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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