Thanks fo supporting the Leopold Center.

At 06:32 AM 05/24/2002 -0500, you wrote:
>Thanks for the info Bill. I too think the Governor is our best hope on 
>this issue
>at this time.
>
>William Witt wrote:
>
> > The Leopold Center is under ISU, but it is largely funded through a tax on
> > herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizer.  I believe the Republicans are
> > killing it as a favor to a number of special interests, especially the
> > ag-chem dealers and their lobbyist, Mona Bond.  (They sliced off the 
> funding
> > for ICASH at the U of I last year, without explanation--but the
> > beneficiaries are the same.)
> >
> > Governor Vilsack indicated that he is going to approve the revised FY 03
> > budget that the Republicans will jam down our throats next Tuesday.  That
> > will mean a 80 percent cut to REAP, 66 percent cut to NRCS cost-share, and
> > so on.  Those programs will suffer mightily, but they can be revived.  But
> > the Leopold Center, once strangled, will not recover. I urged him to
> > line-item veto the Leopold Center cut, since he will be authorized to draw
> > down additional funds as needed from the cash reserve account.
> >
> > Bill Witt
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From:   Iowa Discussion, Alerts and Announcements
> > [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Charles Winterwood
> > Sent:   Thursday, May 23, 2002 3:12 PM
> > To:     [log in to unmask]
> > Subject:        Re: Fwd: Action Alert- Budget Cuts Threaten Iowa 
> Environmental
> > Programs
> >
> > iS THE lEOPOLD cENTER UNDER THE isu BUDGET OR THE
> > dEPT. OF aG BUDGET OR ITS OWN BUDGET?
> >
> > c
> > CHARLIE
> >
> > --- Peggy Murdock <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> > > Someone should write up a report on the tax breaks
> > > that are given to CAFOs,
> > > naming names, and relate this directly to the budget
> > > shortfall.  I
> > >
> > > Peggy Murdock
> > >
> > > At 12:09 PM 5/22/2002 -0400, you wrote:
> > > >ACTION ALERT from the Iowa Environmental Council:
> > > >BUDGET CUTS COULD CLOSE THE LEOPOLD CENTER
> > > >
> > > >The Governor will convene a special session of the
> > > Legislature next
> > > >Tuesday, May 28 to deal with the state's deepening
> > > budget crises.  More
> > > >cuts need to be made to the coming fiscal year
> > > (FY03) budget in light of
> > > >reduced revenue projections.
> > > >
> > > >In the proposed Republican budget-released
> > > yesterday-environmental funding
> > > >takes a disproportionately large cut.
> > > >
> > > >Environmental programs currently get only 1.2% of
> > > general fund and
> > > >infrastructure appropriations, but 9% of the
> > > proposed cuts comes on the
> > > >back of environmental programs.  Iowa already is
> > > last in the nation in per
> > > >capita spending on the environment, and the
> > > proposed cuts put us even
> > > >farther behind.  If the cuts take effect, Iowa will
> > > spend only 0.7% of the
> > > >state budget on environmental protection.
> > > >
> > > >The tragedy of these cuts and anemic funding is
> > > that these environmental
> > > >programs are proactive, preventative solutions to
> > > problems.  Iowa's
> > > >environmental initiatives are some of the most
> > > cost-effective public
> > > >expenditures, when we consider the cost of clean up
> > > or restoration after
> > > >damage has already occurred.   They're in line with
> > > a core Iowa value-"An
> > > >ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
> > > Today's costs for these
> > > >programs are minuscule compared to the benefits
> > > Iowa receives for the
> > > >tomorrows to come.
> > > >
> > > >You need to contact Legislators and the Governor
> > > before Tuesday and tell
> > > >them to protect Iowa's environmental spending in
> > > the Environment First
> > > >Fund, and particularly the Leopold Center for
> > > Sustainable Agriculture.
> > > >
> > > >***************************************
> > > >ENVIRONMENT FIRST FUND
> > > >
> > > >The Council is shocked at the proposed cuts to the
> > > Environment First
> > > >Fund.  This fund was created just two years ago and
> > > was hailed as a great
> > > >step forward in Iowa's commitment to the
> > > environment.  The proposed budget
> > > >cuts this fund by 53%-to less than $12.4 million
> > > out.
