I serve in the Idaho State House of Representatives, and on the Agricultural Affairs Committee, and I have served as a Minidoka County Commissioner. I have been a farmer my entire working life.

The following is a quote from the Minidoka County News in the year of 1936. "Noxious Weed control has been keeping county personnel busy since it first began as a WPA project in 1935. A resolution for funds was passed unanimously by the legislature, and $5,000 was set aside by County Commissioners along with $20,000 from the Federal Government. A meeting to organize a noxious weed work staff was held. The foreman was to receive $125 per month.

Of Federal funds, $8,125 was to be matched by the county, and individual farmers, and used for chemicals." "Senator Borah and Congressman D. Worth Clark, were urged to arrange a permanent weed control program." Senator Borah said, "Thirty years ago (1906) this was a state clean of weeds. Now we have become a menace."

Sixty-four years later the noxious weed problem has continued to escalate. In 1963, one rangeland weed, Rush Skeletonweed, occupied approximately 40 acres near Banks, Idaho. Today it is found across 4 million acres and continues to spread. Yellow Starthistle has increased from a few acres in 1955 to nearly 500,000 acres. Left unchecked, noxious weeds can spread at a surprising rate of fourteen percent per year.

The Idaho Blue Book lists the State of Idaho having 33,727,051 acres (64%) of Federal Land; 2,629,633 acres(5%) of State Land, and 118,721 acres (less than 1%) of County and Municipal Land. This leaves only 16,387,873 acres (31%) of Private Land in the State of Idaho.

One of the crying needs of local government agencies is to have a unified effort to control noxious weeds.

Idaho has endorsed a Strategic Plan for Managing Noxious Weeds. This will encourage Federal, State, and Local Government to work together for a common solution to this ever increasing problem.

The Idaho Noxious Weeds law (Title 22, Chapter 24, Idaho Code) identifies the duties and powers of "landowners and citizens" in controlling noxious weeds, as well as state and county duties and powers in administering the law on non-federal lands. I feel the Federal Government has an equal responsibility to participate with Federal Land in this process.

Private Land Owners are doing a much better job of weed control than Government Agencies. With the current down turn in all the agricultural commodities, it is becoming extremely difficult for the Private Land Owners to keep their land clean, especially those areas which border Federal and State Land.

Cassia County has 911,450 acres of Federal Land, 59,097 acres of State and Local Land, and 657,357 acres of Private Land. In 1997, $11,173,341 was spent by Private Land Owners for weed control. All other agencies (Federal, State, and County) spent $281,916 for weed control. You can see by these figures, the Private sector is doing a disproportionate share of financing the cost of weed control.

Retired Senator James A. McClure made this statement on April 7, 1987, "Noxious Weeds are costing Agriculture in this country millions of dollars every year! The University of Idaho estimates that noxious weeds in just Idaho alone are costing taxpayers almost $500 million each year in Agricultural losses, and control costs. When these noxious weeds, the majority of which are non-native species of foreign origin, invade our Agricultural Lands, our already strapped farmers and ranchers suffer a loss of productivity, land value, and income. In turn, the economy of our Agricultural based communities suffer.

Noxious weed problems many times begin on our Federal Lands. It is unfortunate that there are some who are showing blatant disregard for the plight of our farmers by filing lawsuits against Federal Agencies trying to use the most effective means available against these weed species. I find it quite ironic that lawsuits are being filed against Federal Noxious Weed Control Programs to "Protect" the Environment when these are the same non-native weeds that are out-competing desirable native vegetation. These noxious weeds are spreading through some of our western wilderness areas, in both Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks, and law suite by so called "environmentalists" are blocking control efforts.

I recently came across an article on the noxious weed threat to Yellowstone National Park. The problem there is one which I am familiar with because it is the same one that concerns me in Idaho--the threat of complete take-over by Knapweed. There is a species of Knapweed invading desirable Elk Range in a portion of Yellowstone National Park. Park officials predict its continued spread will result in a 50 percent reduction in the Northern Yellowstone Elk population! In the article, Park Supervisor/Forestry Technician stated, "we need to use Herbicides--carefully-wherever they fit and only when necessary. But we would be derelict in protecting these natural resources if we didn't use them." I contend that everyone who has a noxious weed problem is derelict if they do not take steps to remove them."

The State of Idaho is struggling to maintain our Deer and Elk habitat, some of this is caused by the spread of Noxious Weeds.

I would encourage the Federal Government to do all in their power to work cooperatively with Private and Local entities, and this includes funding at a level which will allow us enough man power, and resources to help bring Noxious Weeds under control.

Thank you for allowing me to testify.

Signed__________________________________.