[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17889]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO KENNETH AND LINDA STEIGERS

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                       HON. C.L. ``BUTCH'' OTTER

                                of idaho

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 12, 2006

  Mr. OTTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me 
in recognizing to the actions of Kenneth and Linda Steigers of 
Juliaetta, Idaho.
  Nine years before the Steigers purchased a section of land in 
Clearwater County, Idaho, a flood tore through the area. It destroyed 
many large cottonwood trees and other vegetation in a riparian zone of 
Lolo Creek which runs through their property. Eventually, grass grew 
back near the banks of the creek, which attracted grazing cattle. At 
that time the Bureau of Land Management raised concerns that the cattle 
may be adversely affecting the water quality of the creek and the 
salmon spawning beds in the area.
  The Steigers, through support from the Conservation Reserve Program, 
CRP, have worked diligently to rectify the problem. They used program 
funding to build a fence around the riparian area and also developed a 
spring at the top of a nearby slope to provide an alternate drinking 
area for the cattle. With the cattle no longer grazing in the area, 
cottonwood trees and shrubs are growing in the area again. The salmon 
habitat has improved and elk, deer, geese, ducks, blue herons, and 
other small water birds have become abundant.
  For their actions as CRP participants the Steigers will be presented 
with the Conservation Reserve Program Outstanding American 
Conservationist Award by Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns at the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture on Wednesday, September 13, 2006.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to 
join me in congratulating the actions of Kenneth and Linda Steigers. It 
is accomplishments like this that make our world a more beautiful and 
enjoyable place to live.

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