Idaho Department of Agriculture outlines quagga mussel response, funding and staff retention plans

Frances Lippitt, a budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, and Chanel Tewell, director of the Idaho State Department of Agriculture, told the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee on Friday that the state expanded its quagga mussel prevention and response program last year and is seeking ongoing and one‑time funding to sustain work and retain staff.

Lippitt told the committee the department’s statutory responsibilities are described in multiple parts of Idaho code and that the agency is organized into eight budgeted programs including plant industries, animal industries and agricultural inspections. She said the invasive species fund is primarily funded by a watercraft sticker fee collected by the Department of Parks and Recreation and that the Legislature provided a $5 million general‑fund infusion last session and an ongoing $1.5 million general‑fund appropriation for quagga mussel response. “This projected decline that you see in the fund balance reflects the extent of that effort rather than any decline in sticker fee revenue,” Lippitt said.

The department’s director, Chanel Tewell, described operational changes since the 2023 discovery on the Snake River: “So we stood here last…