development staff to find workable solutions has helped move this project forward, which should bring greater economic stability to the City of Plummer."

The USDA Rural Development funding breaks down as follows: $5 million in loans, $1.295 million in rural development grants and $1 million from the Native American Set-Aside Fund. A State of Idaho Community Development Block Grant will also add an additional $500,000 for the project.

The lack of wastewater capacity had limited operations for both the City of Plummer and the Coeur d’Alene Tribe. On August 10, 2006, the city declared a moratorium on sewer connections for the city system due to the lack of sufficient capacity in the water treatment system. The two-tiered project consists of upgrading sewer pipe, service connections and manholes followed by the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant.