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 >found at the Iowa General Assembly website at ><http://www.legis.state.is.us>. Or call the Senate switchboard at >515.281.3371. > >[Legislator email addresses are <[log in to unmask]>. > >3. The Governor's office. You can call the governor's office at >515.281.5211 or send an email to the Governor's executive secretary < >[log in to unmask]>. > >4. Stewart Iverson, Senate Majority Leader. Home: 515.852.3350. Office: >515.281.3560. Email: <[log in to unmask]>. > >5. Christopher Rants, House Majority Leader. Home: 712.274.8874. Office: >515.281.3221. Email: <[log in to unmask]>. > >6. Forward this e-mail to your networks. It is vital that legislators >hear from as many Iowans as possible. Your e-mail network is an important >tool to help protect Iowa's environment. Please use it. > > >Erin Jordahl >Director, Iowa Chapter Sierra Club >3839 Merle Hay Road, Suite 280 >Des Moines, IA 50310 >515-277-8868 >[log in to unmask] >[log in to unmask]