Deal Struck Over Soil Commission

A compromise has been struck between Gov. Phil Batt and agricultural interests on Batt’s efforts to move the Soil Conservation Commission under the control of the Agriculture Department.

The deal agreed to on Thursday achieves the transfer but keeps the Soil Conservation Commission in control of its staff and to an extent the person chosen as its director.

Farm and ranch interests objected to Batt’s plan to subject the entire soil conservation program to the control of his appointed agriculture director, fearing loss of independence and the emphasis on conservation programs.

The governor pushed the move in his attempt to focus as many state resources on cleaning up 962 stream segments within five years as a federal judge has directed.

The bill will be pushed through the Senate next week, Agriculture Committee Chairman Cecil Ingram, R-Boise, said.

“This is, I think, a pretty good compromise,” Sen. Bob Lee, R-Rexburg, said.

But John Sandy of Hagerman, assistant GOP floor leader, said the compromise will only work if the commission joins the campaign to comply with the federal court order on stream cleanup. , DataTimes