BOISE — The Idaho House Resources & Conservation Committee Jan. 31 sent to the House floor a proposal to help pay for water quality improvement projects at confined animal feeding operations across the state.

House Bill 466 would make a one-time appropriation of $5 million from the state general fund to start a water quality improvement fund.

Gov. Brad Little’s proposed budget includes a one-time cash transfer of $20 million from the general fund to the Agricultural Best Management Practices Fund. That money would focus on non-point-source projects, which address pollutants that do not come from a single identified source. Requests in recent years far exceeded available funding.

HB 466 would use $5 million of that $20 million to start the fund for confined animal feeding operations.

The Idaho Dairymen’s Association said the federal Clean Water Act defines confined animal feeding operations as point sources, so they are not eligible for help from other sources.

The association expects the $5 million to fund 15-20 projects over 18 months. It envisions 60% of the costs to come from the fund and rest from producers. A committee would select projects and determine the funding level.

Committee members voted to send HB466 to the full House with a do-pass recommendation. An alternative proposal with stricter guidelines did not pass.

House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, a committee member, supported the alternative motion. He told Capital Press the concept is good, but it would be better to spell out more in statute so the program relies less on Department of Environmental Quality rule making.

Dairy and cattle industries “are at the table trying to make a difference,” Rep. Laurie Lickley, R-Jerome, committee vice chairman and the bill’s sponsor, said at the hearing.

Idaho Water Users Association Executive Director and General Counsel Paul Arrington said he supports the legislation. He said other cost-share programs make state money go farther and have produced many successful projects.

Boise attorney David Claiborne, who presented the bill to the committee on behalf of the Dairymen’s Association, said CAFO improvement projects can be hard for smaller operations to carry out alone.

Dairymen’s Association CEO Rick Naerebout said the need is strong given increased buyer pressure to use sustainable practices, compressed margins in the industry, and the availability of new and improved methods.

Idaho Cattle Association lobbyist Wyatt Prescott said the organization supports the bill as a unique opportunity for animal agriculture to take advantage of available resources.