http://craig.senate.gov/press/

For Immediate Release:
November 10, 2008

University of Idaho Honors Senator Craig

Washington, DC — University of Idaho President Steven Daley-Laursen honored Senator Larry Craig's 28 years of public service representing Idaho in the U.S. Congress at the North Idaho Chamber of Commerce Legislative Tour kickoff on the University of Idaho campus here Sunday night.

Addressing an audience of almost 230 Idahoans, President Daley-Laursen credited Senator Craig with steering hundreds of millions of dollars in funds to the land-grant university for agricultural research, biofuels, batteries, submarine research, mathematics and many other programs.

President Daley-Laursen presented Senator Craig with a gnarly poplar tree, a disease resistant ornamental hybrid of the Japanese Poplar and native Pacific Northwest Black Cottonwood that was developed by U of I's College of Natural Resources. Senator Craig was instrumental in obtaining the federal funding for the experimental tree, now popular in landscaping, and in having it planted in the National Arboretum in Washington in May 2005, in recognition of U of I's achievement.

"The University of Idaho is continually producing new knowledge, technical concepts and technological advances that can provide significant benefits to society, to the State of Idaho and the U.S. economy," Senator Craig, a Vandal alumnus, said. "I take pride in U of I's reputation as the pre-eminent center for comprehensive and research-oriented programs in our State."

The reception and dinner for the Legislative Tour kickoff showcased many agricultural products from U of I's research facilities across Idaho including grapes developed in Parma, caviar from U of I's white sturgeon program, cheese, beef, trout and lentils.

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