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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