Committee Supports Law Enforcement, Research Efforts

Once again Idaho receives funding for salmon recovery efforts

WASHINGTON, D.C. -The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the Fiscal Year 2007 Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill today. The bill provides funding for a variety of projects important to Idaho.

For the fourth straight year, Idaho was included in the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund. The committee included $4 million for salmon recovery in Idaho.

Idaho Senator Larry Craig, a member of the committee, said, "In this bill, Congress continues to recognize Idaho's role in salmon recovery. With well-spent dollars, we can recover salmon. In addition, I'm pleased that the committee has provided support for Idaho projects that help small businesses, improve law enforcement efforts, and protect our children."

The Committee also provided funding for the following:

Entrepreneur and Leadership Advancement Program / Lewis-Clark State College ($80,000) - This program provides entrepreneurial and leadership assistance to Idaho college students and graduates and to Idaho small businesses.
Boise Center Aerospace Laboratory (BCAL) / Idaho State University ($500,000) - Ongoing research at ISU's BCAL will continue to provide southern Idaho the expertise, leadership, and coordination of remote sensing research and applications, and to provide education and training programs that promote remote sensing and spatial technologies.

The committee also expressed strong support for the following Idaho-related projects:

Criminal Information Sharing Alliance Network (CISAnet) / Idaho State Police - CISAnet is a network of law enforcement in several states across the nation. The network is considered a model for collection and secure sharing of law enforcement information, and an excellent example of cooperation among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Funds will be used for operations and maintenance of the network.
Child Protection Program / Nez Perce Tribe, Lapwai, ID - This program provides the tools needed for the Nez Perce Tribe to have an effective Child Protection Program on the reservation. The program deals with issues such as sexual abuse, emotional problems, and behavior issues, and enhances the lives of children and families through the provision of coordinated services of all human resource programs.
Temporal Land Cover Change Research Program / Idaho State University - Idaho State University's GIS Center will study the effect of land management decisions on rangeland health. A state-of-the-art GPS, GIS Servers, the Internet, and cellular or wireless technologies will also be employed to allow field personnel to fully interact with GIS datasets and effectively use GIS from the field.
Snake River Institute / Idaho National Laboratory - The Snake River Institute (SRI) will develop an integrated water resources information management system for the Snake River Basin. This prototype will provide a dynamic assessment and forecasting capability that will dramatically improve resource managers' ability to optimize the production of hydropower and more efficiently allocate water to agriculture, industry, and communities while sustaining wildlife.

The bill now goes to the full Senate for consideration.

For information on all of the projects Senator Craig has successfully supported in annual appropriations bills since fiscal year 1998, please visit Senator Craig's Idaho Initiatives report.

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