Letters to the editor: Kustra for Senate, irrigation, salmon recovery

Kustra for Senate

After reading Bob Kustra’s column in the Idaho Statesman on June 23, I realized how much we need his intellect and humanity in a position of leadership in Idaho. Dr. Kustra, how about running against Jim Risch for the Senate in 2020?

Irrigation

Today more than ever, farmers are doing more with less resources than ever before. Increasing regulations have changed the way farmers and growers do business. The need to balance the water needs of agriculture and residential use for the growing population is driving water conservation as never before. One U.S. farm feeds 165 people annually in the U.S. and abroad. The global population is expected to increase to 9.7 billion by 2050, which means the world’s farmers will have to grow about 70 percent more food than what is now produced. Thanks to advances in technologies, farmers have the ability to apply just the right amount of water to any crop.

Most are not aware, but July is Smart Irrigation Month. We all eat food, wear clothes and use energy. We rely on farmers more than we realize. Next time you walk down a grocery store aisle, imagine not having fruits, vegetables, meat, bread or packaged goods ready for purchase. Next time you turn on your faucet, imagine water not coming out.

This July, I encourage you to celebrate and embrace our American farmers.

Salmon recovery

Gov. Little’s salmon recovery group got off to a poor start when Gov. Little said, “I remain unconvinced at this time that breaching the dams will recover salmon in Idaho.” Expecting that a group of Idahoans representing a variety of special interests will find painless solutions to the problem, when billions of dollars and more than 20 years of study have not, is foolish.

In May 1998, facing a federal decision point, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission, after a thorough review of available science, issued a policy statement declaring the “natural river option” to be the best biological choice for salmon/steelhead recovery. To the best of my knowledge, this is still commission policy. As we approach yet another federal decision point, little has changed, except salmon and steelhead runs have declined dramatically. The proper question is to ask the scientific community, “What are the chances the wild fish can survive with the dams in place?”

We may be at the point where wild steelhead and salmon can no longer survive, and no study looking for easy “silver bullets” will serve any purpose other than to provide an “illusion of motion” and political cover for our governor.

Kustra

Regarding Dr. Kustra’s Opinion piece June 30: Maybe you think you can sink the historic Mayor Bieter steamroller, just like you judgmentally shot down the high-flying Bronco/Vandal football rivalry.

Maybe, sir, if you’re not afraid to hunt bigger game, you could aim your loaded pen at the hegemonic, gerrymandered Republican Idaho Legislature, which twice in the 1990s overturned voter-approved term-limit initiatives.

This story was originally published July 2, 2019 at 3:48 PM.