News Release

Washington, DC – Idaho Senator Mike Crapo will speak to members of both the Idaho House and Senate next week in separate sessions Wednesday morning. Crapo is expected to give lawmakers an update on his bill to make improvements in the Endangered Species Act, the Collaboration and Recovery of the Endangered Species Act, or CRESA. He will also discuss various issues now before the Congress.

Members of the Idaho Legislature, including Senate President Pro Tem Robert Geddes, House Speaker Bruce Newcomb, Senator Minority Leader Clint Stennett, Senators Gary Schroeder and David Langhorst; and Representatives Bert Stevenson and Clete Edmunson, are preparing work on a bipartisan state-based resolution supporting Crapo’s ESA reform efforts. The bill introduced by Crapo and Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-Arkansas) is drawing co-sponsors and awaiting a hearing later this year. The Idaho Association of Counties has also passed resolutions two years running approving of Crapo’s efforts to update the ESA.

“The Collaboration and Recovery of the Endangered Species Act (CRESA) legislation gets states and private landowners more directly involved in species recovery,” Crapo noted. “We want to expand cooperative agreements on the state level and give private landowners the incentives they need to protect species and guarantees their efforts will be rewarded by the federal government.

“This legislation demonstrates again the power locally-driven efforts have in changing, for the better, Washington’s efforts to direct policy decisions from the top down. Idahoans have shown they are willing to put in the effort,” he said. “Idaho citizens lead the way in species conservation as we have seen in the case with salmon, sage grouse, wolves, slickspot peppergrass and ground squirrels. CRESA will be better for species, and for people.”

Crapo addresses the Idaho Legislature Wednesday, February 22, 2006: 9:00 a.m. Idaho Senate Chambers

9:30 a.m. Idaho House Chambers