Beef Council elects officers

Idaho Beef producers Laurie Lickley of Jerome, Brenda Richards of Murphy and Jay Theiler of Boise, were elected to the executive committee of the Idaho Beef Council at a June meeting in Boise.

They will hold their positions for fiscal year 2011. Their responsibilities include setting IBC's priorities and providing direction for the spending of Idaho Beef Checkoff.

Lickley, elected chairman of the IBC, is a rancher and represents cow-calf producers. Richards, elected vice chairman, is also a rancher. Theiler, elected secretary-treasurer, is a feeder and represents feeders.

Judy Woodie of Emmett was elected to the board of directors to serve a three-year term. She is a cow-calf producer and Idaho Cattlewomen Council representative.

CWT accepts cheese export bid

Cooperatives Working Together has accepted one bid from Dairy Farmers of America for 50 metric tons, or 110,231 pounds, of cheddar cheese to the Middle East.

The cheese will be delivered in September. CWT will pay export bonuses to the bidders after delivery of the product.

Since CWT reactivated the Export Assistance program in March, it has assisted members in making export sales of cheddar, Monterey Jack and Gouda cheese totaling 39 million pounds to 22 countries on four continents.

The program is funded by dairy cooperatives and individual dairy farmers, who are contributing 10 cents per hundredweight assessment on their milk production through December.

Simpson seeks Otter's support

BOISE (AP) -- U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson appealed to Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter in a letter in a bid to help move his wilderness bill forward in Congress.

Last month, Otter came out against the proposed 332,000-acre federal preserve in the central Idaho mountains, citing concerns including lack of permission for state wildlife managers to land helicopters to collar wolves.

Otter's opposition is a big roadblock for Simpson.

So in the letter made public July 6 by the Idaho Statesman, Simpson committed to making changes Otter is demanding.

Even so, Simpson conceded that foes -- snowmobilers and ATV riders who want to keep trails open on one side, environmentalists who want even more wilderness on the other -- are unlikely to be swayed.

As a result, Simpson contends in his letter that the current bill's compromises remain "the path forward."