> > > >
> > > >The Environment First Fund includes appropriations
> > > for the following
> > > >programs, among others:
> > > >
> > > >Farm Demonstration Program
> > > >REAP
> > > >Ag Drainage Well closure
> > > >Soil Conservation Cost Sharing
> > > >Brownfield Redevelopment
> > > >Geographic Information System Development
> > > >Wetland Incentive Program
> > > >Watershed Protection Plan
> > > >Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program
> > > >Water Quality Monitoring
> > > >Volunteer Water Monitoring (IOWATER)
> > > >Water Quality Protection
> > > >Air Quality Monitoring Program
> > > >Lake Dredging
> > > >
> > > >While not all of these programs suffer cuts,
> > > several programs are
> > > >completely eliminated in the Republican's
> > > budget-such as Brownfield
> > > >Redevelopment and Farm Demonstration.  Others are
> > > severely cut.  REAP
> > > >suffers an 80% cut, from $10 million to $2
> > > million-ending many local
> > > >community improvement projects.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >*************************************
> > > >LEOPOLD CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
> > > >
> > > >Of particular concern to the Council is the drastic
> > > cut to the Leopold
> > > >Center for Sustainable Agriculture.  On the table
> > > is a cut of $1 million,
> > > >reducing the Center's budget by 86%.  The budget
> > > cut from $1.16 million
> > > >last year to less than $200,000 effectively ends
> > > this nationally
> > > >recognized, innovative program supporting
> > > sustainable agricultural
> > > >development.
> > > >
> > > >Losing the Leopold Center would be a catastrophe.
> > > The Center serves as an
> > > >incubator for sustainable agricultural practices
> > > that will pay significant
> > > >dividends down the road-in cleaner water, less soil
> > > erosion, and greater
> > > >agricultural vitality.  These budget cuts to the
> > > Leopold Center today
> > > >sacrifice significant economic and environmental
> > > benefits tomorrow.
> > > >
> > > >The Leopold Center has helped advance such
> > > promising innovations as:
> > > >
> > > >… The buffer strip/watershed reconstruction
> > > project at Bear Creek-which
> > > >has been designated as a National Demonstration
> > > Watershed.  Expanding use
> > > >of the practices learned in Bear Creek drastically
> > > reduces soil erosion,
> > > >improves water quality, and expands wildlife
> > > habitat.
> > > >… Hoop house hog confinement systems-which are
> > > environmentally and
> > > >animal friendly.
> > > >… Early support for Iowa's grape and wine
> > > industry-which has the
> > > >potential to impact agricultural diversity, value
> > > added production, and
> > > >tourism.
> > > >… Sole support of long-term research by ISU's
> > > only organic crop
> > > >specialist-which provides a key component in Iowa's
> > > growing organic
> > > >production sector (from 13,000 acres in 1995 to
> > > 150,000 in 1999).
> > > >… Facilitation of local food systems-which paved
> > > the way for creation of
> > > >Iowa's Local Food Task Force and the Governor's
> > > Food Policy Council.  This
> > > >trend promises to reunite rural producers and urban
> > > consumers in a vibrant
> > > >food production and distribution model.
> > > >
> > > >The proposed Republican budget cuts to the Leopold
> > > Center for Sustainable
> > > >Agriculture are shortsighted.  Such a loss would
> > > have detrimental
> > > >long-term impacts on the viability of Iowa's
> > > agricultural economic
> > > >base.  The cuts sacrifice one of the most
> > > innovation and beneficial
> > > >long-term investment we can make with public money.
> > > >
> > > >If farmers are to meet the challenge of better
> > > environmental stewardship,
> > > >we must not stop developing new methods and better
> > > tools for them to
> > > >use.  And if we truly seek means to help keep
> > > family farms viable and
> > > >prosperous, we cannot allow these cuts to the
> > > Leopold Center-one of the
> > > >most innovative resources supporting family
> > > farmers.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >PLEASE CONTACT THE GOVERNOR AND YOUR LEGISLATOR
> > > THIS WEEK AND OVER THE
> > > >HOLIDAY WEEKEND AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO PRESERVE THE
> > > LEOPOLD CENTER, TO NOT
> > > >THROW AWAY WHAT WE'VE WORKED SO HARD TO BUILD.
> > > >
> > > >***********************************
> > > >CONTACT INFORMATION
> > > >
> > > >Please contact the following:
> > > >
> > > >1. Your own state representative.  Home and office
> > > contact information can
> > > >be found at the Iowa General Assembly website at
> > > ><http://www.legis.state.is.us>.  Or call the House
> > > switchboard at
> > > >515.281.3221.
> > > >
> > > >2. Your own state senator. Home and office contact
> > > information can be
> > >
> > === message truncated ===
> >
> > __________________________________________________
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