U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson will try to keep open an Idaho sheep experiment station despite President Donald Trump's proposed budget calling for its elimination.
The Post-Register reported Tuesday that Clark County economic development officials worry closure of the station could have a major negative impact on the economy.
The U.S. Sheep Experiment Station employs 14 full-time researchers. It's one of the most significant employers in the county that about 860 people live in.
The station's annual budget stands at about $2.1 million for 2017, but Trump's budget would send that figure to zero and lay off all 14 researchers. It would cancel a $1.7 million project aimed at increasing the efficiency of sheep production on rangeland, as well as a $711,000 project examining technologies for rangeland management.