Appropriates an additional $1,010,000 to the Department of Agriculture for fiscal year 2017, for watercraft inspection stations; and authorizes 3 additional full-time equivalent positions.

This is a supplemental appropriation to the Department of Agriculture for fiscal year 2017 for watercraft inspectionstations. Thesestationsareusedtoinspectwatercraftforthepresenceofaquaticinvasivespecies. Last season, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture implemented an expanded level of service for the invasive species watercraft inspection stations as directed by the Legislature. The expansion, funded with one-time moneys, resulted in an increased presence throughout the state and also increased the hours that each station remained open. This expansion resulted in larger contracts for stations run by local districts and also increased costs for temporary staff to run the stations managed by the agency. This level of service could not continue without additional resources. This legislation funds three additional stations, provides funding for all 18 stations to operate from dawn till dusk, adds three full-time positions to the staff, adds funding for a new outreach program, and provides funding for county law enforcement for each station budgeted for five hours per day. The three additional stations are anticipated to be on State Highway 3 near Rose Lake, US 12 near Lenore or Lolo Pass, and on I-15 near Spencer or Dubois. The positions include an agricultural program specialist at $25 per hour in the Coeur d'Alene area and two investigator-technicians at $19 per hour, one to be located in the Magic Valley and one in Eastern Idaho. Law enforcement is calculated at 1,447 days at $50 per hour times 5 hours per day.