Dirk Kempthorne returned to Idaho yesterday for another in a series of two dozen listening sessions billed as Cooperative Conservation. The federal government wants to know how Americans think that the issues, programs and policies that enhance wildlife habitat, species protection and other conservation efforts can best be served through regulatory and voluntary programs.

KEMPTHORNE People do want to see cooperation in this area of conservation and that examples have been used where they have had for decades if not even beyond that conflict and when they can replace conflict with cooperation they were beginning to see results.

The Interior Secretary and members of the Idaho congressional delegation spoke and listened to the others who testified yesterday at Boise State University. This is the last of the 24 sessions. So what happens next?

KEMPTHORNE I dont know what the conclusion will be yet. We have received literally hundreds of citizens who have come forward and onto the microphone made their comments. When theyre not able to finish their comments in the time thats allotted they simply turn in the rest of their material. All of that is part of the record but over 20 thousand of the e-mails that are there as well.

Todays Idaho Ag News
Bill Scott