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 === > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > LAUNCH - Your Yahoo! 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